Activity Description Similar to the original "Function Machine" but lists input and output in a table and will not let the user attempt to guess the rule on without at least having two data points.

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Number Cruncher

Place in mathematics curriculum:

• Teach properties of linear functions
• Explore problem solving techniques

This activity allows the user to to explore linear functions by determining the rule that the number cruncher machine is following. Students can enter numbers and use the result to determine what the function is. This activity would work well in small groups of 3-4 for about 20 minutes if you use the exploration questions and 10 minutes otherwise.

Preparations for this activity:

• Encourage students to not give up and give hints if they are stuck
• Explain the properties of a function
• After the students have been working, explain a higher level strategy for finding the result: use 0 first and if the result is a whole number then that is the +/- component; if the result is 0, then it is a multiplication situation and plugging in 1 will find the solution.