Lesson Plan: Learning About a Graphing
Calculator (TI-94 Plus)
Concept:
Students will become familiar with a Graphing Calculator,
specifically with a TI-94 Plus. They’ll first try to figure out how
to do various commands on their own, then with a partner, and
finally as a group. The students will gain an understanding for
the usefulness of the graphing calculator, along with concepts
about graphs.
Class level:
Algebra I & II
Time:
45-50 minutes
Activity:
Each student will be given a graphing calculator and a
worksheet. The worksheet will include various commands from
adding two numbers to find the roots of an equation. They will
attempt to go through the problems on their own. After about
10 minutes, the class will be brought back together to discuss
any struggles and successes. How many commands did they
succeed at?
Then have the students work with a partner. They can put what
they have both learned together to figure out more commands.
After another 10 minutes, bring the class together to discuss
further struggles and successes. How many commands did they
succeed at?
Now go through get command with the class together. This
works best if you have an overhead to project the screen of your
graphing calculator.
Questions:
These are anticipatory questions to ask the class before getting
started, (possibly the day before).
1) Who has used a graphing calculator before?
2) What can graphing calculators be used for?
3) What could you like to use your graphing calculator for?
State Standards:
Minnesota State 9.2.1.5
Minnesota State 9.2.2.1
Minnesota State 9.2.2.3
Minnesota State 9.2.4.1
Minnesota State 9.2.4.2
Students are also able to use graphing calculators on parts of
State Testing
Materials:
You will need the following for each student:
 Graphing Calculator (TI-94)
 Worksheet
It would be helpful for the teacher to have:
 Overhead projector
 (device to project screen of graphing calculator)
Prerequisite skills:
The students should have knowledge about graphing and be
able to graph by hand. This provides the students with
comprehension of what they see on their own screens. They are
able to hypothesis what they should get.
Key Questions:
These questions are to be asked through the lesson to prompt
student thoughts.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
How many commands did you figure out?
Is it easier or more difficult than you thought?
What results do you expect the calculator to give?
Is the calculator displaying the results you expected?
What more would you like to use the calculator for?
Suggestions:
Encourage the students to do the first 10 minutes on their own.
Let them know there will be time for them to work with others
and ask for help. Some students may get frustrated, but if they
can figure it out on their own, they seem to remember it better.
Make sure you, the teacher, is familiar with the graphing
calculator. There WILL be questions and errors to deal with.
Procedure:
Ask the students some anticipatory questions either at the end
of the previous class period, or the beginning of the class which
the lesson is given.
Give each student a graphing calculator and worksheet. Have
the students go through the worksheet on their own. (Let the
students know that they are not expected to get through all the
problems or they may get discouraged.)
After 10 minutes, bring the class together and discuss what they
have discovered. This is also a good time to ask the some key
questions listed above.
Have the students get in groups of twos or threes. Have them
work together on the problems putting together what they have
all ready discovered on their own.
After 10 minutes, bring the class together and discuss any more
discoveries. Ask some of the key questions and find out what
more they were able to figure out.
Now, if you have an overhead, project the screen of your
calculator. Now go through the problems together. This should
fill in the gaps for the students.
Discussion:
Ask questions about where certain keys are, what results do
they expect, is this what you expected. Discuss what else they
would like their graphing calculator to do. If you plan on doing
the additional activity of programming the quadratic equation,
lead questions into programming.
Follow-Up Activities:
As the students learn more mathematics, have them do
worksheets and “check” them with a graphing calculator.
Assessment Plan:
Including questions on a quiz or exam that involve graphing
calculators. Have questions that would be too complex to do by
hand.
Additional Activities:
See Programming the Quadratic Equation
Name: _________________________________
Working with a Graphing Calculator
Find the answer by using your graphing calculator. (Try doing it with one command/entry.)
1.
23  49
2. 151  64
3.
6.
(23  14)  (13  2)
7.
12  13
19  18  13
42 13
8. 1.42 1012  9.32  1011
4. 192 16
5.
9.
1.42 10  9.32 10 
17.
3
5
18.
4
11
23 14 13  2
12
Find the approximate value (6 decimals) of the following.
10. e
11. 
12.
2
13. ln 2
14.  2
19. cos(40o )
20. tan(40o )
 

8
21. sin 
15. e3
16. 
5
22. cos 1 (.512)
11
Calculate the following. (Figure out how to recall a previous entry.)
23.
1  2(31  3)
14
26.
1  2(31  3)
14  2
24.
1  2(31  3)
14
27.
1  2(31  3) 5

14  2
6
25.
1  2(31  3)
14
28. 21  22  26
29.
100
21  22  26
Graph the following lines.
30. y  x
31. y  2 x  5
32. y  
1
x 1
2
33. y  10 x  25 (You may need to adjust your window settings to see the whole graph)
Graph the following and find the roots (where it crosses the x-axis) to the 4 decimals.
34. y   x  1  3
2
(Optional- Leads into programming the quadratic equation in the future)
35. Calculate by hand the roots of the equation in problem 34. (You’ll need to use the quadratic
formula. Wouldn’t it be nice if our calculators had a program for the Quadratic formula?)