From: Claudia (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: Apr 13, 1998 at 11:18:37
Subject: Re: TI-82 graphing calculator and parabolas

It sounds as if you have your lesson! I am not sure what you need.

Give the students a list of the equations, or the general form and list of the 
coefficients, and ask them to graph over a specified interval. Perhaps you want to 
organize the information into a chart where the students fill in the chart.

The TI-82 has a feature that will give the exact roots no matter what window the 
students are in. (Have them press 2nd and then CALC above TRACE.) This will give 
the roots. The TI-82 will also find the maximum or the minimum value (also found 
on the same CALC menu). You could have them explore the relationship between the 
vertex and the coefficients. You could have them note the relation of the roots to 
the equation. You could use the discriminant and have them realize what it means 
if D is +, -, or zero.

I hope this is what you needed. Do you need more instructions with the TI? Let us 
know.

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