Website review by Alicia Carter, Common Sense Education | Updated May 2013
PhET Equation Grapher
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PhET Equation Grapher

Interactive graphing tool lacks instruction or support for students

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Learning rating
Editorial review by Common Sense Education
Community rating
Based on 4 reviews
Privacy rating
22%| Warning Expert evaluation by Common Sense
Grades
8–12 This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
Subjects & Skills
Math, Critical Thinking
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website
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5 images
Users can manipulate the three variables of the polynomial equation and see how the changes affect the graph.
Example of a graph created using the tool.
Students can also graph up to two equations at a time for comparison.
Graph linear equations by entering a value of zero for the appropriate terms.
A brief explanation of how to use the tool's features is available on the publisher’s website.

Pros: Helps students put what they’ve learned about graphing equations into practice.

Cons: Lack of direct instruction keeps kids from using the tool independently; students have to already know what they're doing mathematically to understand what's happening.

Bottom Line: Good for supplemental use in the classroom or practice at home, but students need to know some basics about graphing first.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

PhET Equation Grapher is effective and visual, adapting immediately to changes made in the equation, but it's weak in actual instruction. It will be a good tool for students who already have graphing knowledge to practice and extend, but it won't be good for graphing beginners looking to learn.

Use PhET's Equation Grapher in the classroom after instruction on graphing as a way for students to practice creating graphs for different situations. They can explore how changing variables affects the graph. You could also use it after a graphing assignment for students to check the graphs they created.

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PhET Equation Grapher is a graphing simulator that lets students graph polynomials and see how changing the variable values affects the graphs. Students get started by simply going to the site and manipulating the variable values. Results are instantaneous. Students need prior knowledge of the subject matter to make sense of the data, but there's a brief instruction page on the tool's website to help users or teachers get started. This is also the place to find teaching ideas submitted by other teachers and to download versions in other languages (there are many).

The simulator is easy to use, and students can quickly change the data to observe the results. The more experience and instruction students have in graphing, the easier this will be to use.

For kids who have some experience with polynomials and graphing equations, the site will be very useful. They can explore the cause-and-effect relationships involved in changing one or more variable within an equation. Students can also graph up to two equations at a time for comparison. They can compare the equation as a whole to the corresponding equation for one term (when the other terms are zeroed out). It's also possible to graph linear equations by entering a value of zero for the appropriate terms.

However, students without previous knowledge or experience graphing equations will have a difficult time learning from the site. There's no direct instruction on how to use the tool within the simulator itself, so students have to figure out what changed as they make adjustments to the values. A helpful addition would be some basic explanation of how to graph polynomials that students could refer to when getting started. It would also be helpful if the graph allowed for a wider range of possible inputs, so students could graph larger values.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

High school students will find the puzzle-like simulations intriguing. The design quality isn't very sophisticated but it gets the job done.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

Students are empowered to build their own understanding as they choose their own variables and predict the outcomes. They'll see what happens when variables are manipulated, and can transfer this learning to other contexts and situations.

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

Great tips are available for teachers, but student support while using the simulation is missing. The site is accessible in over 30 languages.

 

Common Sense reviewer
Alicia Carter Homeschool instructor
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Community Rating

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Featured review by
Stephanie C. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Currey Ingram Academy
Brentwood, United States
Interactive Tool for Graphing Polynomials
PhET equation grapher is an online polynomial graphing website with a great concept, but it strictly just shows the graph. There are no sample problems. I liked that the students were able to see how the graphs of polynomials change. The product would serve my classroom better if the website gave practice problems for the students to graph. I had to give the students specific equations to type in, and then tell them how to change the equations so they could see how the graphs change. This website i ...
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Data Safety
How safe is this product?
Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users and/or students.
Unclear whether this product displays personal information publicly.
Unclear whether user-created content is filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.
Data Rights
What rights do I have to the data?
Unclear whether users can create or upload content.
Unclear whether this product provides processes to access and review user data.
Unclear whether this product provides processes to modify inaccurate data.
Ads & Tracking
Are there advertisements or tracking?
Unclear whether data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
Unclear whether this product displays behavioral or targeted advertising.

Continue reading about this tool's privacy practices, including data collection, sharing, and security.

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