Desmos Holiday Graphing Project (Click Here!)
Process:
Firstly, I knew I wanted to keep my equations as simple as possible and then build up from there, because I figured it would be more efficient. I started off with my self-portrait, specifically, my head and I knew I wanted it to be round, so I created my semi-circle equation. This semi-circle equation came in handy in various parts of my project, all I needed to do was transform it, so that it would be in the next spot I envisioned for it. Following with my hair, the first thing I thought of were the sine graphs as they ressemble the same structure. I used function notation as much as I could, so that I wouldn’t need to repeat the equations, which made the process a lot quicker than expected. All the equations that I used, originated with thinking of what their graphs ressembles, and seeing which body part they could mimic.
A few challenges that I experienced definitely revolved around the shading, this is somewhere where I needed to ask for help from other students. Once they were able to help me understand how the inequalities allowed me to shade, I was able to do it all on my own. Any other time that I faced a difficulty or didn’t know how to change or manipulate the equation the way I wanted too, I would start my plugging in random numbers and slowly that allowed me to problem solve any of the issues I was having. At the end of the project, I had successfully shaded a few things, used all six equations and created a Christmas card that I was proud of. I would say my ‘aha moment’ was when I was trying to do my hair, and I didn’t want there to be a huge bump over my head, so I had to figure out how to restrict my sine graphs. Once I figured out how to do that, it was smooth sailing for the rest of the other restrictions I continuously used during this project.
One strategy that I used often was that whenever I created a new equation, I immediately started thinking of ways that I could utilize it elsewhere. It was a slow process at first, but eventually, I was able to accomplish the body part as efficiently as possible, because I had previous experience working with that same equation a few moments back. This assignment really allowed me to reflect back on all that I learned during Pre-Calculus 12 and reminded me of a bunch of small details, like the difference between a relation and a constant. As well as, it solidified my knowledge towards function notation and domain restrictions; furthermore, domain and range restriction were something I had always struggled with in the past and this assignment made it very visually appealing and easier to comprehend.
Self Assessment:
