Similar Figures Lesson Plan: Geometry and Measurement
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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Similar Figures, and supports the standard of solving mathematical and real-world problems involving proportional relationships between similar triangles. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.
Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Ask students:
- What do you already know about finding a ratio?
- How does a ratio relate to a proportion?
Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE
- Read the description on the Similar Figures topic page.
- Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding.
- Assign Related Reading. Have students read one of the following articles: “In Depth” or “Arts and Entertainment”. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.
Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS
Students take the Similar Figures Quiz, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.
Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND
Students express what they learned about similar figures while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.
- Make-a-Movie: Produce a tutorial that explains how to use ratios and proportions to determine if two figures are similar.
- Make-a-Map: Create a concept map identifying the steps to finding a shape’s proportions.
- Creative Coding: Code a learning game challenging players to sort figures by attributes, such as sides and angles.
More to Explore
Sortify: Similar Figures: Players sort triangles by attributes, such as sides and angles in this categorizing game.
Related BrainPOP Topics: Deepen understanding of geometry with these topics: Polygons, Types of Triangles, and Pythagorean Theorem.
Teacher Support Resources:
- Pause Point Overview: Video tutorial showing how Pause Points actively engage students to stop, think, and express ideas.
- Learning Activities Modifications: Strategies to meet ELL and other instructional and student needs.
- Learning Activities Support: Resources for best practices using BrainPOP.
