Core Unit Plan Template

Salem State University School of Education Pilot, Fall 2012 I. Setting the Stage A. Curriculum Framework Standards: Which MA Curriculum Frameworks/Common Core Standards address your topic content and objectives?
o o o o G-CO-6: Use geometric descriptions of rigid motions to transform figures and to predict the effect of a given rigid motion on a given figure; given two figures, use the definition of congruence in terms of rigid motions to decide if they are congruent. G-CO-7: Use the definition of congruence in terms of rigid motions to show that two triangles are congruent if and only if corresponding pairs of sides and corresponding pairs of angles are congruent. G-CO-8: Explain how the criteria for triangle congruence (ASA, SAS, and SSS) follow from the definition of congruence in terms of rigid motions. G-CO-9: Prove theorems about lines and angles. Theorems include: vertical angles are congruent; when a transversal crosses parallel lines, alternate interior angles are congruent and corresponding angles are congruent; points on a perpendicular bisector of a line segment are exactly those equidistant from the segments endpoints. G-CO-10: Prove theorems about triangles. Theorems include: measures of interior angles of a triangle sum to 180 and base angles of isosceles triangles are congruent. G-CO-11: Prove theorems about parallelograms. Theorems include: opposite sides are congruent, opposite angles are congruent, the diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other, and conversely, rectangles are parallelograms with congruent diagonals. G-CO-12: Make formal geometric constructions with a variety of tools and methods (compass and straightedge, string, reflective devices, paper folding, dynamic geometric software, etc.).

o o o

B. Generative Topic: What is the focal concept or skill of the unit?

o Congruent Triangles.

C. Topical Essential Question(s): What question(s) to students will guide their exploration and activities in the unit?
o o o o o What are congruent triangles? How can we use measurements of one triangle to find missing measurements of a congruent triangle? How can we use postulates and theorems such as the Triangle Sum Theorem to help us find missing measurements of a triangle? How can we use congruence postulates as shortcuts? How can we use triangle congruence in the real world?

D. Summative Assessment: How will you assess students learning at the end of the unit?
o o o I have prepared an end of chapter test. I have prepared two quizzes that I will use to assess the students progress in the chapter. I have prepared a project that will be assigned in the middle of the chapter.

II.

Content of the unit A. Content and Skills: What do you know about what you are planning to teach?
o Students will transition from the previous chapter by identifying the types of angles in different triangles.

Pilot, Fall 2012

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Students will investigate the angles and segments of triangles and then learn to classify those triangles. Students will learn about congruent parts of a triangle. Students will then learn about congruent triangles. Students will prove that two triangles are congruent by showing that all of the corresponding parts are congruent. Students will learn the Congruence Postulates and then use that to prove that two triangles are congruent. Students will learn to use congruence triangles. Students will learn the properties of special triangles. Students will use formal definitions, properties, and theorems to formally prove that two triangles are congruent. Definitions and key terms for this unit are as follows: Triangle Classifications: equilateral, isosceles, scalene, equiangular, acute, right, obtuse. Triangle Sum Theorem: the sum of the measures of the interior angles of a triangle is 180. Exterior Angle Theorem: the measure of an exterior angle is equal to the sum of the measures of the two nonadjacent angles Third Angles Theorem: if two angles of two triangles are congruent, then the third angles are also congruent. Properties of Congruent Triangles: Reflexive-every triangle is congruent to itself; Symmetric- if ABC is congruent XYZ, then XYZ is congruent to ABC; Transitive- if ABC is congruent to XYZ and XYZ is congruent to JKL, then ABC is congruent to JKL. Congruence Postulates: SSS, SAS, ASA, AAS, are all congruence postulates that are used as shortcuts to prove that two triangles are congruent. Base Angle Theorem: if two sides of a triangle are congruent, then the angles opposite them are also congruent. Hypotenuse Leg Congruence Theorem: if two triangles have congruent hypotenuse and leg, then the two triangles are congruent.

B. Rationale: Why teach the unit?

o o o o o Most of the architecture throughout history and in the world around us today is based on the triangles that we are learning about today. Triangle congruence is used in many different ways in countless professions, i.e. Engineering, Architecture, Construction, Interior Design, Carpentry, etc. Learning how to identify and prove triangle congruence will help the students solve more complicated problems later on in the year, as well as throughout their academic career. Learning how to write proofs helps develop sharp problem solving skills which can be very useful in the world around us. Isosceles, equilateral, and right triangles are commonly used in the design of real-life objects, such as the exteriors structure of a building or the sides of the Great Pyramid

III.

