Education Technology


Explore Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

Activity Overview

Students will use a graphing calculator to explore graphs of parallel and perpendicular lines. Students will find that parallel lines have the same slope and different y-intercepts and that the slopes of two perpendicular lines are opposite reciprocals of each other.

This Technology Lab accompanies Lesson 3-6 from the ©2007 Holt, Rinehart and Winston Geometry textbook.

Before the Activity

  • Review the lesson PDF files.
  • Make copies of the lesson PDF files for your class.
  • During the Activity

  • Students will use a graphing calculator to explore graphs of parallel and perpendicular lines.
  • Students will learn the slope-intercept form of the equation of a line.
  • Students will find that parallel lines have the same slope and different y-intercepts.
  • Students will learn that the slopes of two perpendicular lines are opposite reciprocals of each other.
  • After the Activity

    Review student results:

  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary