January 29, 2018

EMATHS Through StoryCircles – Materials Developed

Geometry	Wonderful World of Area	This activity has students approach the concept of area by measuring and cutting out shapes with given conditions. Students are given the areas of each of the following shapes: rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, right triangle, scalene triangle, and square. Students use these conditions to construct their shape labeling the base and related height to justify that their shape matches the given area. This activity could be used in a unit on area or one on modeling using geometric figures.
Geometry	Construction of Altitudes	This activity introduces students to the three altitudes of any triangle. Students discuss the definition of altitude, use patty paper to construct altitudes of a provided acute triangle, and discuss the altitudes of right and obtuse triangles. Students learn that no matter which altitude and related base the students’ use the area of the triangle remains the same. This activity could be used during a unit on triangles and their properties.
Algebra	Miles to your Destination	This activity asks students to consider a family road trip with given information (e.g. distance from location, average speed). Students have to model this situation by writing linear functions in the form of f(x) = b + mx to find the solution. Students discuss the domain and range of their function in terms of the family road trip. This activity could be used in different portions of a unit on linear functions.
Algebra	Stopping Distance	This activity has students use what they know about the tables, graphs and/or rules of a quadratic function to answer questions about a quadratic situation. Students explore writing an inverse function for the given quadratic function when it is presented in vertex form. This activity could be used as an introduction of the study of inverses for quadratic functions.