This lesson is optional because it does not address any new mathematical content standards. This lesson does provide students with an opportunity to apply precursor skills of mathematical modeling (MP4).

In previous lessons, students learned how to use a protractor to measure and draw angles. In this lesson, students apply what they’ve learned to measure angles formed by differently angled streets and horizontal lines. Also, they investigate the effect that angles have on how hard steps are to climb, by drawing steps that follow different angles formed by the ground and a horizontal line. As students draw steps formed by different angles, they have to make decisions about how far one point should be from another horizontally, what angle they want to use to draw a set of steps, and what it means for steps to be too hard to climb.

How did the student work that you selected impact the direction of the discussion? What student work might you pick next time if you taught the lesson again?