ClassPad 330 Teaching Materials

Algebra

This is a quick start guide for using the ClassPad in Algebra. The ClassPad basics are covered with focus on examples from Intermediate Algebra. The student can quickly reference what they need to know as they use the ClassPad.

Geometry

This is a quick start guide for using the ClassPad in Geometry. The ClassPad basics are covered with focus on examples from Geometry. The student can quickly reference what they need to know as they use the ClassPad.

Trigonometry

This is a quick start guide for using the ClassPad in Trigonometry. It will assist the student with areas that they are interested in. They will be able to quickly find trig functions, review how to change modes, review graphing and more.

Statistics

This is a quick start guide for using the ClassPad in Statistics. It will assist the student with areas that they are interested in. The student can focus on Statistics and quickly reference what they need to know for exploring a topic with the ClassPad.

Linear Algebra

This is a beginner's guide to using the ClassPad for a Linear Algebra Class. We introduce and go through how to build a matrix, save a matrix, solve a system of equations, and use some of the tools of the ClassPad.

Slope Formula Review

This activity provides a quick review of the coordinates of a point, equation of a line, and visulizing the slope of a line. It is also a nice way to introduce students to using the ClassPad.

Slope Intercept Review

This activity can be used either as a review of the y=mx+b form of a line, or as an introduction to this form.
Used as an introduction, it provides a nice way for students to discover ""slope"" and ""y-intercept"" before being given the formal definition.

Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

This activity is designed to guide the student to discover when two lines are parallel and when they are perpendicular. The student will be able to use the Geometry measurement box to verify that the lines they have defined are parallel or perpendicular.

Solving Inequalities Containing Absolute Value

This activity is designed as an introduction to solving inequalities containing absolute value.
Students will discover that inequalities with less than overlap, while inequalities with greater than go outward.

Function Notation Review

This activity is a simple activity designed to help students grasp the relationship between function notation and ordered pairs. It begins with linear equations and ends with rational functions.

Introduction to Vertex Points

This activity is a nice way to introduce students to the vertex point form of a line. The student records information for several examples and then conjuctures on the a, h and k in the formula

Factoring Review

This review sheet is eight pages long. Each page contains instructions for a special type of factoring, with examples for the student to practice on. The examples are identical to the examples in the accompanying eActivities. There is one eActivity for each page, with the examples setup inside separate Verify strips.
Let Verify assist your students in learning!

Understanding the Quadratic Formula and Discriminant

This activity provides a very nice review or introduction to the quadratic formula, and helps the student discover the usefulness of the discriminant. In addition to solving quadratic equations, they also sketch the graph of each to build their understanding of viewing a solution graphically.

Graphing Quadratic Functions with Transformations

This activity is an excellent introduction to shifting y=x^2 form. Once the student has the Geometry Link set up, they can begin to explore the form y=ax^2 and then the form y=a(x-h)^2 in a very visual way!

Introduction to Simplifying Rational Expressions

This activity encourages students to simplify rational expressions by having them first simplify using the ClassPad and then simplify using pencil and paper. Knowing the solution helps encourage students to factor first and then reduce.

Solving Linear and Quadratic Equations Graphically, and Vertical Asymptotes

This activity introduces the student to the ClassPad's solve command and helps them visualize the relationship between the solution and graph. They are also introduced to vertical asymptotes.

Introduction to Radical Expressions and Functions

This activity should be used as an introduction to radicals. The students will discover the difference between even and odd indices and also experiment with the graphs radical functions.

Introduction to Solving Equations Containing Radicals

This activity guides the student to discover the correct way to solve equations containing radicals using CAS features of the ClassPad. They must figure out how to arrive at the same answer the ClassPad is giving! They are then asked to solve examples by hand.

Scale Drawings

This Activity explores applications of scale drawings.

Transforming Circles

In this activity, students will discover a general equation for circles and how to identify the center and radius of a circle through exploring transformations on a coordinate plane.

Exterior Angles of a Triangle

This activity provides an opportunity for students to explore some properties of the exterior angles of a triangle.

Sierpinski's Triangle

This activity gives students the chance to explore the many patterns present in Sierpinski's Triangle.
Students will also be making conjectures and attempting to come up with formulas for some of these patterns.

Centroid Activity

This activity provides an exploration into medians of a triangle and their relationship to the centroid of that triangle.

Incenter of a Triangle

In this activity, students will construct the incenter of a triangle and learn about some of its properties.

Circumcenter of a Triangle

In this activity, students will construct the circumcenter of a triangle and learn about some of its properties.

Orthocenter of a Triangle

In this activity students will construct the orthocenter of a triangle and learn about some of its properties.

Midsegment of a Triangle

This activity gives students the opportunity to explore the ideas behind the midsegment theorem.
Students will be asked to examine the properties of the midsegment of a triangle.

Interior Angles of a Polygon

This activity will help students learn about the sum of interior angles of any polygon.
It also lets students discover some patterns in regard to this topic.

Areas and Perimeters of Similar Figures

This activity helps students explore the relationship between areas and perimeters of similar figures.

Exploring Rectangular and Parametric Forms of a Circle

This activity provides a quick review of the implicit form of a circle and then introduces the parametric form through guided activities. The student will discover the parametric form and gain a strong understanding of orientation.

