Polynomial RollerCoaster

The growth that I experienced throughout this unit was my understanding on polynomial numbers/equations. We learned what they were how they were different from other equations and how they are important in algebra. The product that we created to demonstrate that we understood what they were was a “Polynomial Roller Coaster”. This roller coaster needed to be formed by a polynomial equation and needed to make an interesting, roller coaster like curve. The process that we had to take to create this final product was to first learn what a polynomial is. A polynomial is a graph that have multiple up and down points with one equation.

Then we entered the unit about polynomials, and polynomial equations in our textbook. This gave me an understanding on what polynomials are, how they are formed, and why they are used. After an individual test we created groups for who we were going to work with to create our roller coaster. We then started work on our final roller coaster equation and gathered its required information. One of the most important things that we used while creating this product was an online graphing calculator called Desmos.

The final product that we made to finalize this unit was the Roller Coaster Polynomial poster that we made. These posters showed our understanding on the graphing and equation writing and how terms we learned applied to it.

The biggest challenge that I faced throughout this unit was understanding how a polynomial is formed, because these equations are different than other simple equations. These equations have multiple x values and exponents that change the way the graph looks. To overcome this struggle I used the graphing calculator Desmos so that I could find out how different equations effected the graph. I also learned End behavior (This is the direction that the graph faces once it ends.) and Zoom factor (This is the position of the graph you are looking at, this can be in any ratio you want. Mine was set to 12x and 250y.) I learned these through the use of Desmos.

One of the greatest successes I had in the unit was created my Polynomial Roller Coaster. To create this I had to make a graph on Desmos incorporating the prior knowledge I had on polynomials. I then made a poster that had all of my work on it that was creative and cohesive to illustrate that I understood the content. This was definitely my biggest growth in this unit because this is where I was able to use all of the terms that I had learned throughout the year and unit.