BALLOON GAME

BALLOON GAME

Content Ob= jective: To have students create lines of t= he “y=3Dmx+b” form in the context of a game. Through creative practi= ce they develop intuitively a sense of how slope and intercept values affect a line. Geometrically they are exploring the concepts of shifting and stretching lines.

Game Objec= tive: The object of the game is to “pop balloons” that are created on the graph screen. A routine is presented that creates small dots on the graph screen.&nb= sp; Students create lines that attempt to intersect these dots and thus “pop the balloon”. The fewer the attempts the more points are scored by the student.

Beginners are advised to star= t with one point.
ONE balloon

· First clear functions from the “Y=3D&#= 8221; screen

· Then create a “standard window” = as shown below

· Type in the routine (notice this is shown in= 2 screen shots since it does not fit on one screen)*

*For those who are not familiar with the TI-73 menus, “Circle” is cho= ice “6” in the “Draw” menu, “randIn= t” is choice “2” in the Math/Prb menu,= and the comma is next to the “4” key.

· Finally press the “Enter” key an= d a “balloon” appears on the graph screen.

· Go to the “Y=3D” screen and type= in a function in the “Y1” position.= Rule is that the shot must go through both the origin and the “balloon” to constitute a hit.= If the “balloon” is not hit the first time, move to “Y2” and try a second shot.&nb= sp; (note if you clear the “Y1” function it erases the balloon from the screen). If “Y2” doesn’t = hit, try “Y3”, then “Y4” if necessary.

Scoring:

· If balloon is hit on first attempt, score 5 points, on second attempt 4 points and so on.

· If neither partner hits the balloon (and remember the line must also go through the origin), the person who came clo= sest scores 1 point.

To continue a new round

Clear functions from the “Y=3D” screen (this also clears the “balloon”)

Return to “home screen” (2^nd Mode)

Press “Enter” and a new balloon is released; continue as before=

Note: Occasionally it may appear that a balloon did not show up. This= can happen if a point lands on an axis. In this case return to the “home screen”, press “Enter” and release a new balloon.

Note: The “Cl= rDraw” command (found in “Draw” menu) can be used to clear a point off= the screen. “Enter” m= ust be pressed to select this command.

A “game” consists of 5 rounds (or a set agreed upon at the outset of the game). Highest = score wins.

TWO balloons

· Clear “Y=3D” functions and set u= p a “Standard Screen” as before

· This time two “Circles” are crea= ted by either drawing one, then returning to the “home screen”, and pressing “Enter” to repeat the command….or, by “concatenating” two circles using a “colon”, as sho= wn in the screen shots below. Two shots are needed to show the complete command since one screen will not show the entire routine.

Note: The “colon” is obtained from the “Catalog” menu, arrowing “up” several times after the “A” words appear.

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