As an 8th grade math teacher, our Christmas/Winter/Holiday break always butted heads with one of my favorite units: linear inequalities. With so many ways to solve them, so many ways to shade them, and so many things you can create with them, I absolutely loved showing my students the joys of linear inequalities. Our two week vacation always seemed to put a dark cloud over this unit as it loomed heavily and the students had their mental countdowns wound up since December 1st.
One way to push away those clouds was to combine inequalities with the spirit of the season, and I had the perfect activity to do it.
One way to push away those clouds was to combine inequalities with the spirit of the season, and I had the perfect activity to do it.
Oh, yeah? Impress me as I dream about sleeping in for two weeks and not getting sent to detention.
The Inequality Tree
Requirements:
1. Using at least 10 linear inequalities, graph a tree with the appropriate shading.
2. The tree must include a trunk, which can be part of your 10 inequalities.
3. Include a minimum of 10 decorations on your tree and identify the coordinate point in which they occupy on the graph paper.
4. Color your tree to your heart's desire.
1. Using at least 10 linear inequalities, graph a tree with the appropriate shading.
2. The tree must include a trunk, which can be part of your 10 inequalities.
3. Include a minimum of 10 decorations on your tree and identify the coordinate point in which they occupy on the graph paper.
4. Color your tree to your heart's desire.
Sure, this lesson wasn't one for the "Best Lesson Ever" record books, but the kids loved it. They didn't get extra credit for coloring in their tree and they didn't care. They didn't get extra credit for making a ginormous tree and they didn't care. For once, they got to design their own Christmas/Winter/Holiday Tree IN THEIR MATH CLASS and it was for a grade. Not only that, but the difficulty level increased or decreased based on the student's individual desire to improve their tree's visual appeal.
This was an annual activity from 2006-2012.
Skip ahead to 2015
I now have a 3D printer that does some pretty amazing things. I now have access to Desmos, an online graphing calculator, that does some pretty amazing things. Imagine the new lesson:
This was an annual activity from 2006-2012.
Skip ahead to 2015
I now have a 3D printer that does some pretty amazing things. I now have access to Desmos, an online graphing calculator, that does some pretty amazing things. Imagine the new lesson:
The 3D Inequality Tree
Requirements:
1. Using at least 10 linear inequalities, graph a tree with the appropriate shading. Time permitting, use piecewise functions to limit the shading.
2. The tree must include a trunk, which can be part of your 10 inequalities.
3. Include a minimum of 10 decorations on your tree and identify the coordinate point in which they occupy on the graph.
4. Export your design as an .SVG file. Using a 3D modeling program, create a 3D model of your tree, customizing it however you would like.
5. Send your Inequality Tree to the printer, print it, and be happy.
Students can turn their tree into a table topper, an ornament, a key chain, a necklace, a set of earrings, a chew toy for their younger siblings... the possibilities are endless!
Yeah, I like this lesson idea MUCH more. If you want the lesson plan, it's here.
If you want a video tutorial on how to do it, it's here.
If you want the Desmos graph, it's here.
If you want the .STL file, it's here.
1. Using at least 10 linear inequalities, graph a tree with the appropriate shading. Time permitting, use piecewise functions to limit the shading.
2. The tree must include a trunk, which can be part of your 10 inequalities.
3. Include a minimum of 10 decorations on your tree and identify the coordinate point in which they occupy on the graph.
4. Export your design as an .SVG file. Using a 3D modeling program, create a 3D model of your tree, customizing it however you would like.
5. Send your Inequality Tree to the printer, print it, and be happy.
Students can turn their tree into a table topper, an ornament, a key chain, a necklace, a set of earrings, a chew toy for their younger siblings... the possibilities are endless!
Yeah, I like this lesson idea MUCH more. If you want the lesson plan, it's here.
If you want a video tutorial on how to do it, it's here.
If you want the Desmos graph, it's here.
If you want the .STL file, it's here.
Happy "Spicing Up The Holidays" Fishing
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