Activity Overview
Students will use a slider to scroll through the graphs of power functions with a coefficient of positive and negative 1 and determine similarities and differences among the functions. Students will generalize the end-behavior properties of various power functions.
Objectives
- Students will recognize the similarities and differences among power and polynomial functions of various degrees.
- Students will describe the effects of changes in the leading coefficient on the end behavior of graphs of power and polynomial functions.
Vocabulary
• degree of a polynomial
• end behavior
• leading coefficient
• polynomial function
About the Lesson
In this activity, students will examine several power and polynomial functions to determine their similarities and differences and characteristics of their end behavior.