Activity Overview
In this activity, students review definitions of terms such as right triangle, hypotenuse, midpoint, vertices, and equidistant. They also discover an important characteristic of the midpoint of the hypotenuse. NCTM Geometry Standard covered: Analyze characteristics and properties of 2- and 3-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships.
Before the Activity
Install the Cabri™ Jr. App on the students' graphing calculators using TI Connect™, a TI Connectivity Cable, and the Unit-to-Unit Link Cable
Set up the
TI-Navigator™ system
See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
Print pages 26-27 from the attached PDF file for your class
During the Activity
Distribute the pages to your class.
Follow the Activity procedures:
Draw a right angle triangle
Find the midpoint of the hypotenuse
Measure the distances from the midpoint of the hypotenuse to each vertex
Make a conjecture about these distances by changing the lengths of sides, keeping the triangle a right angled one
After the Activity
Review student results:
As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
Re-teach concepts as necessary