Starting to sketch out a unit plan: conic sections

Today we tried out a lesson activity around the focus/directrix 'locus of points'  definition of a parabola, and made a start on researching and thinking about the history and uses of conic sections, reasons to teach this unit in schools, and pedagogies we might take on.

Here are some further resources and a photo of our whiteboards in class today. Arshbir is also planning to upload the photos of the parabolas we made in our two groups outside the Scarfe building!

Here is a clip from the feature film Agora showing Hypatia with her conic sections model.

Here is the Wikipedia article on the history of conic sections -- lots here!

And here is another Wikipedia article, on parabolic reflectors.