Slow Motion Quadratic Functions

8th Grade Algebra

Jared Sutton

Problem Identified​: Some Algebra students struggled to connect the algebraic work of solving certain quadratic equations to those solutions’ graphical or physical analogs.

Hypothesis​: If students record real-life physical phenomena using iOS's slow-motion camera and then identify quadratic function features on those videos, then those students will better be able to initiate work on quadratic function word-problems, as demonstrated by performance on Regents constructed response problems.

Data Collection​: We captured Koree Rotger taking shots at the Yard’s basketball hoop from the free-throw line until we caught a slow-motion video of him making a perfect “nothing but net” shot, so that we could identify the vertex, y-intercept and roots of the quadratic equation that matches the motion of the ball over time.

Actionable Step​: The slow-motion camera is great for taking measurements within short time intervals for conversations about motion and physics.

Overall Findings/Impact​: Student engagement in quadratic equations increased after we observed that the motion of the ball over time was best modeled by the quadratic functions that we had previously only talked about in abstract. Performance on “falling object” problems

improved for most students.