Regular readers will know I am a huge fan of the wonderful Desmos graphing calculator.
Take a look at the home page for some brilliant examples.
Click on any of the graphs to explore further and have a look at the equations used.
I have found this instructive for learning more about the syntax one can use.
For example, one can plot individual points: (click the image for the Desmos page)
…or restrict the range:
I thought I would create a slideshow for my students showing the different types of graph which they should be familiar with at GCSE (taken at age 15-16 in the UK).
Each slide links to a Desmos page where they can use the sliders to explore families of curves.
This has also been uploaded to Mathematics for Students.
We just started using this site in my 7th grade Algebra I class last week in order to investigate quadratics. They first have to plot the y and x intercept(s), the vertex and the line of symmetry, they then plot the function to see if it aligns. Once they started using the tool they began asking questions about making other shapes and it has become the basis for a very student driven investigation of mathematics.
Tomorrow trig…they looked at some other pictures and want to know what this sin, cos and tan stuff is all about.
That’s brilliant to hear about the student driven work jvenner.
I’m sure they will enjoy the sin cos and tan stuff!
This are excellent examples. Thank you for sharing Colleen