Education Technology

Graphs of Antiderivatives

Activity Overview

Students use their TI-Nspire to graph the anti-derivative of a function and investigate aspects of the this function and how it relates to the primitive function. For example, if a continuous derivative function changes from negative to positive, what does this produce on the primitive function? How is that different if the derivative function changed from positive to negative?

Objectives

  • Deduce the graph of an anti-derivative function from the graph of a given function.

Vocabulary

  • Derivative
  • Primitive function
  • Turning point
  • Inflexion point
  • Stationary point

About the Lesson

Students are provided with a series of functions consisting of polynomials, trigonometric and exponential functions and combinations thereof. The equations represent the derivative, students use their TI-Nspire to graph the original or primitive function and relate key features of the derivative to the primitive function.

The activity bundle also includes a teacher demonstration file to help students understand the concepts involved.