Provide a metaview, lifting students into a wider view of the concept. Use another medium (not reading or writing) to connect students' personal knowing to the concept (i.e. visual arts, music, movement, metaphor, etc.) Involve learners in reflective production that blends the emotional and the cognitive.
Students will make waxed paper models of conic sections. Figures will not necessarily be named
Objective: To create the conic sections using waxed paper.
Activity: Following are the instructions for creating an ellipse, hyperbola, and parabola using waxed paper. Since students are familiar with the construction of a circle, it is not necessary to perform this construction. 1) Ellipse - Draw a circle of ink in the middle of a sheet of waxed paper. Fold the circle in half and crease the paper. On the fold line (diameter of the circle), mark a point about one inch inside the circle. Fold the waxed paper so that a point on the circle lies on the point. Crease the waxed paper. Rotate the paper keeping the circle on the point at all times, creasing the paper with each successive move until an ellipse is formed. 2) Hyperbola - Draw a circle in the middle of a sheet of waxed paper. Fold the circle about one inch outside the circle. Fold the waxed paper so that the circle lies on the point. Crease the paper. Rotate the paper keeping the circle on the point at all times, creasing the paper with each move until a hyperbola is formed. 3) Parabola - Draw a line across the middle of the waxed paper. Mark a point about one inch above the line. Fold the waxed paper so that the line lies on the point and crease. Rotate the paper keeping the line on the point at all times, creasing the paper after each move until a parabola is formed. After students have created their conic models, discuss the similarities between these shapes and the exhibits they previously classified in Activity 1.
