Using Autograph to enhance learning in the mathematics classroom
These resources have been kindly provided by Alan Catley. Alan runs training courses throughout the world and has produced these as part of his work. Opening the index page below will allow easy access to the entire package, which is filed into topics as listed below. Within these areas you will find introductory materials, lesson plans, pupil sheets, instruction sheets and much more. While much of the content is self-explanatory, please bear in mind the fact that they were originally designed to be demonstrated 'on-site'. You can contact Alan through the address on each sheet if you would like further details about the courses and training he provides.
Alternatively you can access some of the resource sheets directly by following the links below:
Getting Going with Autograph
A selection of documents to guide you through some of the ‘basics’ of Autograph.
- Autograph icons
- Setting your preferences
- Setting the viewing window by editing axes
- Selecting objects - one point
- Selecting objects - two points
- Selecting objects - three points and 'group to shape'
- Selecting objects - four points and 'convert to data set'
- Dynamic text boxes and the constant controller
- Editing axes and the constant controller
- Using the animation controller
- Vectors
- Three dimensions and trigonometry
- Using photos within Autograph I
- Using photos within Autograph II - Dungeness Sound Mirrors
- Piecewise functions and distance-time graphs
- The object menu - Euler's 9-point circle
- Inserting Autograph images into Tarsia jigsaw software
Linear Functions
Alan's Top Tip: Make sure you know how to use 'edit axes' and 'slow plot' (see above) to get the most out of the following:
- Lines parallel to the axes
- Investigating the 'c' in 'y = mx + c'
- Investigating the 'm' in 'y = mx + c'
- Matching linear graphs to their functions - all the twos
- Straight line graphs
- More straight line graphs (mostly)
- Linear graphs quiz 1
- Linear graphs quiz 2
- Linear graphs quiz 3
- Defining the gradient
- Two points - the midpoint of, the distance between and the gradient of the line joining them
- The gradients of perpendicular lines
- The equation of a line through two points
- The equation of a perpendicular bisector of two points
- An example of a C1 examination question
- Mobile phone bills - an investigation
- Linear programming
- Linear programming - the solution
Quadratic Functions
- Introducing the quadratic function
- Some open questions
- Investigating the ‘a’ in 'y = ax²'
- Investigating the ‘b’ in 'y = (x - b)²'
- Investigating the ‘c’ in 'y = x² + c'
- Investigating the completed square form
- Investigating roots of quadratics
- Investigating the symmetry of the general quadratic curve
- Investigating the discriminant
- A typical examination question
- Simultaneous equations where one is quadratic
- Properties of quadratics - matching cards activity
Statistics and Data Handling
Alan's Top Tip: The following list is just a selection. Follow the link the main statistics index here to access even more information.
- Analysing integer data
- Analysing grouped data using histograms and box plots
- Producing a frequency table
- Moving averages
- Histograms and frequency density
- Histograms and frequency polygons
- Cumulative frequency diagrams and box plots
- Statistical Analysis
- Five box plots
- Scatter graphs
- Animating the least squares regression
- The binomial probability function
- The standardised normal distribution
- The normal distribution and birth weights
- Fitting data to a normal distribution
- Discrete random variables
- An example S1 examination question
- Another example S1 examination question
- And another example S1 examination question
Geometry
- An interactive approach to teaching the four transformations
- Reflection worksheet
- Rotation worksheet
- Translation worksheet
- Enlargement worksheet
- Constructing a perpendicular bisector
- Constructing an angle bisector
- Constructing an equilateral triangle
- Constructing a square
- Constructing a regular hexagon
- Loci
- Angles on a straight line
- Alternate angles
- Corresponding angles
- Angles in the same segment
- Angles at the centre and at the circumference
- Angle in a semicircle
- The tangent to a circle
- Perpendicular bisecting a chord
- Triangle in a circle
- A 3 by 3 pinboard
- A line and a circle
- Adding and subtracting vectors
Introducing Calculus
- A pre-calculus activity
- The numerical gradient
- Differentiation of a straight line
- Differentiation of a quadratic function
- Differentiation of a cubic function
- Differentiation of y = sinx, with an introduction to radian measure
- Differentiation of y = sinkx and y = coskx
- Differentiation of a function in factorised form
- Finding the equation of a tangent to a quadratic
- A typical examination question
- The area under a staight line
- The area under a curve
- Integration as the reverse of differentiation
- Integration of a quadratic function
- Definite integration
Advanced Pure Mathematics
- Circles: Introducing the general equation
- Circles: The general equation of a circle
- Trigonometric Functions: The graphs of y = asinx and y = cosx + d
- Trigonometric Functions: The graphs of y = sinbx and y = tan(x + c)
- Trigonometric Functions: Solving basic trigonometric equations
- Composite Functions
- Exponentials and Logarithms: The search for e
- Exponentials and Logarithms: Differentiating y = eax I
- Exponentials and Logarithms: Differentiating y = eax II
- Exponentials and Logarithms: Differentiating y = ln kx
- Further Calculus: Product rule I
- Further Calculus: Product rule II
- Numerical Methods: Iterations - instructions for the spreadsheet
- Numerical Methods: Iterations - the spreadsheet
- Numerical Methods: Iterations and convergence
- Parametric equations
- Differential equations
- Vector equation of a straight line
- Integration by substitution
- Volumes of revolution I
- Volumes of revolution II
- Please note that you will (probably) need to be using Internet Explorer and MS Word for all the links to work properly.
- These materials are designed for version 3.20 of Autograph. If you are using version 3.0, a corresponding set of resources can be found at the Suffolk Maths site here.
- If you would like to experiment with these resources but do not currently have the software, you can download a free 30-day trial of Autograph here
- Also, please note that we are unable to offer technical support with this resource, and that all materials are downloaded at your own risk.