Reflection: Intervention and Extension Quadratic Functions in Three Forms - Section 1: Opener: Making Sums of 12, and Some Beautiful Things About Numbers


While set up to be a pretty simple task that builds some foundations for completing the square, this opener provides plenty of opportunities for deeper investigation.  

For example, I provide enough space in the chart to list all pairs on non-negative integers whose sum is 12.  But there is nothing in the instructions to say that we must stop there.  If any students ask about including non-integers, that's fabulous!  I tell them to continue the chart with as many pairs of numbers as they'd like, and to tell me what they notice.  Some students will continue the chart past the bottom row, "6 and 6," and they see that pairs of numbers start to repeat.  Combine that observation with an observation of how the product reaches a maximum value of 36, and kids have a glimpse at the idea that a parabola will "turn around."

There's also the whole issue of negative integers.  Once we allow for those, this chart could have an infinite number of unique rows.  What happens in those rows?  Looking ahead, we'll see that a parabola has a minimum or maximum in one vertical direction, but extends infinitely in the other.

For teachers (and your particularly intrepid students), I'll leave it to you to explore what's going on here.  If you've never played with it before try to generalize how any product of two integers can be written as the difference of two squares.  

When I teach this lesson, sometimes the opener is short and sweet, and then we move on.  But sometimes kids want to do more, and I'll dig as deep as students are able here, taking the opportunity to touch again on the difference of two squares, and giving some students the extension task of trying to generalize.  Any time it comes naturally, I want students to spend a few moments in the sandbox.

  How Deep to You Want to Dig?
  Intervention and Extension: How Deep to You Want to Dig?
Loading resource...

Quadratic Functions in Three Forms

Unit 10: Quadratic Functions
Lesson 6 of 21

Objective: SWBAT use the process of factoring and completing the square in a quadratic function to show zeros, extreme values, and symmetry of the graph.

Big Idea: An brief adventure in number theory provides some background knowledge for completing the square, then students get to practice manipulating quadratic expressions in different forms.

  Print Lesson
7 teachers like this lesson
u6 l6 sw extension with graphs l14 option p1
Similar Lessons
Quadratic Equations, Day 2 of 2
Algebra II » The Complex Number System
Big Idea: Knowledge of quadratic equations is an important prerequisite for studying complex numbers.
Fort Collins, CO
Environment: Suburban
Jacob Nazeck
Polynomial Function Workshop
12th Grade Math » Polynomial and Rational Functions
Big Idea: Take a breather and summarize the important concepts involving polynomial functions.
Troy, MI
Environment: Suburban
Tim  Marley
Factoring (Day 2 of 3)
Algebra I » Polynomials
Big Idea: Students will investigate the relationship between the factors of a trinomial expression and its visual representation through the use Algebra Tiles.
Washington, DC
Environment: Urban
Noelani Davis
Something went wrong. See details for more info
Nothing to upload