Module 5 Final Project

Math Teacher Link Module 5 Final Project

Last Updated: July 23, 2002

Jill McCue

Lesson 1

Investigation: Transformations

Student Audience: Basic Geometry self contained class for 4 students who are hard of hearing

Equipment and resources: Computer lab with Geometer Sketchpad loaded, The Geometer Sketchpad User Guide and Reference Manual version 3, Tour 8.

Prerequisites: Students need to be familiar with Geometer Sketchpad

Class time: Computer lab for a 50-minute period

Lesson Objectives: The students will use the Transformation commands and the selection arrow tools to dilate and reflect figures.

Procedure: Each student will log on to his own computer and open Geometer Sketchpad. The teacher will instruct the students verbally and through sign language to do the following steps. Individual help will be given at any step and the directions will be written on the white board in the lab for reference as students work at differing speeds.

Construct a triangle using any method you like.
Construct a point outside this triangle and make sure it is selected.
Choose mark center from the Transform menu. The point will flash to show that it is the center.
Move the pointer to the arrow tool in the toolbox, press and hold down the mouse button and drag to the last box. Select the Dilation tool.
Drag one edge of your triangle. This edge dilates relative to the center of dilation you selected.
Select the entire triangle by dragging a box around it. Don’t forget to use the arrow tool!
Drag the entire triangle. Ask the students what happens when they do this.
With the entire triangle selected, lead the students through using the Dilate command from the Transform menu rather than the arrow tool palette.
When the dialog box pops up tell the students to put a 1 in the top box and a 2 in the lower box for a ratio of ½. Click OK to dilate the triangle by a factor of ½.
Tell the students to dilate the triangle by a ratio larger than 1 like 3/2 or 4/2. Give some time for students to explore this.
Have the students draw a segment to the right of their original triangle and 1 dilated one. With the segment selected choose Mark Mirror from the Transform menu.
Select the segments (not the vertices) of the larger triangle.
Ask the students what they think will happen if they reflect this triangle. Choose Reflect from the Transform menu.
Allow the students some time to experiment with dragging points and segments of the original triangles on the left side of the segment to notice what happens to the reflected triangle.
Students should close Geometer Sketchpad and log off of their computers.

Student Evaluation: Students will be given participation points for this lab. Students who followed lesson directions and computer lab rules will be given 10 points for the day. The teacher will deduct points for off task time, and inappropriate behavior.

Lesson 2

Investigation: Congruent and Similar Polygons

Student Audience: Basic Geometry self contained class for 4 students who are hard of hearing

Equipment: Computer lab with dynamic geometry final project loaded on “G” drive.

Prerequisites: Students need to be familiar with Geometer Sketchpad and need to complete lesson 1 on transformations. A review of congruency as well as an introduction to Chapter 8 on Similar Polygons will be completed in the text before this computer lab lesson.

Class time: Computer lab for a 50-minute period. Students may use the lab during study hall and study lunch to complete the assignment.

Lesson Objectives: The students will be able to identify similar, congruent and non-similar figures by measuring angles and sides. In addition, the students will label the postulate used to find pairs of triangles similar, and they will construct similar polygons on Geometer Sketchpad utilizing the dilate command for at least one of three pairs.

Procedure: The teacher will use the white board in the computer lab to quickly review some drawings that are similar, congruent or neither.

Each student will be assigned a computer on which he needs to log on and open Geometer Sketchpad.
The teacher will instruct the students on how to open the dynamic geometry final project sketch from the “G” drive.
Students will work individually through the assignment.
Students will save this assignment under their ID number and title it ch8lab.
Students who need more time will be given a pass to use the computer lab during their study hall.
The teacher will access this assignment to evaluate it.

Student Evaluation: The students will be given points as they complete each section. The total point values are at the top of the worksheet.