When we start teaching algebra concepts in middle school, graphing on the coordinate plane is one of those first topics to help with visualizing linear equations.
That familiar slope intercept form ("y=mx+b") is something all students need to become intimately familiar with, and students should be comfortable converting the two points that define a line into both the slope and the y-intercept value so that they can generate linear equations in this form.
This slope intercept form calculator is a fantastic interactive tool for showing how slope is determined from two points. It doesn't just calculate the slope, it graphs the equation on a coordinate plane and shows you have the rise-over-run values are determined from the points.
It also allows you to directly enter a slope or a y-intercept, and it will update the equation in real time to show you how those changes affect the line.
These interactive features make the calculator an incredible resource when used with a smartboard or projector in the classroom. You can explain slope concepts like positive slopes and negative slopes quickly because the graphs are drawn for you instantly.
If you are teaching the concepts around basic linear equations and calculating slope, give this calculator a try!
