Wednesday, June 27, 2012

12 Basic Functions



Background image used from this tutorial on ps deluxe.

Precalculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic (Demana, Waits, et al.), probably the most popular high school precalculus textbook, contains a section titled "12 basic functions".  I think the lesson provides a great overview of function theory and leaves plenty of room for discussion.  When teaching the lesson, I have students make a small flip book with the graphs of the parent functions on one side and the name and facts on the other.  Later, I let them use these books when we study transformations.

Above I've included an animated gif on top and a simple graphic on bottom.  I've been really surprised that adding the slightest bit of animation to Smart board presentations makes a huge difference in captivating the class.  I based the graphic (loosely) on this recent graphic created for the Dave Matthews band.

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