WRITE-UP2

For assignment 2, you requested that we "explore ALL of assignment 2, then select one problem and prepare a write-up. I worked through all the problems on 10/8 and have selected problem 8 to write-up.

Problem 8 asked me to produce 5 to 10 graphs of the form y = ( x - d )^ 2 - 2. The graphs will appear below under a copy of the equations I graphed. I did them all at once to expedite the completion of the assignment. From past experience, I expected ,and got, a series of parabolas with vertex at (d,-2). When explaining this to a class of students, I would do the graphs one at a time and allow them to pick the values of d. As per question 5, 8 graphs appearing all at once would make little or no sense to students studing parabolas. The exercise is meant to generate so insight into the behavior of the parabolic function as d changes its value. Graphing all of the graphs at once will not aid the students understanding in any reasonable educational philosophy. The students need to see the different graphs taking shape and moving with the changing values of d. A golden opportunity to expand their mathematical reasoning processes would be lost by NOT doing the graphs individually with discussion of what the students expected to happen with each value change to d.

The equations that follow are the equations I used to generate the graphs. The diagram below the equations is a copy of the graphs generated.

I realize that one of my graphs is not one of my functions. The errant equation should be y = (x+3)^2 - 2 and not y = (x - 5)^2 - 2. I tried to copy the equation the same day I made the copy of the graph, but experienced technical difficulties and extreme patience stretching. Students should extend this exercise as per the rest of assignment 2 and change the values of c, to explore behavior of the function. For pratical purposes, x - (-1) was written as x + 1. The same goes for x - (-2) and would have applied to x - (-3) if I had made a correct copy on 10/8.



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