Knowledge of Students: Why does knowing your students matter?

o o The class is made up of about 15 students, most of whom are in 10th grade. It is a diverse fundamentals class, and with one exception, behavioral issues are virtually non-existent. Also, one of the 15 students is an IEP that sits in the back of the classroom with an aide. The class is made up of about 15 students, most of whom are in 10th grade. It is a diverse fundamentals class, and with one exception, behavioral issues are virtually non-existent. Also, one of the 15 students is an IEP that sits in the back of the classroom with an aide

IV.

Overview of Lessons Chart: Given the targeted understandings, how will you sequence and outline the unit plans lessons? A. Curriculum Framework Standards: Which MA Curriculum Frameworks address your topic content and objectives?
o G-CO-6: Use geometric descriptions of rigid motions to transform figures and to predict the effect of a given rigid motion on a given figure; given two figures, use the definition of congruence in terms of rigid motions to decide if they are congruent.

Pilot, Fall 2012

o o o

o o o

G-CO-7: Use the definition of congruence in terms of rigid motions to show that two triangles are congruent if and only if corresponding pairs of sides and corresponding pairs of angles are congruent. G-CO-8: Explain how the criteria for triangle congruence (ASA, SAS, and SSS) follow from the definition of congruence in terms of rigid motions. G-CO-9: Prove theorems about lines and angles. Theorems include: vertical angles are congruent; when a transversal crosses parallel lines, alternate interior angles are congruent and corresponding angles are congruent; points on a perpendicular bisector of a line segment are exactly those equidistant from the segments endpoints. G-CO-10: Prove theorems about triangles. Theorems include: measures of interior angles of a triangle sum to 180 and base angles of isosceles triangles are congruent. G-CO-11: Prove theorems about parallelograms. Theorems include: opposite sides are congruent, opposite angles are congruent, the diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other, and conversely, rectangles are parallelograms with congruent diagonals. G-CO-12: Make formal geometric constructions with a variety of tools and methods (compass and straightedge, string, reflective devices, paper folding, dynamic geometric software, etc.).

B. Measurable Objectives: What do you want students to know and be able to do?
o o o o o o o o o o Students will know the difference between different triangles and be able to identify and classify them. Students will apply the knowledge about angle classification and congruence to classify triangles by angles and sides. Students will relate the idea of angle and side congruence to triangle congruence. Students will prove triangle congruence using the definitions learned during the lesson. Students will be able to list and apply the four triangle congruence postulates Students will understand that there are triangle congruence postulates that can be used as shortcuts to proving that two triangles are congruent. Students will be able to explain why SSA and AAA measurements are not enough to prove that triangles are congruent. Students will understand the use of triangle congruence in real life situations. Students will be able to connect the theorems in chapter 3 with the theorems in chapter 4 in order to write T-chart proofs. Students will understand that triangles dont have to be stand-alone shapes; rather, they can also be drawn inside other geometric shapes to help find measurements of sides and angles of those shapes.

C. End of Individual Lesson Assessment: How will you assess students learning?
o o All classwork will be collected for assessment. Homework will be collected for assessment.

D. Content: What concepts and skills will you teach in this lesson?
o Students will learn to classify triangles, which will help them understand some of the properties of triangles. They will use this knowledge to identify congruent parts of a triangle. Knowing how to identify congruent parts of a triangle will lead them to identify congruent triangle. By this point the students will have a good understanding of where they are headed in the current unit. After I feel that the students have a good understanding of triangle congruence, I will introduce the SSS/SAS/AAS/ASA Congruence Postulates in order for the students to use them as shortcuts. During the introduction of the Congruence Postulates, my students will be able to visualize why exactly the postulates are enough to establish congruence between two triangles. By this point the students will have a good understanding of triangle properties, and why it is that the Congruence Postulate hold true no matter what. After Im sure that the students have a good handle on the uses of the Congruence Postulates, I will introduce the properties of special triangles, which the students will use as yet another shortcut to establishing congruence between two triangles. These properties are the HL Congruence Postulate and the Base Angle Theorem. During the entire unit I will be introducing the students to a T-Chart proof method. They will begin with the very basic two line proofs, and by the end of the unit they will be able to freely apply all of the theorems and postulates learned along the way. My goal for this unit is to get the students to start thinking analytically and in the meantime sharpen their problem solving skills

