Students have a small set of tools for construction and editing in the GeoGebra Constructions Tool, which can be found in the Math Tools menu or at https://im612.org/construction-tool. The following are the GeoGebra tools in that app that do the same jobs as a pencil, a straightedge, and a compass:

Three pencil tools:

Four straightedge tools:

Two compass tools:

Give students 5 minutes of quiet work time.

Monitor for students who figure out how to use each of these tools for construction:

• Circle tool: by creating a circle centered at a given point and passing through another point
• Compass tool: by selecting a circle, segment, or distance to define its radius, then choosing a point for its center
• Line, segment, or ray tool: by marking or selecting two points
   

Say, “How many steps would it take to construct perpendicular or parallel lines using only the digital tools that mimic a pencil, compass, and straightedge?” (A lot!) Animate these constructions with the “play” button at the bottom of the applet:

• perpendicular lines https://im612.org/perpendicular-line-construction
• parallel lines https://im612.org/parallel-line-construction-2

“The dynamic geometry tools have been expanded to build these steps into single commands. The GeoGebra Geometry Tool from the Math Tools options (https://im612.org/geometry-tool) has commands for perpendicular lines, parallel lines, and more. When you open it, you’ll see some basic tools, and at the bottom, there is a place to click (“MORE”) for more tools.”