I’m doing something that I should have done a long time ago: collecting a series of posts into one single post. The following links comprised my series on getting students to discover the formula for factoring .
Part 1: A numerical way of discovering the formula for .
Part 2: A geometric way of discovering the formula for .
Part 3: Pedagogical thoughts on the importance of students discovering the formula for .
Part 4: A geometric way of discovering the formula for .
Part 5: Guiding students to the formula for .