o o

Pilot, Fall 2012

E. Teaching activities of the lesson: How will you outline beginning, middle and end of each lesson and scaffold content from lesson to lesson?
o Beginning of the Lesson: How will you immediately engage all of your students in the content? Students will be asked to draw different types of angles at the whiteboards. After the Q&A on angle classifications I will pass out an angle classification worksheet and give the students about 10 minutes to complete them. Students will observe a slide on the Smartboard of two congruent triangles whose sides and angles are marked as such. After the students establish that the triangles are congruent using the formal definition, I will place one triangle on top of the other and rotate it until it matches up perfectly, which will be a useful visual representation of what the students just established. Students will be asked warm-up questions. I will ask the students to recall the definition of congruent triangles. I will then ask them to recall the shortcut that we used to prove that two triangles are congruent. Students will begin with a exercise that consists of proving that a pair of triangles are congruent using theorems learned in this chapter as well as the Vertical Angles Theorem. This exercise will serve as a stepping-stone to more difficult proofs where the students have to connect a number of theorems. Students will be responsible for finishing a worksheet that they have not worked on yet, taken from one of the other 4 groups from the previous lesson. The worksheets include a series of interconnected triangles created by parallel lines and transversals, and the students are instructed to prove whether the triangles are congruent using a T-chart proof and the theorems cheat-sheet Middle of Lesson: What are your students doing (e.g., speaking, writing, drawing, performing, documenting, observing) to explore the content? Students will fill out a triangle classification grid by drawing different triangles. Student will learn about triangle congruence by using the Smartboard to match up congruent triangles with each other. Students will learn about the Congruence Postulates by taking turns at the Smartboard to create congruent triangle give specific parts of triangles. Students will be asked to get into six groups. Each group will be instructed to take turns visiting six stations that I have set up in the classroom. Each station will have 3 measurements of a triangle (sides and angles). For example: Station #1 will say, measurement of angle A is 47 degrees; measurement of angle B is 78 degrees; measurement of line AB is 13 inches. Sketch a possible triangle using these measurements and state whether or not it is possible to sketch a non-congruent triangle. If possible, draw the figure. If not, give the congruence postulate we would apply to prove our triangle is congruent. Students will be instructed to write theorems and postulates on a separate page. I will help them organize their notes by using the Smartboard to show them how to create a theorems cheat-sheet diagram complete with definitions and an example for each theorem. Students will later refer to this cheat-sheet while proving. Students will be shown a slide on the Smartboard with 3-4 unfinished isosceles triangles standing upright. The base of these triangles will be missing and I will use the Smartnotes ruler to connect the ends of the congruent legs together, creating the base of the triangle. I will then use a protractor to measure the base angles (they will naturally be congruent). I will then ask the students to take turns at the Smartboard and repeat the process. Students will use their cheat-sheet to prove triangle congruence using the T-Chart proving method. End of Lesson: How will you help all students process the experience? Students will use the Triangle Sum Theorem to find missing measurements of an angle. I will ask the students whether or not it is enough to establish congruence between triangles by simply knowing that their corresponding angles are congruent. This discussion will lead the class into an experimental moment where we use the smart board to measure two non congruent but similar triangles to show that knowing that the three sides of two triangles are congruent is not enough information to know if those triangles are congruent. Students will be given a worksheet of four pairs of triangles that are either connected by vertical angles or are sharing a side. Using the Statement/Reason T-chart proving method, they will now have to connect the knowledge gained from previous sections combined with the new material in order to prove that the pairs of triangles are congruent.

Pilot, Fall 2012

I will demonstrate a Statement/Reason T-chart proof on the Smartboard of two triangles that share sides. I will rely on student input to finish this simple proof method. I will instruct the students to discuss and then use a Statement/Reason proof to prove (using the theorems from their cheat-sheet) congruence. Students will now have an opportunity to connect the ideas learned in the previous seven sections. I will assign the students to five groups of three, and give each group a different worksheet. Each group will have 10-12 minutes to complete their worksheets. The worksheets will include two separate diagrams of connected triangles and instruct the students to prove that the triangles are congruent using the theorems and corollaries learned that day. Upon completing the group assignment, each student will change places with a member of a different group, forming new groups. The new groups now have another 10-12 minutes to complete their worksheets.

