Madison Davis Lesson Plan

Chapter: 4- Congruent Triangles

Total Time Allotment: 80 minutes
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Standards
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.CO.B.7
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.CO.B.8
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.CO.D.12
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.SRT.B.5
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.MG.A.3
Math Practices: 1, 2, 3, 6
Concepts and Competencies
 Concepts: Triangle congruency theorems
 Competencies: Congruent triangles, properties of triangles
Materials
 Activity Sheet w/ rubric
 “Bridges Over Troubled Water”, “Triangles Used in Architecture” articles
 Computer/phone with internet access for research
 Legal size plain or graph paper
 Colored pen/pencils/markers
 Rulers
 Protractors
Learning Objectives
 Students will be able to explain the 6 triangle congruence theorems and use them in creating
congruent triangles to construct a bridge or other structure of their choice.
 Students will be able to construct geometric figures using a variety of tools and methods.
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Hook (Introduction) (15 minutes)
 Start class by asking students “Do you know of any examples of architecture that takes advantage of
triangles? Think of some bridges you might have driven over.” Show picture of a truss bridge and
the Eifel tower (seen below).

 Ask class “Does anyone knows why triangles are often used in construction?” Have students
brainstorm ideas to prepare for todays activity.
o Remind students of the very first activity we did with toothpicks and marshmallows and how
the triangle shape was the “strongest” shape
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 After students brainstorm ideas initiate discussion on questions, if students do not get there
themselves bring up the following ideas:
o Triangles are more stable because a triangle has 3 sides and if these are fixed in length there
is only one configuration they can be in there and thus there is no flexibility or freedom.
o A quadrilateral (or any shape with 4 or more sides) has more degrees of freedom. Without
changing any of the lengths of the sides the shape can be skewed/squashed or deformed.
 Show class these pictures or bring in 3D models of the shapes to demonstrate how triangles are
sturdier shapes.

Learning Activities (50 minutes)

 Pass out bridge-building activity and rubric as well as “Bridges Over Troubled Water” and “Triangles
Used in Architecture” articles.
 As activity page instructs, students read 2 articles on their own, as students finish reading the two
articles tell students they may start to look over bridge-building instructions and rubric (10 minutes)
 Once everyone is finished with the two articles, have a class discussion about the content in the
articles (5 minutes)
o Ask students:
 What are some characteristics of triangles that architecture takes advantage of?
 Why are isosceles triangles good to use?
 Why are equilateral triangles good to use?
 Why are scalene triangles not used?
 Why are right triangles not used?
 Besides type of triangle what else is important when using triangles in architecture?
 CONGRUENCY! The triangles in the design must be CONGRUENT (w/ all the
same side/angle lengths) in order to be the most stable.
o Have student volunteers draw an example of each type of triangle on the board to review
what the four types of triangles look like.
o Ask students if anyone has any other questions or comments about the article?
 After going over the two articles, read through activity directions together, explain objective of
assignment and what students are to do.
o Objective (as seen on assignment sheet): (Engineering) Apply knowledge of triangles and
triangle congruency theorems to draw blueprint of a truss bridge.
o Students must complete their own bridge drawing but can ask a neighbor if they have any
questions and can talk while completing the activity as long as work is getting done.
o Show students examples of bridge blueprints (see below) incase they do not know what a
blueprint is and so they have an idea of what they will be doing in the activity.
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 Ask students if anyone has any questions on the activity, if not students may begin.
 While students are working on the activity the teacher circulates the room answering any questions
students may have and making sure students are stay on task.
Closure (15 minutes)
 After students are done with the activity, have students get in groups of four to share their bridges.
Have students show each other their designs as well as their proofs.
 Since there is not time for all students to present bridges to the entire class, have students tape
bridge designs and accompanying proofs to the wall and do a gallery walk so the entire class can see
the work everyone did.
 End class by asking students “What is the use of triangles in creative architectural design?” “What is
the benefit of using triangles?”
o Use last few minutes of class to have discussion about these questions
 Remind students that there exam review homework is due tomorrow and to bring any questions
with them to class for our in-class review.
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Checks for Understanding/ Assessments
 Diagnostic assessment: “Hook” establishes student baseline knowledge of architecture and why
triangles are useful in architecture
 Formative assessment: Understanding to use triangles in the bridge design, Proofs for the
congruent triangles used
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Differentiation/Accommodations for students:
 Students can build another structure as long as they get permission from the teacher and fulfill all of
the other requirements.
 Teacher will be available for help and to answer questions.
 Madison Davis Lesson Plan

