This IB Maths AA SL Topic SL 5.1 – Limits resource introduces students to the concept of a limit and its role in calculus. Students explore how a function can approach a value even when it is undefined at a particular point, using numerical tables, limit notation, and clear explanations. An optional extension introduces the formal epsilon–delta definition for students interested in more advanced calculus.

The lesson then connects limits to gradients and rates of change. Students review the gradient of a straight line, investigate average rates of change using secant lines, and see how bringing two points closer together leads to the instantaneous rate of change. The resource concludes by defining the derivative as the gradient of a function and introducing common derivative notation, providing a strong conceptual foundation for differentiation.