Hello and welcome back to Bree’s Mathematical Blog! Today we are going to explore the logistics of teaching mathematics, i.e. an Alabama Course of Study Standard. The Alabama Course of Study is “developed by educators and business and community leaders, that provides a foundation up which quality mathematics programs across the state can be developed. The implementation of the content of this document through appropriate instruction will enable all of Alabama students to obtain mathematical foundations necessary to be college- and career- ready” (Alabama Department of Education, pp. iv). Click here to view the Alabama Course of Study. The standard we will discuss is:

Alabama Course of Study Standard:

Algebra 2 with Trigonometry #30: Graph functions expressed symbolically, and show key features of the graph, by hand in simple cases and using technology for more complicated cases.* [F-IF7]

1. Graph square root, cube root, and piecewise-defined functions, including step functions and absolute value functions. [F-IF7b]
2. Graph polynomial functions, identifying zeroes when suitable factorizations are available, and showing end behavior. [F-IF7c]
3. Graph exponential and logarithmic functions, showing intercepts and end behavior, and trigonometric functions, showing period, midline, and amplitude. [F-IF7e]

I know this may look super intimidating at first, but in fact it is quite simple. Let’s take a moment and break down the standard. It basically is saying it wants students to graph functions such as square root, cube root, absolute value, polynomials, etc., and identify the features of the graph such as zeroes, end behavior, and amplitude. For more information regarding the Standard, click the link below.

 The app we will be using during this exploration is called Desmos. I suggest using this tool because it is very easy to use and Desmos can do so much more than just graphing, for example, you can create tables. For more information regarding Desmos, click on the link.

Click here for the Standard Explanation