So... about those conic sections

For Unit M, a portion of your test grade will be based on you demonstrating your understanding of both the properties of conic sections and their application to real life.




This will be due by class time on the day of your test (Thursday).  
This is a single-submission assignment and quality will be measured upon the first submission.  Please ensure both correctness (we've discussed this in class enough!) and completeness before hitting "publish".  Remember, you can save your post as a "draft" while you continue to work on it to make it great!

In one blog post, you must answer the three questions posed below.  Your responses should include:

1. Full, complete, descriptive, and detailed sentences for each of the three separate questions.  Please number them so they are separate on the blog post.
2. Proper vocabulary, including but not limited to: 
   • Conic Section
   • Eccentricity
   • Double-napped Cone
   • Parts of the conic section (vertex, focus/foci, directrix, axis, vertices, co-vertices, major axis, minor axis)
3. Images or drawings that help to represent what you are saying. [minimum one image]
4. Embedded videos or hyperlinked websites that help to support your response.  There are plenty of examples that I have given you on the Unit M tab. [minimum one video or website]
5. Text edited, colored, etc to aid in reading and comprehension of content. [notice how I have done that with this post]
6. At the very bottom of your post, you must include proper citations for any websites (including videos, pictures, and articles) used in your construction of the post. [notice how I have done that with this post]

QUESTIONS:  For these questions, you may choose to discuss the parabola or the ellipse.  You do not have to use the same conic section for all questions, although it is suggested because your answers to the questions will build on one another.

1. What is the mathematical definition of this conic section and how does that definition play a role in the properties of the conic section and how it is shaped or formed?
2. How does the focus (or foci) affect the shape of the conic section?  (If you choose ellipses, you should include information about eccentricity in your response; if you choose parabolas, "p" should be a big focus... haha, get it? "p" is the distance from vertex to focus and it should be a big focus. Ok, moving on...)
3. How do the properties of this conic section apply in real life?  (While using the exact examples I gave you may be acceptable, I will be looking for some research, creativity, and thought.  There is a lot out there!)

Everything written in your blog post is subject to personal interview, meaning that whatever you write I may choose to ask you about at any time.  Make sure any knowledge gained from the internet or friends is not simply written out, but is actually understood so you can explain it in person.  Any hint of plagiarism, cheating, or copying of ideas from classmates' blogs will not be tolerated.  If you need help understanding something, please ask!!


Citations:
Conic Sections Image pasted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Conic_Sections.svg
Parabola Image pasted from: http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/parabola.html
Conic Sections animated video from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=miybaQtYONA




BEFORE SUBMITTING: 
1. Do you have each of the 3 questions numbered separately on your post?
2. Are all of your paragraphs proofread for sense, grammar, and clarity?
3. Have you used as much mathematical vocabulary as appropriate?
4. Do you have at least one image uploaded to the blog post?
5. Do you have at least one hyperlinked website or embedded video that relates to the blog post?
6. Did you use color, highlighting, bolding, italics, underline, different font sizes, etc to help important parts of your post stand out?
7. Did you include the citations of the locations of your videos, websites, or images?