Name:______________________________ Date:__________________ Block:____________

You are an engineer on the planning committee for a town that is building a new railroad bridge. The rest of
the committee has tasked you with drawing up the blueprint for the bridge. As an engineer, you know that
truss bridges use triangles to support the weight of traffic, for this reason you decide to use a truss bridge.
The rest of the design is up to your creativity; the committee has even given you an unlimited budget to do
what your heart desires! At the end, your design will be judged on: accuracy, practicality, stability, and
mathematical reasoning. (See the other side of this paper for a rubric and more information for each of
these constraints)

For this activity you will be drawing the blueprint bridge made up of mostly congruent triangles. You will
draw the blueprint on the legal-sized paper I provide. Before you begin the blueprint you must do research on
using triangles to build bridges, the two articles you will use for this research are “Bridges Over Troubled
Water” and “Triangles Used in Architecture”. You will then use your knowledge on the congruent postulates
we learned earlier in the unit and any other knowledge of triangles and architecture to complete the drawing.
Triangles may be overlapping in your drawing. After drawing the bridge you will need to identify the
various types of triangles used by color-coding them. Completing this project will also require you to make a
“key” to easily identify the types of triangles used as well as proofs that show all of the triangles used are
congruent. This means the triangles you draw must be drawn to scale and you should know the side and
angle measurements, whether you include them on your drawing or on a separate key is up to you. The
purpose of this project is to design scale models of truss bridges to witness a real-life example of the use of
triangles and understand the importance of triangles as a part of the structure.

Objective: (Engineering) Apply knowledge of triangles and triangle congruency theorems to draw
blueprint of a truss bridge.

Design constraints:
 Following engineering method as listed below
 Truss design for the bridge
 Color-code congruent triangles
 Must use each of the 5 triangle congruence postulates at least once
o Can draw both sides of the bridge if necessary to get at least 5 different sets of congruent
triangles
 Only allowed to use an equilateral triangle once.
 Key with full proofs for 5 of the triangle pairs (using different congruence postulates), for the rest of
the triangles on your bridge just list the postulate used, full proof not needed
 Must also include 2-paragraph rational and reflection of your design and your experience in using
geometry to design the bridge

Engineering Design Method: Ask, Research, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve (see detailed steps on
PowerPoint)
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Criteria Outstanding (4) Satisfactory (3) Developing (2) Beginning (1)

The The Some The
Accuracy computations are computations are computations are computations are
accurate and accurate and erroneous and erroneous and do
show a wide use show the use of show the use of not show the use
of the concepts concepts of some concepts of of the concepts
of triangle triangle triangle of triangle
congruence. congruence. congruence. congruence.
The design is The design is The design The design
Creativity comprehensive presentable and makes use of doesn’t use
and displays the makes use of the geometric geometric
aesthetic aspects concepts of representations representations
of the geometric but is not and is not
mathematical representations. presentable. presentable.
concepts learned.
The design is The design is The design The design does
Stability stables, stable, makes use of not use triangles
comprehensive presentable and triangles but not and is not
(use of and displays the makes use of the congruent. congruent.
congruent aesthetic aspects congruent
triangles) of the principles triangles.
of triangle
congruence.
The explanation The explanation The explanation The explanation
Mathematical is clear, is clear and is understandable is incomplete and
Reasoning exhaustive or coherent. It but not logical inconsistent
thorough and covers the
coherent. It important
includes concepts.
interesting facts
and principles

Overall Rating: _____________

 Madison Davis Lesson Plan

Key w/ 5 Proofs

Other postulates used: