Activity Overview
Students create original artwork using all functions and conics studied throughout the course. Lines and absolute values, conic sections and whatever else they can stick in a "y=" are combined with some calculator tricks to make works of art that the students are really proud of.
Before the Activity
I use this as a review of the entire course, but it takes time out of the classroom to develop. Give students some idea of what is coming so they can have some ideas at the start.
During the Activity
I use one full day to start them off and then another couple 1/2 days to help them work out problems over a two week period of time.
After the Activity
After I collect their projects on paper and link their GDB's into my computer, I put them on a PowerPoint to show off their stuff.
The PowerPoint is a big selling point for open house the following year to help convince students and parents of the need to purchase a graphing calculator.