ED 331 Content Specific Lesson Plan Investigation 5.3 Using Distances to Find Heights I.

Benchmark

Millicent (Brown) Powell

a. CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale. b. CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.2 Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle. c. CCSS.Math.Content.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.

d. CCSS.Math.Content.7.RP.A.2b Identify the constant of proportionality (unit rate) in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams, and verbal descriptions of proportional relationships.

II. III.

Behavioral/Objective a. Student will use similar triangles to measure distances on the ground that cannot be measure directly within 5% of the actual distance. Anticipatory Set a. Set up the Red Cedar River problem shown on page 82 of Connected Mathematics: Stretching and Shrinking.

b. c. Discuss if there are any similar triangles in the river diagram. How do we know they are similar?

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Objective/Purpose a. You will learn how to find unknown distances on the ground using similar triangles. Input a. Task Analysis i. DAY 1 ii. Set up the problem in the classroom with different landmarks and tape and on a tablet/computer. Work through the following questions in pairs: 1. What is the distance across the river from Stake 1 to Tree 1? Explain 2. How do you think Darnell, Angie, and Trevor located the key points and measured the segments? Where did they start? What did they build up to? 3. Investigate what would have happened to the drawing if another group of students put their stakes in different places. So now the distance from Stake 1 to Stake 2 is 32 feet and the distance from Stake 1 to Stake 3 is 30 feet. 4. Have the students set up the problem in the classroom with different landmarks and tape, on a tablet, computer, or smartphone, or draw it on a piece of paper. Make notes of what they do first. 5. Will the width of the river still measure to be the same? iii. Share what the groups found iv. My classroom is in the front of the building and there is a walkway that divides the front lawn into two pieces. I want the student to find the width of the walkway using distance landmarks. v. Split into groups and have the students do the experiment in groups of 3 or 4 and determine their roles 1. Who will take pictures of their experiment 2. Who will write about what they did 3. Who will measure the distances 4. Who will place the markers vi. The goal is to show how they used the landmarks to find the distance across the walkway without measuring it. vii. Compile the class data and compare it to the actual walkway width. viii. DAY 2 ix. As a group we will be finding the distance from Grand Rapids to Traverse City using the landmarks of Kalamazoo, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Flint. 1. Pass out maps of Michigan x. Use Distance Measure App on smart phones, computers and tablets to fill in the map but leave grand rapids to traverse city blank 1. The goal of the activity to for the students to find the distance from Grand Rapids to Traverse city using similar triangles created by the other cities and then check their work with the Distance Measure App. 2. Have the students reflect on how the similar triangles allow them to find large or small, unknown distances. a. How could you use similar triangles in your life? b. What are some jobs where using similar triangles would be helpful?

3. b. Thinking Levels i. Knowledge: Know how to scale ii. Understand: know when to scale or how to solve unknown values on similar shapes iii. Application: students solve for the missing distance iv. Analysis: decide when using scaling and similar triangles could be useful v. Synthesis: the students create similar triangle models on their own and in groups