Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics
In the study of Algebra and Calculus, curve sketching is always very interesting for both the teacher and the learner. This paper describes an innovative way of teaching curve sketching to first year undergraduate students by using the analogy of snakes and electric fences. A snake represents a cont...
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Conference Paper |
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Universiti Teknologi MARA
2010
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25278 |
| _version_ | 1848751664027140096 |
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| author | Tan, Chong Sokkalingam, Rajalingam |
| author2 | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zuhaina Zakaria |
| author_facet | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zuhaina Zakaria Tan, Chong Sokkalingam, Rajalingam |
| author_sort | Tan, Chong |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | In the study of Algebra and Calculus, curve sketching is always very interesting for both the teacher and the learner. This paper describes an innovative way of teaching curve sketching to first year undergraduate students by using the analogy of snakes and electric fences. A snake represents a continuous curve and an electric fence marks a forbidden zone or an asymptote. Given a mathematical function, y = f(x), the learner will learn to identify the zone(s) in which the snake is allowed to wander, the forbidden zones that cannot be crossed by the snake, the positions for its ends (called head and tail for convenience), possible crossings on the x-axis and y-axis by the snake, and any other `twists and turns' of its body that will lead to a clear trace of its body. The complete trace of the snake's body will then be the curve for the mathematical function y = f(x). This approach will certainly spice up the learning process and strengthen the conceptual understanding of the various mathematical aspects in curve sketching. Mastering the skills of curve sketching by this approach will also give the learner some insights on finding real solutions to polynomial equations. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:56:19Z |
| format | Conference Paper |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-25278 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:56:19Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | Universiti Teknologi MARA |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-252782017-09-13T16:07:21Z Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics Tan, Chong Sokkalingam, Rajalingam Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zuhaina Zakaria Polynomial Equations Mathematical Function Continuous Curve Asymptotes Real Solutions Curve Sketching In the study of Algebra and Calculus, curve sketching is always very interesting for both the teacher and the learner. This paper describes an innovative way of teaching curve sketching to first year undergraduate students by using the analogy of snakes and electric fences. A snake represents a continuous curve and an electric fence marks a forbidden zone or an asymptote. Given a mathematical function, y = f(x), the learner will learn to identify the zone(s) in which the snake is allowed to wander, the forbidden zones that cannot be crossed by the snake, the positions for its ends (called head and tail for convenience), possible crossings on the x-axis and y-axis by the snake, and any other `twists and turns' of its body that will lead to a clear trace of its body. The complete trace of the snake's body will then be the curve for the mathematical function y = f(x). This approach will certainly spice up the learning process and strengthen the conceptual understanding of the various mathematical aspects in curve sketching. Mastering the skills of curve sketching by this approach will also give the learner some insights on finding real solutions to polynomial equations. 2010 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25278 10.1109/ICEED.2010.5946224 Universiti Teknologi MARA restricted |
| spellingShingle | Polynomial Equations Mathematical Function Continuous Curve Asymptotes Real Solutions Curve Sketching Tan, Chong Sokkalingam, Rajalingam Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics |
| title | Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics |
| title_full | Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics |
| title_fullStr | Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics |
| title_short | Snakes and Electric Fences: An Innovative Approach of Teaching Curve Sketching in Undergraduate Mathematics |
| title_sort | snakes and electric fences: an innovative approach of teaching curve sketching in undergraduate mathematics |
| topic | Polynomial Equations Mathematical Function Continuous Curve Asymptotes Real Solutions Curve Sketching |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25278 |