Activity Overview
This is the third activity in a series where students take a deeper dive into parabolas, beyond the shallow depths of factorise, expand and graph.
In this activity students develop a greater understanding of how parabolas work, why they are so important and how they are used in the world around us.
Watch the Activity Tutorial
Objectives
The geometry of the parabola provides important details around why parabolas are so important. Students use substitution, distance between two points and reflect on some geometry to make multiple connections around this amazing curve.
Vocabulary
- Parabola
- Model
- Pythagoras
- Focus
- Directrix
- Triangle Congruence (Extension)
About the Lesson
The world’s biggest parabola is 500 metres in diameter. It looks out at the universe in search of ET and may also help save the world. Understanding how parabolas are useful helps answer the eternal question: “Where are we ever going to use this in the real world?”
Watch the Activity Tutorial