F. Differentiation: How will you accommodate the range of learners (referring to your knowledge of students) in each lesson?
o The class is made up of about 15 students, most of whom are in 10th grade. It is a diverse fundamentals class, and with one exception, behavioral issues are virtually non-existent. Also, one of the 15 students is an IEP that sits in the back of the classroom with an aide and sleeps the entire time. I do not have enough training to come up with a specialized lesson plan for this student, however I will make sure to speak with his aide to figure out a good way of getting him involved in the lesson, even if it is in a limited capacity. Despite the fact that behavioral issues are not a problem in this class, most of the students do not show enough enthusiasm or even any sort of energy during class. I think a more hands-on approach will be a better motivating tool to help the students learn. I believe that asking the students a lot of conceptual questions on the topic at hand, as well as the previous and upcoming topics, will heighten the classroom awareness of every student.

V.

Bibliography: Where did you find your information and resources?

o o Ron Larson, Laurie Boswell, Lee Stiff. Mcdougal Little Geometry: Applying, Reasoning, Measuring. P.O. Box 1667, Evanston, IL 60204. My map project was almost entirely inspired by a thread on Proteacher.net.

VI.

Reflection after Teaching: What did you learn from teaching the lesson? A. Looking at Student Performance
o o Based on the collected classwork. quizzes, project, and end of semester test I feel that my students have a good understanding of the content that we covered in the unit. I have to make sure to pay attention to my wording. In practice, I slipped up a number of times and used an incorrect term to describe the material. For example, a number of times I slipped up and said that an angle is equal to another angle, or a side of a triangle is equal to the side of another triangle. Im sure that many people have had a similar problem but I have to work hard on using proper terminology in the classroom. Also, while preparing a lesson plan, I overthink things and try to write the best lesson plan in the world, ever. I realize now that there is no need for an overly complex lesson plan. All I have to do is make sure that I cover all of the content while being mindful of the students feedback to gage whether Im accomplishing my goals.

B. Looking at Your Teaching

o What went well? How do you know? Judging by my performances in front of my methods peers and in front of an actual high school classroom, I believe that I can easily connect to my students. What I mean is that I have no trouble interacting with the students, whom I treat with respect, and who seem to enjoy interacting with me. I remember one particular troublesome student from Mrs. Cs class who was wreaking havoc in her class on a daily basis. On numerous occasions I observed while this student would get up out of his seat and just freely roam around the classroom speaking to his classmates in a normal tone while Mrs. C was teaching a lesson. After a few classes I decided that I would make it a point to speak to him about it in a respectful way, and so I did. During our talk he admitted to me that he hated that class and hated the teacher. I tried to reason with him by bringing up the fact that he played football for the high school and that his coach will probably kick him off the team

Pilot, Fall 2012

if he were to fail that class. He seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and at least for that one day he sat in his seat and didnt distract the entire classroom. What were the challenges? The most challenging part about teaching is the fact that I get extremely nervous at times. I have been trying to work on that, and I thought it was getting better until my last lesson in the methods classroom where my composure was thrown off by a minor glitch with the Smartboard. I felt as if my thoughts were running away from me and were being replaced by panic. Although, it is interesting that while I was teaching in Mrs. Cs class, my nervousness went away, but as soon as I get up in front of my peers to teach I get nervous. What did you learn (about yourself, students, and content) from doing the lesson? I learned that if I spend enough time preparing, then I am a lot less likely to mess-up during a lesson. At the beginning of the fall semester I was still under the impression that I could wing-it during a lesson. I thought that just because I have a knowledge of everything that Im supposed to teach, I would have no problems at all. This, I obviously came to find out was not true. I learned the hard way that creating a good lesson plan is the only way for me to make sure that my lessons go smoothly. What would you do differently? I wish I had an opportunity to start this whole semester over so that I could have been a bigger presence in Mrs. Cs classroom. For the first half of my observation hours I was not comfortable enough to just jump in during a lesson and try to help out in any way I could have. I wish that I asked Mrs. C to allow me to teach another lesson, but this time in one of her Pre-Calculus. I feel that I passed up on a golden opportunity to get as much experience as possible. Other than that, I wish I completed my portfolio on time.

Pilot, Fall 2012