Exploring Rectangular and Parametric Forms of an Ellipse

This activity introduces the student to both the implicit and parametric forms of an ellipse. The formulas are given, however the student is encouraged to experiment with the coefficients to gain a visual understanding of each form.

Verifying Trigonometric Identities

Verifying Trigonometric Identities

Solving Trigonometric Equations

This activity is designed to provide practice in solving trigonometric equations.
The activity also addresses the concept of multiple solutions and checking answers graphically.

Unit Circle Trigonometry Review

This activity explores the unit circle and the trigonometric functions. Sine and Cosine are used to show how trigonometric functions are graphed. Exercises guide to understand amplitude and the period of a trigonometric function.

Transformation of Trigonometric Functions

This activity explores the parameters of transforming the trigonometric functions. The ClassPad is used to understand how paremeters change the graph of the functions.
y=Asin(Bx+C) +D

Law of Sines

The activity explores the ambiguous cases of the Law of Sines. Application exercises are provided to strengthen intuition.

Intro to Sine and Cosine Graphs

This activity explores the basics of the sine and cosine functions as applied to a Ferris wheel.

Complex Conjugate Roots

This activity describes how one can see the conjugates roots of a quadratic.

Complex Numbers

This activity explores imaginary numbers in an intuitive and informative way.

Regressions and Residuals

This activity is designed to help students become familiar with regressions and residuals, and how to use them to intepret data.

Histograms

This activity will help students understand more about how a histogram describes data and how to construct a histogram.

Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test

This activity will help students learn how to perform a Chi-Square Goodness of Fit test and interpret their results.

Binomial Distributions

This activity will help students learn how to graph a binomial distribution on the ClassPad and practice interpreting their results.

Counting

This activity is designed to help students grasp the ideas around permutations and combinations, and it also provides practice applying the rules of each.

Asymptotes of Rational Functions

This activity guides students through an investigation of the asymptotes of different types of rational functions. Through the use of limits, graphing, and polynomial division; students will discover more about asymptotes and rational functions.

Rectangular, Parametric, and Polar Coordinate Systems

This activity helps students understand the differences when working in different coordinate systems. This activity focuses mainly on graphing circles in these systems, but also touches on other ideas through exploration. Students will summarize their findings and judge which coordinate systems are more efficient for graphing different circles.

Introduction to Exponential Functions

This activity is designed to explore how changing the parameters of the exponential function affect its graph. It addresses positive and negative leading coefficients as well as the base being greater or smaller than 1. The activity also looks at the difference between two simple transformations of the exponential function.

Introduction to Inverse Functions

This activity explores the graphical relationship of a function and its inverse. It also looks at a simple algebraic method to find the equation of an inverse function via composition.

Piecewise Defined Functions

This activity explores piecewise defined functions and their graphs. An application of piecewise defined functions in included to explore domain and range.

Introduction to Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences

This activity explores Arithmetic and Geometric sequences. The Classpad is used to show how easy it is to input either sequence in recursive or explicit form.

Introduction to Linear Programming

This activity demonstrates how easy it is to find the maximum or minimum of an objective functions on a domain given by constraints. Exercises guide through a step-by-step process to find the solution to real world problems.

Properties of Logs

This activity helps students solidify the logarithm properties. Students use verify to check their understanding of the properties by expanding or simplifying the expression step by step.

Solving Quadratic Equations

This activity utilizes the Solve command to allow students to check their solution(s) to an equation they solved. They also practice solving quadratic equations step-by-step.

Solving Polynomial Inequalities

This activity demonstrates how polynomial inequalities are solved graphically.

Solving a System of Equations

This activity explores the many ways to solve a system of equations.Interesting exerices give ample practice.

Using the ClassPad to Explore Limits

This is a nice activity to use as an introduction to limits on the ClassPad. Students are given detailed steps to find the features needed with encouragement to drag and drop when possible. The guided examples will allow the student to discover that the limit from the left must equal the limit from the right for a limit to exist.

Tangent Lines and Derivatives

This activity gives students the opportunity to explore connections between tangent lines and derivatives. It also lets students see the ideas symbolically and graphically.

Logarithms and Exponents

Explore the graphs of e^x and ln(x) to find the derivative functions of each.

Infinite Sequences

This activity introduces sequences and explores looking at the graphs of sequences on the ClassPad.

Infinite Series

This activity introduces infinite series and explores how to use the Spreadsheet Applicationto find the limit of a couple of series.

Derivative Applications

This Activity explains the derivative and gives interesting applications.

Mean Value Theorem

This activity shows the geometric relationship of the Mean Value Theorem.

Implicit Differentiation

This activity guides through the process of differentiating equations implicitly.

Applications with Integration

This activity guides students through several application of integration such as:
Future Value, Mean of a probability density function and Profit function.

Geometry of Vectors

This activity is designed to be done by a student and partner or in small groups. The students will learn about equivalent vectors and scalar multiples before moving on to discover the geometric approaches to adding and subtracting vectors.

Exploring the Dot Product

This activity explores the dot product of vectors while introducing Drag and Drop and Geometry strips in eActivity.

Matrix Operations

This activity will help introduce matrix operations using the ClassPad. There are examples and explanations for matrix addition, multiplication, and inverses.

Markov Chains

This activity introduces using Markov Chains through matrices. It hints at the idea of a steady state and then asks the students to set up a problem on their own.