The white picket fence is an integral component of the iconic American townscape. But, for mathematics students, it can be a mathematical challenge. Picket fences in a variety of styles serve as excellent sources to model constant, step, absolute value, and sinusoidal functions. "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (NCTM 2000)…

Spreadsheets to explore regression with an algebra 2 class in a medium-sized rural high school are presented. The use of spreadsheets can help students develop sophisticated understanding of mathematical models and use them to describe real-world phenomena.

Modeling data behavior is differentiated from statistically determining a best-fit regression function, as it allows students to develop functions that hold certain attributes in respect to a set of data. Three techniques for developing polynomial models are demonstrated that afford students optional methods for determining appropriate polynomial…