Week 3 Teaching Algebra

In my Algebra class this week we worked on connecting the web of quadratics. The web is the graph, table, equation, product(binomial), x and y-intercepts, and vertex. This week we looked at using an equation to make a table to draw a parabola. Then we took a graph and made a table. Students were asked to identify the pattern in the tables and the x and y intercepts. This was a very interesting week for teaching math. Student understood that the equation made a parabola and the shape of the parabola. The biggest issue I saw this week was the concept of making a table from an equation and seeing the pattern in the table. Students had a hard time with the table when it came down to plugging in the x terms to find the y. There were confused on how I found that x was zero then one and so on. I focused on the idea that x is zero at the y-intercept. They agreed. So I said if x is zero then plug it in for x. When they found what y was then I plotted the point on the graph. This seemed to get the students grasping the concept that you just plug numbers in for x and solve to find points on the parabola. I feel using the y-intercept is the best way to get this point across because it relates to linear equations and students seem to see this point on a graph better and its consistent.

At first when my students were looking at the tables they did not see the pattern. In a parabola once you get the vertex the y points repeat. After a few times of looking at tables and hammering home the point of symmetry to my students they seemed to get the idea that one side is the same as the other. Hence the pattern in the table and the line of symmetry.