Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Graphing Conic Sections: Ellipses

For Students 9th - 10th
Given an equation, the student will use parameter changes to graph an ellipse and to identify the changes in the graph of an ellipse.
Activity
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Hotmath: Practice Problems: Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Hotmath provides 26 practice problems relating to conic sections. Each of the practice problems include a step-by-step guide for solving their conic.
eBook
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Interactive Geometry: 10.1 Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The conic sections are the cross-sections of a double-napped cone. Depending on the angle of the plane with respect to the cone, a conic section may be a circle, an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola.
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Conic Sections

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
These questions ask students to write the equations of conic sections given a variety of information. Students are also asked to find the foci of an ellipse and the asymptotes of a hyperbola. Solutions and explanations are included.
Handout
Wolfram Research

Wolfram Math World: Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A fairly comprehensive look at various types of conic sections is presented. Most of the information is presented as introductory, with an emphasis on terminology. Through an understanding of the terminology, one can understand the...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Analysis: General Forms of Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In this lesson students review the general forms of conic section equations, identifying conic sections from their equations. Students examine guided notes, review...
Activity
Shodor Education Foundation

Shodor Interactivate: Conic Flyer

For Students 9th - 10th
"This applet allows the user to create graphs of conic sections. Using slider bars, one can manipulate the function to change the constant values and view the effects of those changes."
Graphic
Wolfram Research

Wolfram Alpha: Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The resource consists of a geometry animation that shows conic sections.
Website
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Ask Dr. Math: Uses of Conics

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Wondering who uses conics and where they occur in our lives? Dr. Math provides some answers to how math concepts involving conic sections, perabolas, hyperbolas, and ellipses are applied practically.
Handout
Wolfram Research

Wolfram Mathworld: Conic Section Directrix

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Explains how the directrix relates to the three conic sections: parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola. Includes a definition, formulas, and links to related topics.
Website
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Ask Dr. Math: Ellipse or Circle? Parametric Equation

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Dr. Math, in reply to a student question, shows how a specific pair of parametric equations produces a circle as opposed to an ellipse.
Handout
Math Words

Math words.com: Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Examples of conic sections are given and the equation for their standard form is also given.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Analysis: General Forms of Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] This lesson covers changing a general second-degree equation into the standard form of a parabola, ellipse, circle or hyperbola. Students examine guided notes,...
Website
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Web Math: Plots and Geometry

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site provides descriptions and helpful hints regarding conic sections - circles, parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas. Content also includes interactive problem solvers complete with a full analysis of the math behind the answer.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Analysis: Equation of an Ellipse

For Students 11th - 12th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In this lesson students are provided with an introduction to conic sections and sketching ellipses. Students examine guided notes, review guided practice, watch...
Activity
Other

Gobierno De Navarra: Estudio De Las Conicas

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learn about conics sections with these interactive activities.
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Conic Equations

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This Learn Check file is a review of writing conic sections given the graph of a conic section. Students are asked to use the graphs to write the equations for a ellipse, circle, parabola, and hyperbola.
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Conics as a Locus of Points

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the definition of a parabola through one of its geometric definitions. They study conic sections. They examine an ellipse as a locus of points such that the sum of distances from the foci to the traced path is constant.
Activity
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Hotmath: Conic Sections

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students can investigate the graphs of conic sections in standard form. Cirlce, ellipse, and hyperbola graphs are included.
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Conics

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Three Learning Check documents on the various characteristics of parabolas, circles, ellipses, and hyperbolas.
Activity
Other

Edwin's Animated Images: Hyperbola

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This animated tutorial gives the focus/directrix definition of a conic. Also includes specific definition for the parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola. Includes equations for the conics in both rectangular and polar coordinates.
Activity
Other

Edwin's Animated Images: Hyperbola

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site gives the focus/directrix definition of a conic. Also includes specific definition for the parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola. Includes equations for the conics in both rectangular and polar coordinates.
Handout
Integrated Publishing

Web Algebra: The Ellipse

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A lengthy example on how to formulate the equation of an ellipse.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Conics and Reflection

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Students investigate the reflective properties of the parabola, the ellipse, and the hyperbola. They will look at applications that relate to both the collection of incoming signals and signals that are emitted from a source and...