Project Goals
Students and teachers will acquire the ease of using Geometer’s Sketchpad in the classroom.
Introductory lessons will lower frustration levels.
Students will discover the theorems on their own, making the lessons more student centered.
Students will become capable of doing higher-level projects such as transformations in the plane.
Project Description
This project involves inquiry-based instruction. Both students and teachers will have a variety of resources to utilize, some basic and some more advanced. There are reproducible worksheets for novice to advanced users, which have all been classroom tested. These activities do not have to be done consecutively. There are also websites that offer more lesson plans for use with Sketchpad and a help center.
Standards
Cross Content Standards: 2.3, 2.5, 2.7, 2.9
Core Curriculum Standards: 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7, 4.16
Project time line
Each activity is independent of the others. The amount of time of each activity is listed next to it. The transformations in the plane should be completed in a week covering one topic a day.
Computer Rules
Follow the rules that are set by the teacher previously.
Students who have a question are to raise their hand and wait patiently.
Students are to have their own computer or 2 to a computer (depending on class size and number of computers). Each student is responsible for the work. If they work together they are to put both names on the project. Appropriate behavior is expected.
Technology Checklist
Computer time scheduled
Computer with Internet and Geometer’s Sketchpad
Printer if available
Activities
Hand out the introductory worksheet. Allow the students to explore for a little bit then have them do the worksheet. Depending on the class’s response to using this program it can be completed in one day. Today is the day for a lot of questions.
Activity 1 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 1
Have the students go to this website for a tutorial. http://forum.swarthmore.edu/sketchpad/intro/gsp.introlab.html
When they are finished they can complete a quiz on this site.
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/sketchpad/intro/gsp.quest.html
In this lab the students are to construct quadrilaterals based on their definitions.
Activity 2 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 2
In this lab the students will be constructing a triangle with an exterior angle. The students will discover the relationships between the remote interior angles and the remote exterior angle.
Activity 3 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 3
In this lab the students will construct a circle, central angle and an inscribed angle. Students will measure the central angle, inscribed angle and intercepted arc to find the relationship between them.
Activity 3 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 3
In this lab the students will learn about translating objects along vectors.
Activity 4 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 4
This lab focuses on reflecting objects over a line.
Activity 5 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 5
The students will learn about rotating objects about a fixed point, a certain amount of degrees.
Activity 6 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 6
The students will learn about the composition of a translation and a reflection along the line parallel to the vector.
Activity 7 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 7
The students will learn the basics of creating a tessellation. For an extended activity and discussion students can read this web site about M.C. Escher.
Activity 8 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 8
M.C. Escher website:
http://users.erols.com/ziring/escher.htm
10. Tiling (1-2 Days)
The students will explore tiling. They will start out with squares, then progress to hexagons then to octagons.
Activity 9 <-Make this a hot link to Activity 9
Assessments
Students will be graded on each lab that they hand in. A rubric can be used. One example of a rubric being used: this can be modified; it is to be used just as a guide.
40 total points for project
10-did not get any of the ideas of the lesson or didn’t work efficiently but did hand something in
20-the student got some of the idea but the main ideas are still lacking
30-the student got the main idea but made a few mistakes
40-the student got everything correct
A grading rubric can be found at http://school.discovery.com/schockguide/assess.html
Other Resources on the Internet
The Geometer’s Sketchpad Math Forum Classroom Resources
This is a great resource for Sketchpad ideas.
http://mathforum.com/dynamic/sketchpad.links.html
A great source for discussion groups, classroom resources, archives of labs, help center, etc.
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dynamic
This is the home page for Key Curriculum Press, which produces The Geometer’s Sketchpad. On this site there is a demo version of Sketchpad, project ideas, a help center and product information.
http://www.keypress.com/sketchpad/index.html
Activity #1
Welcome to Sketchpad!!
First construction
Record the three lengths he
a)
b)
c)
Activity #2
Constructing Quadrilaterals
Construct the following based on their definition.
1. To construct a pair of parallel lines, construct a line and a point somewhere above that line.
2. Highlight the line and the point (not on that line), then go to construct parallel line.
3. To construct a perpendicular line (perpendicular lines form 90 degree angles) construct a line and a point somewhere above that line.
4. Highlight the line and the point (not on that line) and go to construct perpendicular line.
Make sure BEFORE you print, go to print preview and select scale to fit page.
Use these constructions to help you create the following figures.
Trapezoid- a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides
Parallelogram- a quadrilateral with two pairs of opposite parallel sides
Rhombus- a parallelogram with four sides congruent
Rectangle- a parallelogram with four right angles
Square- a parallelogram that is both a rectangle and a rhombus
Activity #3
Exterior Angles of a Triangle

Activity #4
Central Angles and Inscribed Angles
What is the relationship between Ð ADB and arc AB?
What is the relationship between Ð ACB and arc AB?
Activity #5
Translations
A translation is a slide (up, down, left or right) along a marked vector.
In this lab we will practice translating figures.
1. Construct any polygon.
2. Highlight the points and construct the polygon interior.
(To construct polygon interior highlight ONLY the points then go to construct polygon interior)
3. Now hold the shift key down a highlight two consecutive points. Either left to right or right to left) (Do not highlight more than two points because doing so will not work) Go to the Transform menu and click, Mark vector " -> ".
4. Take the arrow and highlight the entire figure, go to the Transform menu and click Translate. (a window will pop up and just click OKAY) to Marked Vector. (it will be highlighted already)
Your polygon will now be translated.
5. Highlight your picture again and translate the figure.
6. Next, mark another vector,
(different) and translate the figure up or down. 7. Repeat this three times.
Example
Mark vector CD
Highlight entire picture
Translate twice
Then mark vector BC
Highlight JUST polygon interior
Translate twice.
translate to the left 4 times
and down 2 times.
Save both projects #1 + #2, print preview first and
"scale to fit page" then print.
Activity #6
Reflections
A reflection reverses the orientation of an object and is isometric.
A. Part 1
Example
The darker polygon (on the left) is
my original picture.
I marked the line my mirror,
selected the entire original polygon
and reflected. The picture on the right is
the reflection.
B. Try again with a different polygon.
Activity #7
Rotations
A rotation moves a figure around a set point a certain number of degrees. The resulting figure is congruent to the original (isometric).
A. Part 1
Example
The center marked C is the center point. The "petal" was highlighted and rotated 45 degrees seven more time to create a flower.
Activity #8
Glide Reflections
A glide reflection is a transformation that consists of a translation by a vector, followed by a reflection in a line that is parallel to the vector.
Activity #9
Tessellations
A tessellation is an arrangement of congruent figures that completely covers a plane without gaps or overlapping. In a tessellation what is added to one side is taken away from the other.
Construct a square with the script.
(c://sketch/samples/scripts/polygons/4byedge.gss)
Construct a random point, E, next to segment AC
Construct segments AE and CE
Highlight points C and D go to transform and mark vector
Highlight segments AC and BD, go to display and hide segments
Highlight segments AE, CE and point E
Go to transform and translate
Highlight all points go to construct polygon interior
Highlight entire picture then go to transform and translate
Repeat this four times
Highlight points A and C go to transform and mark vector
Highlight entire picture then translate.
Construct another one of your own.



Here is an example of a translation tessellation. Points were made on the side and the top of the square.
Activity #10
Tiling polygons
Tiling is a repeating pattern of figures that completely covers a plane without gaps.
Part 1
Your tile should look similar to this.

Part 2
Part 3
Questions