My Media Rich Math Lesson

 

Grade Level:  High school

Content Area:  Math

Unit: Parabolas

 

Goal: 

Teach students how to identify, read, graph and manipulate parabolic graphs and functions. Students will be able to identify both parabolic movement and parabolic shapes outside of class and be able to make logical predictions of their behaviors. Also students will be able to identify the x-y intercepts, vertices, and increasing-decreasing behaviors of parabolic equations and graph them with various computer programs.

 

NETS-S technology standards addressed:

  1. Creativity and Innovation
  2. Communication and Collaboration
  3. Research and Information Fluency
  4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

 

Technologies:

Internet research, TI Navigator calculators, camera and projector presenter, TI Inspire calculator, Power Point presentation, iTunes music and computer speakers.

 

 

Resources:

Coolmath.com

TI Inspire

TI Navigator

Flickr


 

Unit Outline:

 

Day One – Graphing Parabolas

For this lesson I will teach introductions to parabolas by using the document camera during lecture. I will cover: shapes, Cartesian graphing, x-y intercepts, vertices, growth rate, domain, range, and how to set up functions for modeling.

 

Day Two – Parabolas in the real world

For this lesson I plan to incorporate the use the projector to display the internet onto the wall. Then taking requests for Flickr searches by students, I will locate a parabolic shape in the picture and demonstrate how to formulate an equation that would (to some degree) duplicate the image parabola on coolmath.com’s online graphing software.

 

Day Three – Research and Present

This lesson will be split up into two parts:

For the first half, students are to use the internet (using computer lab if possible) to find and print pictures of a ball toss and a pool diver.

Then for the second half, students are to define a Cartesian graph with the proper units to graph an equation that represents the position of the ball and diver over time.

Then all students will present their graphs to class using the document camera. (This may require groups if time is short)

 

Day Four – Parabolic Methods Game

This lesson will be dedicated to devolvement skills previously learned. Students will be given, one at a time, equations for them to graph or solve to find intercepts and vertices and so on. The will use their TI Navigators to present their immediate computations to the class when called upon to support the learning of all students.

 

Day Five – Game Time

For day 5, I will have a Math Game Show. The students will be immersed in a game show like atmosphere with iTunes music. I will feature a PowerPoint presentation which reveals a series of parabola related questions. The class will be divided in two and each student will receive a TI Navigator which will communicate to me their calculator interactions.

The rules will be simple:

  • An equation will be revealed
  • The students will solve it on their TI Calculators
  • The first group to have a student type in the correct solution gets the Power Point slides point value
  • The student who first gets the solution wins a piece of candy
  • The team with the most points at the end wins

 

This will complete the unit on parabolas.

 

 

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