Lesson Title: Rational Functions Course: Common Core Algebra II, Unit 6

Date: _____________ Teacher(s): ____________________ Start/end times: _________________________

Lesson Standards/Objective(s): What mathematical skill(s) and understanding(s) will be developed? Which
Mathematical Practices do you expect students to engage in during the lesson?

A.APR.D.6 Rewrite simple rational expressions in different forms; write a(x)/b(x) in the form q(x) + r(x)/b(x),
where a(x), b(x), q(x), and r(x) are polynomials with the degree of r(x) less than the degree of b(x), using inspection,
long division, or, for the more complicated examples, a computer algebra system.

A.SSE.A.2 Use the structure of an expression to identify ways to rewrite it.

MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

MP4: Model with mathematics.
MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically.
MP7: Look for and make use of structure.
MP8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Common Core Algebra II, Unit 6

Lesson Launch Notes: Exactly how will you use the
first five minutes of the lesson?
Have a discussion about the relationship between
distance, rate and time. Have students rearrange the
formula D = rt to develop a formula for measuring the
time it takes to drive 250 miles based on your speed.
As a class, create a table of values for various rates.
Have students enter the tables into their lists and look at
a scatter plot of the data. (Look for evidence of MP4.)
Lesson Closure Notes: Exactly what summary activity,
questions, and discussion will close the lesson and connect
big ideas? List the questions. Provide a foreshadowing of
tomorrow.
1. How does the structure of a rational function relate to
division?
2. How does the structure of a rational function relate to
its graphical representation?
(Look for evidence of MP7 and MP8.)

Lesson Tasks, Problems, and Activities (attach resource sheets): What specific activities, investigations,
problems, questions, or tasks will students be working on during the lesson? Be sure to indicate strategic
connections to appropriate mathematical practices.

