Exploring Mathematics

*Designed for use with a TI-83 or TI-83+ calculator My algebra I students are allowed to use a graphing calculator for their end-of-the-year state exam, but many of them have had very little practice with them throughout the year. I designed this activity to introduce them to the variety of Algebra I problems (cube roots, decimal to fraction conversion, graphing linear equations, x- and y-intercepts, systems of equations solutions, and quadratic solutions) their graphing calculator is capable

This file includes 36 cards with terms (constant and variables) written on them. Hand students a term as they walk in the door and begin class by having them sort themselves into groups by finding people 'like' them. Once students are sorted, have a class discussion about like terms and introduce vocabulary such as 'constant' and 'coefficient'. Also in this file is a 3-slide powerpoint presentation. Slide 2 includes all of the definitions that have just been discussed (variable, coefficient,

This fun, fast-paced game is perfect as an end to a lesson introducing polynomials. Topics covered in the game include vocabulary (monomial, binomial, trinomial), calculating polynomial degrees, and ascending/descending order. To play, students are each given a card with a polynomial. (Thirty-six polynomials are included in the file.) Every student is also given a worksheet with a list of types of polynomials that they have to find from other students in the classroom without repeating a p

The zip file includes an interactive three-tab excel spreadsheet that investigates compound interest. The spreadsheet completes the calculations so the students can focus on understanding how compound interest works and how it relates to real-life scenarios. The first tab explores the difference between simple and compound interest, the second investigates the impact of compound interest when using credit cards, and the third demonstrates the incredible power of compound interest over time by

This 7-slide powerpoint presentation is designed as for use in an Algebra I classroom as an introduction to solving literal equations (solving for a specific variable when multiple variables appear). Slides 2 and 4 are used as whole-class examples where the new equations are solved side-by-side with more familiar equations that involve only one variable. The teacher can work back-and-forth between the two problems using the familiar to inform what should be done next in the new. This also g

This fun memory (or matching) game is a great review activity for students over linear equations. Topics covered include forms of linear equations, calculating intercepts, vertical and horizontal lines, parallel and perpendicular lines, and graphing linear inequalities. To speed play, it is helpful to print the first page on one color of paper and the second page (of matches) on another. Multiple copies of this editable Excel file can be downloaded to create a classroom set. If you downloa

*Designed to be used with TI-83 or TI-83+ calculators The activity guides students through using graphing calculators to graph and solve four quadratic functions. Questions are designed to teach students how to relate the information in a table for a quadratic function to its graph with a focus on using the graph to solve the quadratic equation. Examples address four types of possible solutions (two integer solutions, two non-integer solutions, one integer solution, and no solution). If you