Calculators in schools Important to spend time building non-calculator skills. Should schools have a dedicated non-calculator exam ? They aren’t going away => we need an intelligent way of dealing with them. Pupils will have different makes of calculator => we, as teachers should be able to master most popular types of calculator. School Policy on calculators: Each school should decide how to integrate the use of calculators into their school. Calculators in first year ? No calculators until Christmas of first year ? One particular type of calculator recommended by a school ? Golden rule: Don’t do anything on the calculator that you haven’t already written on paper

Using the fraction capability Example : Evaluate ¾ + ½ Down arrow Right arrow arrow Down arrow Example : Evaluate 2¾ + ¼ Right arrow arrow Down arrow Right arrow arrow Down arrow

Using the memory capability Example : Store 6.8 in memory location X Example : Evaluate X using the memory function Task : 1) Store 3.8 in memory location Y 2) Use the memory function to evaluate X + Y 3) Change the numbers in memory X to 4 and memory Y to 5 and then evaluate X + Y, using the memory function 4) Evaluate 5X 2 – 7x -1 5) Evaluate 4X 3 +2X 2 –x +4

Clearing all settings on the calculator Recommended decimal setting AllYes Re-set Norm

Trigonometry and the calculator 1) To make sure that the calculator is in degree mode 2) To find sin 60º 3) To find Down arrow

4) Changing the calculator to radian mode 5) To find tan Down arrow 6) To find tan -1 Down arrow

Converting degrees to radians and radians to degrees N.B. Your calculator should be in the mode of the target i.e. in degrees if changing from radians to degrees and in radians if changing from degrees to radians Example 1 Change 60º to radians a) Make sure the the calculator is in radian mode b) Then do the conversion Example 2 Change radians to degrees a) Make sure the the calculator is in degree mode b) Then do the conversion Down arrow Right arrow arrow

Graph the function y=x 2 +3x-4 in the domain -5  x  2 Step 1: Go into table mode in calculator Step 2: Set up function

Step 3: To set up lowest x co-ordinate Step 4: To set up highest x co-ordinate Step 5: To see table Graph the function y=x 2 +3x-4 in the domain -5  x  2 Handout

Recommended calculator use for functions Graph the function y=x 2 +3x-4 in the domain -5  x  2 f(x) = x 2 + 3x -4 f(-5) = (-5) 2 + 3(-5) -4 = 6 (-5, 6) f(-4) = (-4) 2 + 3(-4) -4 = 0 (-4, 0) f(-3) = (-3) 2 + 3(-3) -4 = -4(-3, -4) f(-2) = (-2) 2 + 3(-2) -4 = -6 (-2, -6) f(-1) = (-1) 2 + 3(-1) -4 = -6(-1, -6) f(0) = (0) 2 + 3(0) -4 = -4 (0, -6) f(1) = (1) 2 + 3(1) -4 = -4(1, -4) f(2) = (2) 2 + 3(2) -4 = 6 (2, 6)

Scientific Notation Numbers in scientific format can be added, subtracted, multiplied and divided without changing the calculator into scientific mode. The only drawback is that if a number is small enough to display as a natural number it will be shown as a natural number. e.g. (3.2 x 10 3 ) x (1.7 x 10 5 ) = If you want this number converted to scientific notation you must change the calculator into scientific notation mode Getting into scientific notation mode: Getting out of scientific notation mode:

Changing Cartesian coordinates to polar form a) Calculator better in degree mode for this b) Then do the conversion Right arrow arrow Example

TASKS Try the following functions using the table mode 1) y = 3x -2 in the domain -3  x  3 2)Graph the function f: x  7-5x-2x 2 in the domain -4  x  2 3)Graph the function TASKS: 1)Store 5 in memory and then use the memory recall function to evaluate 2x 3 -6x 2 +4x-9 when x is 5 ( Answer is 111 ) 2)Evaluate (4 3 ) 2 and also evaluate 729 1/6 ( Answers are 4096 and 3 ) 3)6.4 x 10 7 – 1.2 x 10 5 (Answer is ) 4)Demonstrate the following limit