Geroche 1

Taryn Geroche
Prof. Tricia Engelhardt
EDUC 450
Teacher Work Sample
21 November 2015

Topic and Rationale

Since Rocky is on a block schedule, classes are only a semester long, and they move very
rapidly through the content. My lesson is part of Unit 6, out of nine units. The class started with
learning about functions and function notation, and since then has blossomed to learn about
linear, quadratic, polynomial, and radical functions, starting with each classs parent graph and
then learning about its transformations. Students have learned all the ins and outs of factoring,
which proves to be one of the main ideas throughout the whole class. Now, unit 6 introduces
another class of functions, logarithmic and exponential functions.
My lesson is near the end of the unit: so far students have learned about the common
logarithm, exponential functions as inverses of logarithms, and properties of logarithms that
allow them to be manipulated. Now, my lesson will introduce students to the natural logarithm
and its base, e. This new way of using logarithms is merely an extension of all of their previous
learning about logarithms. In fact, the main point I hope to get across is that the natural
logarithm functions in the same way as the common logarithm, and the same properties of
logarithms apply. Basically, the students already know all they need to know about logarithms,
they just need to become comfortable with a new notation.
The common logarithm, despite its name, is actually much less common in higher level
mathematics than the natural logarithm, so it is important that students become familiar and

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comfortable working with the natural logarithm. We teach the common logarithm first because it
uses base 10, which students will understand. The natural logarithm uses base e, a number that
students have not been introduced to yet, so they will need to learn about e and its significance
before they can grasp the natural logarithm. So the other main point of my lesson is to introduce
students to e.
Since students already know a lot about logarithms, and learning about the natural
logarithm is the last step of the unit, I decided to teach my lesson using an exploration activity. I
believe that there are some topics in math which students will not really be able to figure out
without being taught by a teacher the basics of logarithms would probably fall into this
category. However, there are other topics that students are entirely capable of discovering and
understanding on their own, particularly when the topic is an extension of something they
already know, like the natural log is an extension of the common log. This class is almost always
taught as a lecture, and I want the students to have a chance to branch out from that. So, my
lesson about the natural log and e will be a guided exploration, using questions to lead students
through exercises that will help them understand the natural log on their own. I will walk around
the classroom supervising and facilitating the learning, clarifying points that may not be as clear
to the students as I think they will be. The point is to let the students be in charge of their
learning for the day.
The other reason I am choosing to teach using this strategy is to help myself become
comfortable with various methods of teaching. It is quite easy for me to stand in front of the
class and guide the lecture, and generally this method works just fine, and learning is achieved.
However, I know that the students will be even that much more successful if I can get the
responsibility for the learning to be on their shoulders instead of mine. Of course you will better

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remember what you learn if you discover it yourself instead of just letting someone tell you! I
want to get to the point in my teaching where I can always had the responsibility over to the
students when we are on a topic that they are capable of discovering themselves, so I will use
this lesson to explore that possibility. I am nervous about writing the exploration itself, because
it has to use perfectly crafted questioning to lead the students in the right direction. If any
questions are off then I will have to collect the students attention and correct it. I am also
nervous because it feels like I am handing everything over to fate once I have passed out the
worksheets. However, that is not true, because I will still be able to answer questions. Overall, I
think this kind of lesson is a risk that teachers do not often take, but I know that if all goes well
then it will be the best learning experience for my students.