When I was in the classroom, I taught Geometry, Algebra 2, and Math Models. Those courses remain some of my passion areas. I also know that there isn’t much out there for many high school teachers. So, as I’m writing some resources for my passion-area courses, I am coming across some really cool (and to be honest, some really irritating) web resources other mathematicians and educators have produced. It is my hope that on this blog post, I can keep it updated with some interesting readings, activities, and resources for Algebra 2 teachers. If you have some ideas, ping me […]
Quadratic Functions and Projectile Motion
Throwing Your Weight Around No, dear, you cannot change -16 to -12 in the quadratic equation because it factors more nicely. –Disgruntled Curriculum Specialist, Could Be Your ISD Ever feel like every quadratic equation has an x-squared term with a coefficient of -16 or -4.9? -16 factors nicely but -4.9 certainly doesn’t. Projectile motion is a great context and is highly relevant both to students and to a variety of careers and situations. Coefficients of -16 and -4.9 are directly related to Earth’s gravity, so it’s hard to change those values so that the curve makes a prettier graph or so […]
