Active Learning Area of Triangles

Active LearningArea of Triangles Maria Sabetta Msabetta711@hawks.rwu.edu Roger Williams University

Developer Page Developer Materials • Lesson Overview • Standards • Formative Assessment Lesson Organization • Opening the Lesson • Developing the Lesson • Closing the Lesson • Materials, Resources, Credits Student Materials • Introduction • Learning Goals • Assessment • Learning Activity

Lesson Overview • This lesson is used as an introduction to the concept of area of triangles. This specific lesson allows the teacher to discover how much prior knowledge students have on the topic of area in general. This lesson is providing the student with direct instruction that provides them with new content knowledge on ways of finding the area of a triangle.

Targeted Standards Tennessee Standards Reporting Category: 6 Measurement Performance Indicator: 8.4.spi.4 Apply formulas to find the area of triangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids. 11 Use the formula A =1/2 x base x height to find the area of the triangle. ------------13 cm----------------- Note: The figure is not drawn to scale. A 19 B 39 cm2 C 78 cm2 D 156 cm2 6 cm

Formative Assessment • Students will be formatively assessed in this lesson through the continued use of questions. Students will also be formatively assessed in how well they work together to complete the tasks.

Opening the Lesson • To get the students engaged in this lesson, start by showing them a rectangle drawn on grid paper. • Ask students how they would find the area of this shape? What does area mean? • Guide students to come up with different ways to find area: counting the squares, using the equation, form a shape they are familiar with, etc. • 15 minutes

Developing the Lesson • Once the students have come up with some different ways to solve the area of a parallelogram. The teacher will then show the students a picture of a triangle on the grid paper, and ask them how to find the area of this shape. • The problem with this shape is there aren’t an even amount of squares on the grid paper, so how can you get an exact area for the triangle? • The teacher will then introduce the formula for area of a triangle, A=1/2 x base x height. • The teacher will put 2-3 examples on the board, and the students will find the area of the triangle as a class. • 30 minutes

Closing the Lesson • Once the students get the idea of using the formula to solve for the area of the triangle, the teacher will now give them the rest of the class period to visit an internet site where they can explore the concepts further. • Students will visit Area of a triangle (conventional method) - Math Open Reference and move the triangle around to see how the different areas change according to the formula. • Students will be given a worksheet to complete while on the internet site. If students do not finish in class, they are to complete the worksheet for homework. • 15 minutes

Materials, Resources, Credits • Area of a triangle (conventional method) - Math Open Reference • Materials needed for this lesson include either overhead projector or chalkboard with grid on it, grid paper overheads and worksheet, and notes worksheet.

For the Student • Introduction • Learning Goals • Assessment • Learning Activity

Introduction • This lesson is to explain the new concept of area of triangles and help you to build content knowledge.

Learning Goals • Definition of area • Formula for area of a triangle • How to find the base and height of a triangle • How to solve for the area of a triangle using the formula

Assessment • You will be formatively assessed on your class participation throughout the introduction to area of triangles. • You will also be assessed on your completion of the worksheet, using the website as a resource.

Learning Activity • In class Notes/Examples • Worksheet

Active Learning Area of Triangles