Excerpt #1: (from a 1993 newspaper article)
Sales of new homes in September unexpectedly soared to nearly a seven-year high and the
government’s economic forecasting gauge now points to “a sustainable recovery with constant
growth,” federal officials and analysts said Tuesday.
If E is represents the level of the U.S. economy as a function of time, then analysts are
predicting:
(a) E’ will be positive/negative/zero/can’t tell? Explain your answer.
(b) E’’ will be positive/negative/zero/can’t tell? Explain your answer.
Excerpt #2: (from a 1993 newspaper article)
Police have tallied 376 homicides in the city since the beginning of the year – up from 365 for
the same period in 1992 – many of them related to gangs and a drug trade that runs rampant in
some neighborhoods.
If H represents the number of homicides in this city as a function of time, then
(a) H is positive/negative/zero/can’t tell?
(b) H’ is positive/negative/zero/can’t tell?
(c) H’’ is positive/negative/zero/can’t tell?
Excerpt #3: (from a 1993 newspaper article)
IBM Corp. is starting to pull out of the red, company officials said Tuesday. The computer
maker took a loss of 12 cents a share in the third quarter. That compares with a per-share loss
of $4.87 a year ago, . . .
If P represents IBM’s net profit per share, then
(a) P is positive/negative/zero/can’t tell? Explain your answer.
(b) P’ is positive/negative/zero/can’t tell? Explain your answer.
(c) P’’ is positive/negative/zero/can’t tell? Explain your answer.
Derivatives in the News
Read the following excerpts from newspaper articles, looking for
statements that deal with the concepts of the first and second derivative.
Answer the questions following each excerpt.
#4 (from a 2000 newspaper)
Explain Peppermint Patty’s situation in terms of the first and second derivative.
Your Assignment:
After you have your teacher check your work on the questions above, you are to locate an
article in a newspaper or magazine that somehow illustrates the idea of the first and/or second
derivative. (You will receive bonus points if the article illustrates both the first and second
derivative.)
Write a summary of what the article has to say in terms of derivatives. The summary does not
have to be long, but the explanation of how the derivative applies must be accurate, thorough,
and clear. The summary should be typewritten. Your summary may include a sketch of a
graph, if possible.
Cut out (or copy) the article and present it neatly on a piece of unruled white or colored paper.
Be sure to include documentation about where the article appeared and the date it was
published.
Turn in the typewritten summary and the article page, along with this handout.
SCORING RUBRIC
Advanced:
  An article is turned in that shows some illustration of derivatives.
  Presentation of article is neat and includes source documentation.
  Summary includes an accurate, thorough, and clear interpretation of a derivative.
  Summary is well written, with no spelling or grammar errors significant enough to affect its meaning or
understanding.
  Summary is typewritten.
  Handout is turned in.
Proficient:
  An article is turned in that shows some illustration of derivatives.
  No more than one major error or omission in requirements for advanced score.
Basic:
  An article is turned in that shows some illustration of derivatives.
  No more than two major errors or omissions in requirements for advanced score.
Below Basic:
  An article is turned in that shows some illustration of derivatives.
  No more than three major errors or omissions in requirements for advanced score.