CONICS ARTWORK!
Programming Conics Artwork on the
Graphing Calculator to successfully
TEACH the Conic Sections!!
Emily Gockerman
egockerman@ursulineacademy.org
Ursuline Academy
Cincinnati, OH
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Hand out right after beginning unit!
 Students work on project
throughout unit and find equations
of each type of conic section as topic
is learned

Some of the Project Requirements

Create a drawing/design on graph paper (cartoon character,
sports object or mascot, design or a scene—BE CREATIVE!!).
It should include (at least) the following 12 graphs (or pieces of
graphs in your creation:

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
2 circles
2 horizontal or vertical ellipses (or 1 of each)
1 horizontal parabola
1 vertical parabola
1 horizontal or vertical hyperbola
2 lines
1 absolute value graph

h.
any 2 more conic equations of your choice






More Project Requirements

Create a table with four vertical columns titled as
indicated and fill in the information for each
numbered graph of your sketch.

Then… Just WRITE THE PROGRAM!! 
Students Turn In:
Initialed Drawing/Sketch
 Neat copy of the table
 Colored Final-Printed out Design

Grading Rubric:
Drawing (must be initialed)
15
Equations (must be initialed)
40
Program
20
Final Design
15
(colored and glued to construction paper)
Creativity and Neatness
10__
TOTAL
100
Some Examples of Projects!
Begin with a sketch….
 Create something AMAZING!! 

Problems Students May
Encounter
Solving Equations For “Calculator” or
“y = ‘s” form can be tricky
 Finding equations of parabolas &
hyperbolas
 Using Restrictions
 Making small errors when typing in
program & finding those errors!

Finding the equation of a hyperbola going through
a specific point:
Finding the equation of a parabola going through
a specific point:
Sample Program
Printing Picture Using
TI-Connect



Download TI Connect from TI website:
Click on Downloads, then Computer
Software, then TI Connect OR use link below:
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites
/US/productDetail/us_ti_connect.html
Connect students’ calculators using silver
linking cord, and do a screen capture, then
enlarge & print!