#4254.

Area of Triangles
Mathematics, level: Senior
Posted Mon Nov 10 20:18:46 PST 2008 by Cornelia Taran (Cornelia
Taran).
Pontiac Academy for Excellence, Pontiac,MI
Materials Required: Graph paper, Geometer's sketchpad
Activity Time: 50 min
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Template
Student Teachers Name: Cornelia Taran
Date: 11-10-2008
Grade Level Geometry Topic/Unit: Area of Triangles School: Pontiac
Academy for Excellence District: Pontiac
Content
The students will investigate what happens with the area of a triangle
when the base is fixed and the 3rd vertex moves along a line parallel
with the base.
Benchmarks
Construct and justify arguments and solve multistep problems
involving the area of a triangle.
Learning Resources and Materials
Geometers Sketchpad
Pre-made graph paper with three triangles (one acute, one obtuse and
one right0 with base 4 units and height 3 units.
Development of Lesson
Introduction
Objectives Investigate what happens to area of a triangle when the
base is fixed and the third vertex moves along a line parallel to the
base
Anticipatory Set The students will receive the pre-made graph paper
and asked to find the area of the three triangles.
Lesson What appears to be true about the three triangles? Is this true
about any triangle? How can we verify? Work with a partner to answer
the questions.
Assess/Evaluate Formative-monitor and provide feedback.
Teacher Directed Instruction. We are going to use Geometers
Sketchpad to verify
the hypothesis.
Methods/Procedures
1. Draw a line and a point above the line.
2. Construct a line through he point which is parallel to your original
line.
3. Hide ALL points.

4. Construct points A and B on the lower line and point C on the other
line.
5. Connect the 3 points A, B, and C to form a triangle. Be sure to draw
in AB
6. Construct the polygon ABC. Color it yellow.
7. Construct another point on the line containing point C. Label it Drag
Point.
8. Draw a triangle using AB as the base and the Drag Point as the 3rd
vertex.
9. Construct the polygon interior for the new triangle. Color it red.
Respond to the questions below on a sheet of paper
1. Make a prediction about the areas of the two triangles
2. Measure the areas of both triangles. Was your conjecture for #1
correct?
3. Change the size and shape of the red triangle by moving the Drag
Point. How do the areas compare now? What about their perimeters?
4. Construct a chart to display your data concerning the area and
perimeter.
5. Animate the Drag Point on the line containing C. Stop it periodically
and add new measurement to your chart.
6. What seems to be true about these two triangles? Any idea why this
happens?
7. Construct a line through C which is perpendicular to AB. Label the
point of intersection X.
8. What is CX called?
9. How could you use CX to find the area of each triangle? What
formula did you use?
Accommodations/Adaptations
Allow working with a partner
Assessment/Evaluation
Monitor and provide feedback
Collect the paper for evaluation.
Closure
Exit Ticket One thing I am not sure about todays lesson is