In this article, the authors share activities designed to help students make a connection between the complex roots of X[superscript 2] - 2x + 5 = 0 and the graph of y = X[superscript 2] - 2x + 5. We piloted these activities in three precalculus classes. The activities involved both concrete and technological representations of the mathematical…

Since the dawn of civilization, pictorial representations and symbols have been used to communicate simple statistics. Efficient and effective, they are still used today in the form of pictures and graphs to record and present data. Who can tie their shoes? How many calories are in your favorite food? Make data and graphs relevant and interesting…

Many popular mathematical software products including Maple, Mathematica, Derive, Mathcad, Matlab, and some of the TI calculators produce incorrect graphs because they use complex arithmetic instead of "real" arithmetic. This article expounds on this issue, provides possible remedies for instructors to share with their students, and demonstrates…

Presented is an interactive Applesoft BASIC program that graphically demonstrates the central limit theorem. It can be used as the basis of a lab to illustrate the main conclusions of the theorem. (MNS)

Described is a situation where students are allowed to enlist the aid of a computer graphing program to produce graphs for their lab reports. (KR)

Graphs equations in two variables using a BASIC screen-sweep program that generates solutions to equations by applying the intermediate value theorem. Provides suggestions for investigations that result in graphs of a butterfly, the Cheshire cat, the Trisectrix of Catalna, E. T. waving goodbye, a praying mantis, and others. (MDH)

Describes how the computer algebra system Mathematica can be used to enhance the teaching of the topics of sequences and series. Examines its capabilities to find exact, approximate, and graphically generated approximate solutions to problems from these topics and to understand proofs about sequences. (MDH)

Simple graphing activity helps primary students make the jump from counting concrete objects to understanding abstract symbols. As part of the activity, students vote for their favorite season, then stand up and become a graph of the data they collect. The activity requires the Graph Club Classroom Kit software program. (SM)

Discusses when to use the computer, paper-and-pencil, or mental-computation procedures. Provides examples of solving problems dealing with roots of polynomial using computer graphing and other strategies. Suggests implications for curricular planning. (YP)

Two microcomputer-based laboratories, the motion detector and the sound detector, are discussed in terms of their affects upon the facilitation of an understanding of graphs and their ability to aid in the development of conceptual understanding from graphical analysis. The author relates experiences in using these labs with high school students…

Described is an instructional method that makes use of an electronic spreadsheet for the numerical and graphical introduction of the fundamentals of Taylor polynomials. Included is a demonstration spreadsheet using the expansion polynomial to evaluate the cosine function. (JJK)

Demonstrated in this article are some of the capabilities of a spreadsheet program using data obtained in gas law experiments and a computer interface system. The ability to organize and analyze data which a computer can provide for the student is emphasized. (KR)

Described is a computer software package suitable for teaching and research in the area of multicomponent vapor-liquid equilibrium. This program, which has a complete database, can accomplish phase-equilibrium calculations using various models and graph the results. (KR)

Summarizes six research studies relating to computers in education. The research areas include the use of computer-generated graphs in critical evaluation and in learning distance and velocity concepts, sex differences in graphing skills, student evaluation of courseware, career paths of women with technological education, and characteristics of…

To help students develop measurement skills using metric units, an activity on making a box is described, with a worksheet for students. A second article discusses graphing elementary functions with a real domain, while a third article describes computer-assisted practice in graphing sine and cosine functions. (MNS)