Parabolas and the number d

Objective: Students will review the various forms of a parabola, as well as the ways in which the parameters of each form connect to the graph. They will make observations about how the value of the discriminant is related to the graph, and end the activity with a formal definition of the discriminant, as determined from the standard form of the parabola. During practice time, students can use the final screen to check their value of the discriminant, which will help them build fluency for when they use the quadratic formula to find real and imaginary roots. Inspired by Bob Lochel’s Properties of Quadratic Functions Desmos lesson.

By Shelley Carranza