Precalculus students are working on their end of semester projects where students can apply their lessons in class in a much more creative way, by using the knowledge of shapes and parabolas to create art on ceiling tiles.

“Embedded in the art we have equations for shapes such as ellipses, circles, parabolas, and hyperbolas,” teacher Kortney Smith. “So the students have to pick pictures and see how they can incorporate those equations into the artwork.”

“We have to make it around circles, and other shapes,” senior Kaitlyn Wilcox said. “Then your picture has to go around that and include all of it in it.”
Precal teachers have been doing this project for years and believe it is most beneficial for visual learners.

“It really helps those who are visual learners as a different way to express and show they know something,” Smith said.

However teachers think it is a more enjoyable and creative way for students to learn.

“It’s a fun activity to close the semester,” Smith said.

Surprisingly, students find the most difficulty in the art rather than the math.

“The most challenging part believe it or not is choosing that to draw,” Smith said. “I see more students spending more time on what cartoon character they want to draw but after that the math usually comes pretty easily.”