Following the unit on Polynomial Functions in Algebra II (Problem-Solving Approach), students put their skills to use to complete their choice of a Desmos activity. Their tasks included writing equations with certain roots and characteristics or designing their own roller coaster using a polynomial function. Students discussed the results from the activity in class the following week and examples of their work are highlighted below.

Instructor Eileen Arendt shared that it’s often amazing to students that some problems in math have many answers that are all correct!

Skills Covered by This Project

• Roots of polynomial functions including roots with multiplicity above one
• End behavior of polynomial functions and the effect of leading coefficients on both end behavior and other characteristics such as shape
• Turning points, domain and range, local extrema
• Recognizing that multiple equations can satisfy given criteria such as having certain roots

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