So I added an optional third animated polar graph category. However, some students were animating the sliders and coming up with fun animations (like this or this… watch both for a while). And students needed to create the coolest polar art using multiple equations. Students needed to create the coolest polar graph with one equation. Then I showed kids a google doc which had all the info for the contest - and the link to the google form to submit their entries. Some who were getting boring graphs saw the cool graphs their classmates were getting and were inspired to mix things up since they knew they could make neat things. They gasped and turned their screens to show their friends. They got excited by what they were seeing. They dug into old functions they had learned about. Then I gave everyone 7 minutes to just come up with something pretty. Then I might have altered the function a bit more, like and we saw what happened. So for example, if they said, I might have added the slider. I then pulled up desmos and asked my kids to shout out some polar function. So after our unit on polar graphing, I took 10 minutes at the start of class to introduce this idea of a Polar. (Now to be fair, desmos isn’t great with creating great complicated polar graphs… and it’s better to write them parametrically to get a bit more accuracy… so this is a bit of a lie of a graph in that it isn’t totally accurate… but it’s oh so pretty.) Why? Because one day during the polar unit, I started playing around with desmos and accidentally created: This was something I wanted to do after introducing polar graphing. Then I printed them out on photopaper and hung them up. He currently teaches at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY and also at CUNY Lehman College in the Bronx, NY.These are polar graphs that students designed using Desmos. A passionate teacher who strongly believes that understanding mathematics can help all students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, he is also known for his use of different technologies to engage his students and bring math concepts to life. Libo Valencia is a mathematics educator with thirteen years of experience who lives in New York. Michael Illustration by Curtis Simpson, September 28, 2018. Phineas Flynn from Phineas and Ferb, 2008-2015, Disney Channel. Submitted screenshot of project with equations (2 points)įeel free to visit for more student work samples and other ideas.īook cover from The Selection by Kiera Cass, 2013, HarperTeen. Use of at least eight different types of functions (4 points) You will be graded (10 points possible) on: Screenshot of Desmos project including equations You can also use any other functions we have learned. Feel free to restrict any domain/range and to share in your graphs. You are not limited to the number of equations you use. Your project should include at least eight different types of functions: linear, quadratic, exponential, trigonometric, logarithmic, etc. Your assignment is to create Desmos art about a topic you are passionate about. I hope you find these ideas helpful and are able to try them with your students! I have included my instructions for their final project below. I honestly feel that by not giving a lot of (specific) instructions, students were empowered and had complete ownership over their projects. To my surprise, many students used 30+ equations and the quality of their work was truly amazing.Īs I mentioned before, I tried keeping the instructions somewhat loose because I did not want to limit my students. I asked for at least ten equations with different domain/range restrictions. I tried keeping the instructions very general because I really wanted them to have ownership over the project. Students completed different projects that went from school/team/club logos to an actual portrait of Horace Greeley. I decided to center the project around school spirit at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY. Our first project took place after we covered polynomial and rational functions. They had so much fun with it that we actually had three art projects during the school year. One very successful assignment my precalculus students really enjoyed was their Desmos Art Project. With that in mind, one of my goals was to provide my students with activities that truly fostered authentic work. With our current technology, students have access to step-by-step solutions at their fingertips to almost any problem we give them. This past school year, as many other teachers, I taught in a hybrid model with some students in person and some others at home. Working as a math educator for the past twelve years has taught me that an effective way to engage students is by giving them choice in how they demonstrate mastery of their learning.
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