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Reasoning
Today’s Agenda
Symbolic and Algebraic Reasoning: Review &
Sharing
Geometric Reasoning
Spatial Reasoning
Baseline Assessment
Symbolic and Algebraic Reasoning
Review
Symbolic and Algebraic Reasoning is
interwoven throughout the MN math
standards, but specifically, students
should:
“Justify steps in generating equivalent
expressions by identifying the
properties used...”
(Minnesota Math Standard 9.2.3.7, Grade 9-11, MN Dept of Ed, 2007)
Reasoning Review
What did you learn most from the
Symbolic and Algebraic Reasoning
baseline and summative assessments?
Describe at least two ways that you
helped your students use Symbolic and
Algebraic reasoning.
Describe one classroom situation where
you saw a student exhibit growth in
Symbolic or Algebraic reasoning.
Geometric Reasoning
Geometric Reasoning
“Construct logical arguments and write
proofs of theorems and other results in
geometry, including proofs by
contradiction. Express proofs in a form
that clearly justifies the reasoning, such as
two-column proofs, paragraph proofs,
flow charts or illustrations.”
(Minnesota Math Standard 9.3.2.4, Grade 9-11, MN Dept of Ed, 2007)
Van Hiele Levels of Geometric
Understanding:
Levels provide a way to characterize
student understanding
Level 0: Visualization
◦ students are able to recognize and name
figures based on visual characteristics
◦ students can make measurements
◦ groupings are made based on appearances and
not necessarily on properties
Example: Students see squares turned on
their corner as “diamonds”.
Van Hiele levels:
Level 1: Analysis
◦ students can consider all shapes within a class
rather than a specific shape
◦ focus on properties
◦ Example: Students see rectangles as having
right angles and parallel sides. But they may
insist that a square is not a rectangle.
Van Hiele levels:
Level 2: Informal Deduction
◦ students can develop relationships between
and among properties
◦ proofs arise here, informally
◦ focus on relationships among properties of
geometric objects
◦ Students can recognize relationships
between types of shapes.
◦ Example: They can recognize that all squares
are rectangle, but not all rectangles are
squares.
Van Hiele levels:
Level 3: Deduction
◦ students can use logic to establish
conjectures made at Level 2
◦ student is able to work with abstract
statements about geometric properties and
make conclusions based on logic rather than
intuition
◦ focus on deductive axiomatic systems for
geometry such as Euclidean
◦ Example: Students can prove that the base
angles in an isosceles triangle are congruent.
Van Hiele levels:
Level 4: Rigor
◦ students appreciate the distinctions and
relationships between different axiomatic
systems
◦ focus on comparisons and contrasts among
different axiomatic systems of geometry
◦ Example: Students understand the parallel
postulate and its meaning in the Euclidean
system compared to its meaning in the
spherical geometry system.
Using Geometry Logic
Can you determine the shape that satisfies all
of the following clues?
◦ It is a closed figure with straight sides.
◦ It has only two diagonals.
◦ Its diagonals are perpendicular.
◦ Its diagonals are not congruent.
◦ It has a diagonal that lies on a line of symmetry.
◦ It has a diagonal that bisects the angles it joins.
◦ It has a diagonal that bisects the other diagonal.
◦ It has a diagonal that does not bisect the other
diagonal.
◦ It has no parallel sides.
◦ It has two pairs of consecutive congruent sides.
What Van Hiele Level?
Discuss what Van Hiele level you think the
preceding geometry logic problem was.
What grade level for students?
How does this problem compare to the
logic puzzle from the Math Reasoning
Session, where you were determining the
construction sequence for city buildings?
Developing Reasoning Via Open-Ended
Problems
Open-ended problems encourage
reasoning from students (NCTM Book
on Open-Ended Problems)
Students use geometric reasoning in
making observations about a figure
Students then use reasoning in
formulating arguments to support their
observations
Their observations can indicate their
level of understanding
Open-Ended Problem
In the figure below, BF and CD are angle bisectors
of the isosceles triangle ABC. CF is the angle
bisector of exterior angle ACH.
Step 1: Find as many relations as you can.
Step 2: What van Hiele level is required for each?
A Construction Problem
You are given two intersecting straight lines and
a point P marked on one of them, as in the
figure below. Show how to construct, using
straightedge and compass, a circle that is tangent
to both lines and that has the point P as its
point of tangency.
Can a Picture Prove Something?
Discuss your answer to the question
above with your colleagues.
Front
Extending Spatial Reasoning
The book pictured
uses Cuisenaire
Rods to encourage
spatial reasoning
Three views are
given, students then
construct the shape
with the rods
Position, color and
length are all used
as clues
Baseline
Assessment
Baseline Assessment – Item 1
What is the shape described below?
Mat Plan
Front
Front
Baseline Assessment – Item 3
Why is this proof of the Pythagorean Theorem incorrect?
Verify :
32 4 2 9 16 25
5 2 25
So 32 4 2 5 2.
Try another :
5 2 12 2 25 144 169
132 169
So 5 2 12 2 132.
We can try others and they will be the same.
Therefore a 2 b 2 c 2
Baseline Assessment – Item 3
Why is this proof of the Pythagorean Theorem incorrect?