Activity Overview
Use the activity center in TI-Navigator to discover a generalization for translating ordered pairs in a coordinate plane.
Before the Activity
This activity is used to allow students to explore the coordinates of points when translated. Depending on the level of students, the teacher may have to spend extra time reviewing plotting ordered pairs. Before class put one ordered pair on an index card for each pair of students. The attachment is the list of ordered pairs I use, which when all are plotted, form an "E". (You can change the ordered pairs to form a picture or shape that you prefer.) The shape requires a standard window.
During the Activity
1) Students should go to the activity center.
2) Have students plot the ordered pair given on the index card.
3) Save the original ordered pairs on the activity screen.
4) Have students translate the original ordered pairs. Use the movements listed in the attached word document.
5) After each translation, use the cursor on the computer screen to point to original ordered pairs and then the reflected ordered pairs. Select the list-graph tab and highlight the ordered pairs again. Discuss with students any relationship or pattern seen between the ordered pairs. Guide them to writing an algebraic expression for each translation. (Example: right 4 and down 4 would become: (x,y)-->(x+4, y-4)
After the Activity
Use the Translations LearnCheck as a quick check after the lesson, as a warm-up for the next day.