Parabolas

Explore the properties of parabolas in this instructional activity. Construct a parabola given a focus and a directrix on the Ti-Nspire. Write equations of parabolas in vertex form and determine the a value of a parabola given a focus...

Put together the pieces and model a parabola. Learners work through several examples to develop an understanding of a parabola graphically and algebraically. 

Using the method of completing the square, algebra learners rewrite quadratic equations from standard form to vertex form. They will also graph quadratics, stating the vertex and axis of symmetry.  Solutions are provided.

Moving parabolas off of graph paper and into the real world is the task at hand in this detailed poster project. First, learners perform a cumulative activity identifying many characteristics of an assigned quadratic equation. Next, they...

Symmetry shows up in equality. Pupils view four examples as the presenter determines whether the equations have symmetry about the x-axis, the y-axis, and the origin. Each equation has at least one type of symmetry. The video works...

Students explore parabolas.  In this algebra and technology lesson, students construct the equation of a specific parabola, then take digital photos of real-life representations of these parabolas.  Students create a podcast with a...

Explains symmetry about a line, using animations to illustrate the "rotation" or "reflection" involved in this type of symmetry.

Video defining the vertex and axis of symmetry for a parabola. The vertex is found for a specific function by completing the square to change the equation from standard form to vertex form and then reasoning through the equation.

This clip covers a lot of ground and is perfect for those needing a little extra help remembering how to graph a quadratic function. It begins with a multi-step problem which requires the learner to graph a quadratic function, set up a...

The graph of a quadratic equation is a parabola. Parabolas are symmetrical. The line that passes through the vertex is called the axis of symmetry. And if the parabolas were folded along this line, the two sides would be symmetrical....