1. Discuss the shape of the curve from the warm-up, and explain the concept of an inverse relationship. Have
1
students graph the function f (x) = in their graphing calculators. Have students examine and describe the
x
graph. (Note: Students should be familiar with horizontal asymptotes from exponential functions and vertical
asymptotes from logarithmic functions. Have them recall this terminology.) Ask students use the table of values
and the graph in order to make conjectures about the asymptotes. Students should be able to easily recognize
that there is a vertical asymptote of x = 0. Refer them back to the function to discuss why this would be the case,
reminding them that the denominator of a fraction cannot equal zero. (Look for evidence of MP5 and MP7.)
1
2. Have students make predictions about the graph of f (x) = and check their predictions in the graphing
x +1
calculator. Discuss why the vertical asymptote is now x = -1, noting how this value would cause the
denominator to equal zero. Highlight that the horizontal asymptote is still y = 0. Have students make predictions
1
for the vertical asymptotes of the function f (x) = and check it in their calculators. As a class create a
x+ 2
1
conjecture for the vertical asymptotes of the function f (x) = . (Look for evidence of MP3.)
x+ a
x
3. Have students predict how the function will change if they were to graph f (x) = and check their
x +1
HCPSS Secondary Mathematics Office (v2.1); adapted from: Leinwand, S. (2009). Accessible mathematics: 10 instructional shifts that raise student
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Lesson Title: Rational Functions Course: Common Core Algebra II, Unit 6
Date: _____________ Teacher(s): ____________________ Start/end times: _________________________
predictions in the graphing calculator. Discuss the shift in horizontal asymptote from y = 0 to y = 1. (Look for
evidence of MP8.)
2x x2
4. Have students make predictions about the graphs of f (x) = and f (x) = . Instruct students to work
x +1 x +1
with a partner to compare the graphs of these functions. As a class, discuss how the first function has a
horizontal asymptote of y = 2, but the second function has an oblique asymptote. (Note: This is new terminology,
so students may only notice that the asymptote looks different or “slanted.” Introduce the term and have students
discuss the words that they associate with the term oblique.) (Look for evidence of MP5 and MP7.)
4x + 5
5. Have students make a prediction about the horizontal asymptote for f (x) = and check their prediction in
x +1
the graphing calculator. Ask students how they believe the graph might be altered if the function is changed to
4x + 5
f (x) = . Have students graph the function, and share ideas about the horizontal asymptote, noting that it
2x+1
has changed from y = 4 to y = 2. If students do not yet notice that the asymptote is located at a value equivalent
to the ratio of the leading coefficients, change the leading coefficient of the denominator from 2 to 3 in order to
reveal a horizontal asymptote at y = 0.75 or change the lead coefficient of the numerator to -6 to reveal a
horizontal asymptote at y = -3. (Look for evidence of MP8.)
4x + 5
6. Revisit f (x) = , and discuss how the problem relates to division. Ask students how many times x + 1
x +1
would fit into 4x + 5. Have students recognize that 4(x + 1) = 4x + 4, so 4 groups of x + 1 fit into 4x + 5 with a
1
remainder of 1. Rewrite the function as f (x) = 4+ , and explain that the function approaches the horizontal
x +1
asymptote at f (x) = 4 because as x approached infinity or negative infinity, the fractional value added to or
⎛ 1 ⎞
subtracted from 4 ⎜ approaches but never reaches zero. Allow students to plug in very large numbers for
⎝ x +1⎟⎠
x or create a table of values with larger x-values in order to verify this, if necessary. Have students repeat this
4x + 5 3
process with f (x) = , rewriting it as f (x) = 2+ and noting that the function will approach f (x) = 2
2x+1 2x +1
as x approaches positive and negative infinity. (Look for evidence of MP7 and MP8.)
x2
7. Revisit the function f (x) = , recalling that the asymptote was oblique, or slanted. Have students use what
x +1
they have learned to make conjectures about why this might be true. Discuss that x + 1 will divide into x 2 , x – 1
times, with a remainder of +1 because (x +1)(x −1)= x2 −1and the remainder of + 1 will combine with the – 1 in
1
order to arrive at x 2 . Rewrite the function as f (x) = x −1+ . Emphasize that the function will approach the
x +1
line f (x) = x−1 in the same way that it approached a horizontal line even though the equation for the asymptote
is an oblique line (students should recognize that it is in slope-intercept form). Have students graph the original
function as well as the line y = x −1 in their graphing calculators to verify this relationship. (Look for evidence
of MP7 and MP8.)
8. Ask students what they believe would happen if the numerator and denominator were switched on the last
x +1
function, and they were instead asked to graph f (x) = 2 . Discuss how x 2 would not divide into x + 1
x
because the degree is too large. The function, therefore, could not be rewritten in the same way as before. Have
students substitute large numbers such as x = 100 and x = 200 in for x in order to verify that the function is
approaching zero as x approaches infinity. Remind students of end behavior, and have them describe the end
behavior for each type of horizontal asymptote. Translate the descriptions to the proper notation. (Look for
evidence of MP7.)
9. Summarize the findings as a class, discussing how division relates to the graphical representations of rational
HCPSS Secondary Mathematics Office (v2.1); adapted from: Leinwand, S. (2009). Accessible mathematics: 10 instructional shifts that raise student
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Lesson Title: Rational Functions Course: Common Core Algebra II, Unit 6
Date: _____________ Teacher(s): ____________________ Start/end times: _________________________
functions.
10. Revisit a few of the rational functions from the lesson, and use them as an introduction to long division of
rational functions. (Look for evidence of MP7.)

Evidence of Success: What exactly do I expect students to be able to do by the end of the lesson, and how will I
measure student success? That is, deliberate consideration of what performances will convince you (and any outside
observer) that your students have developed a deepened and conceptual understanding.

Students will be able to rewrite a simple rational function in the form q(x) + r(x)/b(x) using inspection. They will be
able to make conclusions about the horizontal asymptotes of the function based on its rewritten form and explain
why the function behaves the way it does. Students will relate this to end behavior.

Notes and Nuances: Vocabulary, connections, anticipated misconceptions (and how they will be addressed), etc.

Vocabulary: asymptotes, rational functions, remainders

Connections: Students will make connections between division problems and rational functions, revisiting the
concept of a remainder. They may use their knowledge of the multiplication of polynomials in order to begin to
divide. Connections will be made between division and the graphical representations of rational functions.

Resources: What materials or resources are essential Homework: Exactly what follow-up homework tasks,
for students to successfully complete the lesson tasks or problems, and/or exercises will be assigned upon the
activities? completion of the lesson?

Document camera Textbook problems on horizontal asymptotes and/or

Graphing calculators simple division.

Lesson Reflections: How do you know that you were effective? What questions, connected to the lesson
standards/objectives and evidence of success, will you use to reflect on the effectiveness of this lesson?

Were students able to summarize the relationship between the degree of the numerator and denominator of a rational
function and its graphical representation?
Could students rewrite a rational function using their knowledge of polynomials and division?

Howard County Public Schools Office of Secondary Mathematics Curricular Projects has licensed this
product under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

HCPSS Secondary Mathematics Office (v2.1); adapted from: Leinwand, S. (2009). Accessible mathematics: 10 instructional shifts that raise student
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.