Slope Function and Derivative

The following series of worksheets guides students towards findig the equation of the slope function of a quadratic polynomial on their own.

Dynamic Worksheets

1. Shape of a Slope Function: Guides students to discover the shape of the slope function of a quadratic polynomial by modifying the interactive applet.
2. Equation of a Slope Function: Encourages students to find the equation of a slope function and to check their answer using the interactive applet.
3. Calculating Slope Functions: Inspires students to come up with a rule to calculate the equation of a slope function using the coefficients and exponents of the initial quadratic polynomial.

Interactive Exercise

These three worksheets provide a basis for deeper and more formal discussions about the concepts of derivative and tangent to a function. The additional interactive exercise Derivative of a Polynomial allows students to practice calculating the derivative of cubic polynomial functions.

Creating these Mathlets

This section explains how to create the three example worksheets about slope function and derivative as well as the interactive exercise mentioned before. You may want to download all files of the example worksheets in one zip package.

• Creating "Slope Function"
  • Worksheet 1: Shape of a Slope Function
  • Worksheet 2: Equation of a Slope Function
  • Worksheet 3: Calculating Slope Functions
• Creating "Derivative of a Polynomial" (interactive exercise)