Intermediate Value Theorem

I have never liked my unit as a whole for the Intermediate Value Theorem in Calculus. My explanations, I like, my homework and the time the kids spend thinking about it and then quickly forgetting it, I don't like.

Attempt this year:

 I like this first page because the kids have to stop and process the whole IVTh and think about the parts and then analyze the parts and see what goes wrong. I heard some good discussion.

I like this second page because for 5 and 6 they then have to start the thinking process graphically on how to apply the IVTh. Then problems 7-9 are what I just used to do by themselves. Hopefully, this year after they've processed things, then 7-9 should go better. We will see.

In other news, apparently I make kids feel dumb - based on a conversation I had with a parent. Oy! They interpret how I talk to them as just expecting them to know things already. Of course it's an obvious logical conclusion on my part that "one kid" implies THE WHOLE CLASS. Go me! Because of this, I made the following handout, and we had a discussion, and I asked them to tape this in their notebooks (or staple it to their hearts) to remember: