Activity Overview
Help students learn the concept of slope using the TI- Navigator™.
Before the Activity
If you are using the TI-Navigator System with the TI-73 you will need the attached .pdf file.
Have students logged in and start class in TI-Navigator.
During the Activity
In activity center go to equations and enter a linear equation with an integral slope without the students seeing it. Now switch screens to the graph screen. Configure the activity to have students submit one point and send the line as the background. Start the activity and have the students move their cursor somewhere on your line and mark a point. Pause the activity and switch screens to List to see all of their marked points. See if the students can identify the pattern in the numbers. Help them see the relationship between the change in the x values and the change in the y values. Lead this into a discussion of slope and how to find it. Go back to the Graph screen and show the grid to see if your conclusions are valid. Try this with several different lines and see how fast they pick up the relationship and the pattern of slope.
After the Activity
Review student answers:
As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
Re-teach concepts as necessary