Lesson+Plan

__media type="custom" key="14977454"Learn Excel basics (2 hours)__ Assumption: The instructor demonstrates each step on their own computer which is projected on the screen at the front of the room. Each student is at their own computer where they mimic what is being demonstrated. Explain and demonstrate basic Excel - cells, rows, columns and navigation. Equate "table" with "matrix". Explain and demonstrate basic calculations- add 2 cells together, subtract, multiply, divide and order of precedence. Explain and demonstrate basic formatting (Bold, font, align,numeric formats,etc).

Get students attention by getting them involved in a discussion on how to select a cell phone plan. This will get them more interested in the project overall and make the math and Excel seem less threatening and more as just another part of the process of buying a phone. It can make the math and Excel feel more real and applicable to life. Instead of this lesson plan being just one more way that we are trying to make math and Excel fit in with real life we are **fitting real life into math and Excel**.

Get students to think about how they determined which cell phone plan to buy. Did they just buy the best? Or did they calculate which would be most appropriate for them before purchasing their plan?

Provide students with a sample year’s cell phone usage. Explain and demonstrate the SUM function by summing the total minutes for the year .

__Learn about two-variable equations from a math point of view (2 hours)__ Teach slope intercept form-(y=mx + b) Teach how to graph from slope intercept form using a table of values. (input x to find y) Teach how to graph from the equation.(plotting the y-intercept and using the slope(m)) Teach how to change a more complex equation(for the cellphone) into slope intercept form. ex)

__Apply simple equation in Excel spreadsheet (1.5 hours)__ Provide the plan options from Verizon’s website. Demonstrate calculation of 450 plan for every 50 minutes. Explain the calculation in mathematical terms. Remind Students of the order of precedence.

Explain and demonstrate copy/paste by dragging handle. Explain and demonstrate the IF function to simplify filling in the cells with the formula. Ask students to explain how the IF function works and why they would want to use it. (Be sure to give students plenty of time to think about the question before calling on a student to answer)

Demonstrate graphing the calculation on graphing paper. Explain x & y coordinates, etc. Add Unlimited Plan graph point and explain intersections.

__Learn how to graph a slope-intercept equation (1 hour)__ Using the 450 plan to demonstrate how to create a linear graph. Explain and demonstrate basics of the slope-intercept form. Give students a background in graphing.

__Learn how to create a graph in Excel__ (45 minutes) Using the 450 plan demonstrate how to create a linear graph in Excel. Explain and demonstrate basic formatting of the graph. Add the points for the Unlimited Plan.

Have students add the calculations for the 900 Plan. Have students add the 900 Plan to the graph. Have students explain the intersections and what the finished graph means.

__Learn to use results of calculations (45 minutes)__ Provide the students with the monthly cell phone usage. Review the SUM function by summing the total minutes for the year. Have students calculate the costs based on each plan and sum for year. Have students Explain the significance of the results. (Be sure to give students plenty of time to think about the question before calling on a student to answer)

Provide another year's worth of cell phone usage that is much lower and have them determine costs for each plan based on new numbers.

Have students explain the significance of these results. (Be sure to give students plenty of time to think about the question before calling on a student to answer) Demonstrate how to set two equations equal to each other to find their common point. Have students calculate the savings over 5 years if they go with the 900 plan vs. Unlimited Plan. Have them find the point where they are equal. (They will want to average the costs between the 2 years.)

__Assessment (45 minutes)__ Redistribute the Cell Phone Plans/Cost if necessary.

Instruct students to create a spreadsheet comparing the Messaging costs. Instruct students to create a line graph demonstrating the comparison. Have students reduce to the slope intercept form the equation used. Instruct students to create a line graph demonstrating the comparison. Have students explain the results of the graph in terms of the slope intercept form.

Instruct students to create a spreadsheet comparing the Data Costs. Instruct students to create a line graph demonstrating the comparison. Have students reduce to the slope intercept form the equation used. Instruct students to create a line graph demonstrating the comparison. Have students explain the results of the graph in terms of the slope intercept form.

Provide the students with monthly Messaging and Data usage. Instruct the student to find the differences between the Messaging Plans and determine which plan is best based on 5 years of usage. Have students Explain the significance of the results. Have them find the point at which they are about the same. Provide extra credit if students use the AVERAGE function.

Instruct the student to find the differences between the Data Plans and determine which plan is best based on 5 years of usage. Have students Explain the significance of the results. Have them find the point at which they are about the same. Provide extra credit if students use the AVERAGE function.