This activity presents a real-world situation--stacking bricks in a pile--that can be modeled by a polynomial function. 

Students create a small table to show how the number of bricks relates to the number of rows, and calculate the first, second, and third differences of the data. Next, they use the handheld's statistical calculation functions to perform the correct regression. Finally, they evaluate the model using a variety of methods.

*Note: This activity contains an optional AP Practice Questions document for those students preparing for the AP Precalculus Exam.