Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences

I remember the details like it was yesterday...three years ago...on a dusty bus filled with excited tweens...traveling four hours to a state math competition...and I filled the Saturday hours with studying the Algebra 1 Common Core State Standards. Yep. It's no secret. I'm a math nerd. But clearly, it's never too late to learn something new. Confession: I had never made the connection between sequences and functions. And Monday's algebra class couldn't come soon enough!

I remember learning sequences via formulas involving a, n, d, or r. It was like a giant puzzle with my efforts to find all the necessary values to substitute into the formula. You nailed it...process! Unfortunately, I have taught plenty of sequence lessons in precalculus in this same manner. I love that CCSS place the connection at the beginning of the progression when students first learn linear and exponential functions. The vast majority of my students view a table of values and naturally spy the sequence, rather than spying the relationship between both variables (function!). So it only seems natural to use the sequence to build the function. Enjoy the beauty of building this concept!

Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences Resources

This concept begins in MATH-8 with constructing linear functions and continues in Algebra 1 when students extend previous learning to compare linear and exponential functions.

These activities highlight Common Core State Standards HSF-BF.A.1a, HSF-BF.A.2, HSF-IF.A.3, HSF-LE.A.1, HSF-LE.A.2, and HSF-LE.A.3 included in 7th and 8th Accelerated Algebra 1.