the rate of change is how fast the line changes values in proportion to the x value. this means how fast the line rises and fall's as x increases. So from the points we can see that x went from 0 to 3 and y went from -4 to 2. this means that in the time x traveled 3 spots y traveled 6. the rate of change (also called slope) is nicknamed rise over run or rise/run. since y is up and down value it is the rise and since x is runs across the page x is the run value. So 6/3 is rise of run
