TRIANGLES

The activities are designed to support basic Geometry – in particular the properties and
behaviour of particular triangles.

SKETCHPAD WORKBOOKS
There are two ways in which these tasks can be done.
The first option is that each of these three tasks is completed in a separate file which can be
electronically sent to the Teacher or printed out.
In the second way, a single Sketchpad document is set up with a number of worksheets that can
be accessed through tabs at the bottom of the worksheet (similar to those on spreadsheets). In
this way only a single document is received from each student. The procedure for setting this up
is given below.

SETTING UP A GEOMETER’S SKETCHPAD WORKBOOK

1. Click on The Geometer’s Sketchpad icon in the dock to start the program.
2. On the FILE Menu, select SAVE. Name it (initial)(surname)(form).
3. On the FILE Menu, select DOCUMENT OPTIONS. In the window that opens, enter “T1” for
the PAGE NAME and click on the SHOW PAGE TABS button.
4. Click on the ADD PAGE bar, and select BLANK PAGE. Name this new page T2. (Note that
you can now see tabs for T1 and T2 at the bottom of the worksheet.)
5. Repeat step 4. once more to add the page labeled T3.
6. Now click OK.
7. On the FILE Menu, select SAVE to save your workbook.

A pro forma Answer Sheet has been provided for students to complete as they proceed through
the tasks set.

Tasks 1 – 3 will need to be assessed electronically by examining and testing the completed
construction(s), and ensuring that the procedures for Tasks 2 and 3 are accurately recorded on
the Answer Sheet. This could be done in class (if time permits).

REMIND STUDENTS TO SAVE FREQUENTLY DURING THE CLASS ACTIVITIES.

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TASK 1
This task demonstrates how an equilateral triangle can be constructed, that ALWAYS remains
equilateral no matter how it is distorted. It acts as a lead-in for Tasks 2 and 3. Check that it has
been correctly constructed.

TASK 2
A challenging construction for the students. The tools given in the Toolkit can be used to
complete this construction, although students may need to experiment with them first to see
what they do. A successful construction will always remain a right-angled triangle, no matter
how it is distorted.

Sample solution :
1. Draw a line segment.
2. Construct a perpendicular line at one end of the line constructed in step 1..
3. Place a point on the perpendicular line.
4. Hide the perpendicular line.
5. Connect the point from step 3. to each end of the line constructed in step 1. to form a
triangle

TASK 3
A very challenging construction for the students. The tools given in the Toolkit can be used to
complete this construction, although students may need to experiment with them first to see
what they do. A successful construction will always remain an isosceles triangle, no matter how
it is distorted.

Sample solution
1. Draw a line segment.
2. Place a point at the midpoint of the line segment.
3. Construct a perpendicular line through the midpoint.
4. Place a point on the perpendicular line.
5. Hide the perpendicular line.
6. Connect the point on the perpendicular line to each end of the line constructed in step
1. to form a triangle

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