Lesson Plan: Second- and Higher-Order Derivatives Mathematics • Higher Education

This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to find second- and higher-order derivatives of a function including using differentiation rules.

Objectives

Students will be able to

understand that the derivative of a function can itself be differentiated to form a higher-order derivative of the original function,
understand and use the notation for higher-order derivatives, including prime notation and derivative notation,
find the second-, third-, and higher-order derivatives for a function,
find the value of the second-, third-, and higher-order derivatives of a function at a given point.

Prerequisites

Students should already be familiar with

first derivatives,
differentiation,
the rules of differentiation (product, quotient, chain, etc.).

Exclusions

Students will not cover

antiderivatives,
implicit differentiation.