Help your students truly understand what makes a relation a function with this hands‑on, discussion‑driven sorting activity.

Function, Maybe? is designed to be used multiple times throughout your Functions unit so students can revisit, revise, and deepen their understanding as they learn.

This resource encourages mathematical discourse, productive struggle, and collaborative reasoning — all while giving you meaningful insight into student thinking.

What’s Included

• 12 Function/Not Function sorting cards: A mix of tables, graphs, mappings, real‑world scenarios, and ordered pairs.
• Student Directions: Clear, simple instructions for each phase of the activity.
• Teacher Guide: Suggestions for early‑unit, mid‑unit, and end‑unit implementation.
• Answer Key: Quickly check student work or support class discussion.
• Printable Envelope Labels: Perfect for organizing reusable sets year after year.

Skills Students Will Practice

• Identifying functions from tables, graphs, mappings, and real‑world contexts
• Explaining mathematical reasoning using precise vocabulary
• Revising thinking as new learning occurs
• Collaborating and engaging in meaningful math discourse

How the Activity Works

• Early in the unit: Students sort each card into “Function” or “Not a Function” using intuition and prior knowledge.
• Midway through the unit: Students revisit their envelopes and revise their thinking based on new learning.
• End of the unit: Students justify their final sort with written or verbal explanations — perfect for formative assessment or a reflective writing task.

Why Teachers Love It

• Easy prep — just print, cut, and go
• High‑engagement, low‑floor/high‑ceiling task
• Supports math talk and conceptual understanding
• Works beautifully for partners, groups, stations, or intervention
• Reusable year after year

Perfect For

• 7th Grade Math
• 8th Grade Math
• Algebra 1
• Interactive notebooks
• Warm‑ups, stations, or exit tasks
• Review before quizzes or tests