This unit begins with constructions, then continues to rigid transformations. In grade 8, students determined the angle-preserving and length-preserving properties of rigid transformations experimentally, mostly with the help of a coordinate grid.
Constructions play a significant role in the logical foundation of geometry. A focus of this unit is for students to explore properties of shapes in the plane without the aid of given measurements. At this point, students have worked so much with numbers, equations, variables, coordinate grids, and other quantifiable structures that it may come as a surprise just how far they can push concepts in geometry without measuring distances or angles.
At the beginning of the unit, students have the opportunity to move from informal explorations of lines and arcs to generating conjectures and writing justifications based on their constructions.
Next, students recall transformations from previous grades and learn to create rigid motions using construction tools instead of a grid. This leads to rigorous definitions of rotations, reflections, and translations without reference to a coordinate grid.
Starting in the second section, a blank reference chart is provided for students, and a completed reference chart is provided for teachers. The purpose of the reference chart is to be a resource for students to refer to as they make formal arguments. Students will continue adding to it throughout the course. Refer to the Course Guide for more information.
These materials use words rather than symbolic notation to allow students to focus on the content. By using words, students do not need to translate the meaning of the symbol while reading. To increase exposure to different notations, images with given information marked using ticks, right angle marks, or arrows also have a caption with the symbolic notation (). Feel free to use the symbolic notation when recording student responses, as that is an appropriate use of shorthand.
Students have the opportunity to choose appropriate tools (MP5) in nearly every lesson as they select among the options in their geometry toolkit as well as dynamic geometry software. For this reason, this math practice is only highlighted in lessons where it's particularly salient.
Use circles in a construction to reason about lengths in figures.
Section Narrative
In this section, students use rigid compasses and straightedges to develop a catalog of construction techniques that they can use to construct a variety of figures.
Students begin by following instructions and making observations about figures. Then they write their own instructions and identify ways to attend to precision in their communication. Multiple lessons include perpendicular lines. This key building block allows students to construct parallel lines and squares in this section. The perpendicular bisector is used for the definition of the term “reflection” later in this unit and in the proof of the Side-Side-Side Triangle Congruence Theorem in a subsequent unit. Each construction technique supports students in refining their definitions of geometric objects and their ability to explain their thinking. In the culminating lesson, students build on their experiences with perpendicular bisectors to answer questions about allocating resources in a real-world situation.
Two circles, each passing through the center of the other. A horizontal line is drawn through each of the circles's centers. A vertical line is drawn through the two circle's intersection points.
All constructions in this section are accessible using physical straightedges and rigid compasses. If students have ready access to digital materials in class, they can choose to perform any or all construction activities with the GeoGebra Constructions Tool accessible in the Math Tools or available at https://im612.org/construction-tool. If students do not have ready access to this digital tool in class, consider using the GeoGebra Constructions Tool to demonstrate constructions during the corresponding Activity Synthesis or Lesson Synthesis. There is also an optional lesson which allows students who have infrequent access to technology to experience this digital tool.
This section intentionally allows extra time for students to learn new routines and establish norms for the year.
In this final section, students have the opportunity to apply their thinking from throughout the unit. As this is a short section followed by an End-of-Unit Assessment, there are no section goals or checkpoint questions.
Comprehend that rigid transformations produce congruent figures by preserving distance and angles.
Draw the result of a transformation of a given figure.
Section Narrative
In this section, students study transformations both on and off of grids. Providing the structure of a grid allows students to make connections with their learning in previous courses. Then students learn precise definitions for the rigid motions, translations, reflections, and rotations that apply off the grid.
Reflection
Translation
Rotation
Students recall that the figures are called congruent if there is a rigid transformation that takes one figure to the other. They examine the idea that rigid motions preserve distances and angles in a variety of contexts. In subsequent sections and units, students use the precise definitions generated here to prove theorems.
This section intentionally allows extra time for students to learn new routines and establish norms for the year.
Describe the symmetries of a figure using transformations that take the figure onto itself.
Explain a sequence of transformations to take a given figure onto another.
Section Narrative
In this section, students examine the rigid transformations that take some shapes to themselves, otherwise known as symmetries. Then students continue describing sequences of rigid transformations that take one figure to another, congruent, figure.
To prepare students for future congruence proofs, students start to come up with a systematic, point-by-point sequence of transformations that will work to take any pair of congruent polygons onto one another. There is an optional lesson if students need additional practice with this strategy. The point-by-point perspective also illustrates the transition from thinking about transformations as “moves” on the grid to thinking about transformations as functions that take points as inputs and produce points as outputs. The concept of transformations as functions is developed further in a later unit that explores coordinate geometry.
This section intentionally allows extra time for students to learn new routines and establish norms for the year.