An iPad® can be used to teach students to graph parabolas with ease and grasp vocabulary quickly. Parabolas come to life for students in this easily implemented activity described in this article. Teachers can use this tool in a fun and interactive way to not only address these graphing and vocabulary concepts but also introduce and explore parabolas and more in the algebra classroom. The Free Graphing Calculator ( Jockusch 2010) app can be downloaded and accessed to introduce graphs of quadratic equations and the relevant vocabulary, including "axis of symmetry," "roots," "maxima," "minima," and "vertices." The app helps students visualize the terms and provides a strong conceptual background for future lessons. After the exploration, students can model their new knowledge by using the free app Skitch (Evernote Corp. 2012) to compare and contrast quadratic equation families and apply vocabulary that they learned during the calculator activity. Both of the free apps, the Free Graphing Calculator and Skitch, are available from the Apple App store. The activity described in this article is based on a graphing calculator investigation found in the "Algebra 1" textbook by Glencoe Mathematics (Holliday et al. 2005). It has been adapted for the iPad and the two free apps.