Precalculus: The Function Elevator

Objectives

• Students will create a piecewise linear graph to model a real life scenario.
• Students will identify connections between position and velocity functions and their graphs.
• Students will create velocity graphs based on information about position and position graphs based on information about velocity.

Vocabulary

• velocity
• position
• vertex

About the Lesson

This lesson involves creating and comparing graphical representations of position and velocity functions from a scenario.
As a result, students will:

• Manipulate pieces of a piecewise linear function to represent a real life scenario about the position of an object.
• Manipulate pieces of a piecewise linear function to represent the position of an object given information about its velocity.
• Predict and evaluate predictions about the velocity of an object based on a graph of its position.