I am interested in collecting/creating a compendium of lesson plans that are essentially just this.
Lesson Plan: Appropriate for a precalc class and an algebra 2 course.
Show the following graph:
Talk to the students. See what's going on in the eye with the triangle? I want you to make a graph in Desmos that does that. And I want the point to be able to move in time like this.. After you have completed this unit's work you can add all the embellishments you'd like. Give it sinusoidal eyebrows. You could turn it into a bicycle. Whatever.
Hand out Rubric: Points for silliness. Points for creativity. Points for mathematical correctness. Blah blah whatever else goes on a rubric.
Tell the students to get laptops and get started. After the students are launched walk the classroom and engage with the students working on it and help the students who may be struggling.
I have many many many many of these. I would like to know if others would like to help to contribute to these. I know Desmos already has a list of activities but these aren't quite what I am looking for. If others would like to contribute I would love to see a big list here. Does anybody else do this? And would they be willing to share their lessons? If you don't do this maybe you would enjoy making one? And then you can add to the list.
An ideal answer would specify the class it's appropriate to and the content that we should be focusing on as the heart of the lesson. Like in the example I gave above: The eye with the triangle is the point of the lesson: It is the skill you want them to master. An answer with a graph so we don't have to click any links is also good.