Concord Consortium
Maximum Volumes
It's great to have a large swimming pool. An interesting performance task asks learners to optimize the volume of pools for a given surface area. They consider four different shapes for pools and find the maximum volume for each pool.
Radford University
Rocket Quads
How high will it fly? Pairs build straw rockets and launch them at different angles and determine the height and horizontal distance of the flight path. Teams make conjectures about how the angle affects the measured distances and use...
101 Questions
Leap the Jeep
Will harm come to the child in the video? Find out by modeling the scenario mathematically! Learners represent the situation with a quadratic model before deciding on a maximum height and time the person is in the air. Too low or not...
Flipped Math
Unit 2 Review: Polynomial Functions
Wrap it all up in a box. Pupils review the key concepts from an Algebra 2 polynomial functions unit by working 19 problems. Problems range from using the Remainder Theorem to find remainders and finding factors; sketching graphs by...
Curated OER
Bouncing Ball
High schoolers collect height versus time data of a bouncing ball using the CBR 2™ data collection device. Using a quadratic equation they graph scatter plots, graph and interpret a quadratic function, apply the vertex form of a...
Radford University
How High Can You Throw?
Find heights by measuring time. Teams collect data to determine the height that a tennis ball is thrown. Classmates measure the height of the initial release of the ball and how long it stays aloft. Using a projectile motion equation,...
Radford University
Maximizing Light Through a Window
Let there be plenty of light. For a perimeter of 10 feet, scholars determine the maximum area of a window composed of a rectangle and a semicircle. They draw diagrams and then write and solve equations to find the height and radius for...
Radford University
Linear Programming: Sports Shoes
Don't shoo away the resource on shoes. Given constraints on the amount of leather and string needed to make two different types of shoes, learners graph a system of inequalities for the situation. They then determine the maximum profit...
Flipped Math
Unit 8 Review: Functions
Let's finish a functional review. Pupils work through 31 items to review the concepts learned in Unit 8. Scholars determine whether a mapping is a function and identify the domain and range. Using function notation, individuals then...
Curated OER
Maximum, Minimum, Increasing, Decreasing
Learners practice with the StudyCard set on assessing real-world contexts dealing with the concepts of maximum, minimum, increasing and decreasing. They view a variety of quadratic functions and equations with their TI-83 Plus calculators.
Radford University
“FUN-ctions” Find the Equation of a Scream
Take a function along for a ride. Given the graph of a roller coaster track, pupils determine key features of the graph such as the maximum, minimum, intervals of increase and decrease, and roots. They figure out the equation of the...
101 Questions
Small Trebuchet
Travel back to medieval time where learning is just a stone's throw away! A video introduction shows a trebuchet (catapult-like machine) as it launches a rock into a lake. Learners use their quadratic modeling skills to predict the...
Flipped Math
Unit 10 Review: Quadratics
Everything one wanted to know about parabolas in one place. Pupils work 27 problems as a review of the unit on quadratics. Problems range from determining key features of the function and using that information to graph the parabola, to...
Curated OER
Show Me the Money
Pupils investigate financial applications of mathematics in this mathematics lesson. They will investigate equations that represent a company’s income, expense, and profit functions and use those equations to identify break even points...
Curated OER
Stretching the Quads
Scholars investigate transforming parabolas. In this transforming parabolas instructional activity, they take the parent graph y=x^2 and transform it by shifting left, right, up, and down and shrinking and stretching. The class finds...
Concord Consortium
Dubious Dice
How many ways can you slice dice distribution? A short performance task asks pupils to consider different types of distributions. Given histograms showing a triangular distribution and a bimodal distribution, they create pairs of dice...
Curated OER
Graphical Analysis
Get out your TI-nspire graphing calculator and explore polynomials. Learners determine where a given polynomial are increasing or decreasing, find maximums, minimums, and zeros of polynomials, and discuss end behavior of polynomials....
Curated OER
Wind Effects on Model Building: Pre-Lab for Truss Design and Testing
Emerging engineers perform pre-lab calculations in this first of a three-part lesson plan on model building. They determine the forces of tension and compression in a truss. After completion of the worksheet, pupils will draw a draft of...
Fall River Schools
Parabolas Are All Around Us
Moving parabolas off of graph paper and into the real world is the task at hand in this detailed poster project. First, learners perform a cumulative activity identifying many characteristics of an assigned quadratic equation. Next, they...
Teach Engineering
Optimizing Pencils in a Tray
What do you call a story about a broken pencil? Pointless. Scholars may not be telling stories when using the resource, but they are solving optimization problems involving the maximum number of pencils that can fit on a tray. They...
Balanced Assessment
Alcohol Level
How long does it take alcohol to leave your system? Individuals explore this question by examining a polynomial function. They draw conclusions by analyzing the key features of the given polynomial function.
Curated OER
Forms of Quadratic Equations
Transformations of parabolas to fit a particular quadratic equation is taught through this lesson. In this transforming parabolas to fit a particular quadratic equation lesson, students describe the transformations of the parabola...
Radford University
How to Calculate and Analyze the Equation for a Parabolic Path
Working in groups, pupils plot three points on the coordinate plane representing three different parabolic paths. Using a calculator, they determine the quadratic regression equation for their models. Each team then figures out the...
Curated OER
"Mind Reader" Math Trick
Students perform a math-based card trick and explain the concepts behind the trick. They video tape classmates performing the trick. Finally, they write a paragraph explaining the trick.