ALEX Learning Activity

In this learning activity, students will learn how to find the components of a vector by subtracting the coordinates of an initial point from the coordinates of a terminal point. The students will be asked to consider the vector in the diagram of the teaching video. They will answer the following questions: What are the coordinates of the terminal point? What are the coordinates of the initial point? And what are the components of the vector? This learning activity can be used as a stand-alone activity or an introductory activity. Corresponding activities can be found in the Notes or Recommendations section.

Students will be able to:

• describe a set of components in terms of the numbers of units right/left and up/down and vice versa.
• find the components of a vector represented graphically.
• identify the initial and terminal points of a vector.
• understand the relation between vector components and initial and terminal points.

Procedure

1. Introduction (5 minutes, whole group)
The teacher will discuss:

• Remind the students that the component form of a vector is given as < x, y >, where x describes how far right or left a vector is going and y describes how far up or down a vector is going.
• Given a vector’s initial point (where it starts), (x₁, y₁), and terminal point (where it ends), (x₂, y₂) the component form can be found by subtracting the coordinates of each point: < x₂ – x₁, y₂ – y₁ >.

2. Watching the video (5 minutes, whole group):

Watch the video.

3. Conclusion (10 minutes, whole group)

The teacher will display the following problems to be worked on as a whole group to check for understanding.

1. Find the component form of the vector with initial point <a,b> and terminal point <c,d>.

2. Find the component form of the vector with initial point <1,1> and terminal point <3,4>.

3. Find the component form of the vector with initial point <-2,6> and terminal point <-5,-2>.

4. Find the component form of the vector with initial point <0,-4> and terminal point <-3,-8>.

The student responses during the class discussion and additional problems will be used as a formative assessment.

• Students should already be familiar with finding the coordinates of a point on a coordinate plane.
• The teacher should review the teaching video prior to the lesson.
• The teacher will need to decide how he/she will display the video and the problems to check for understanding.

• For students who struggle with this activity, the teacher should provide a work buddy.
• For students who excel at this activity, the teacher could assign the example problems individually.

This activity can stand alone or be used as a Before/Engage activity for the following learning activities:

Vector Components from Initial and Terminal Points (During Activity)

Components of a Vector Subtraction Practice (After Activity)