In this lesson, students study functions and their graphs in context. They determine if the function is continuous or discrete based on the situation. They also produce graphs of functions, paying close attention to the appropriate domain and range, which are both restricted by the context. Note that the terms continuous and discrete will not be assessed, so these terms can be introduced if it is helpful, but it is not necessary to do so.

First, students decide whether plotted points in a graph representing a function should be connected or not, and then, students describe limits on the domain and range of a function representing a context. Both of these considerations are an important part of modeling with mathematics (MP4). This lesson prepares students to extend their understanding of domain and range to exponential functions in the associated Algebra I lesson.

Technology isn't required for this lesson, but there are opportunities for students to choose to use appropriate technology to solve problems. We recommend making technology available.