A Semi-Detailed Lesson Plan in Projective Geometry

By: Via V. Toledo

I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. label an illustration that displays a Desargues’ theorem appropriately,
b. recognize the Desargues’ theorem properly; and
c. relate the Desargues’ theorem to real life situation.

II. Subject Matter

Topic: Desargues’ Theorem
References: http://www2.washjeff.edu/users/mwoltermann/Dorrie/59.pdf,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desargues%27s_theorem,
http://web.mnstate.edu/peil/geometry/C4ProjectiveGeometry/7desargues.htm
Materials: Laptop, LCD Projector, Board, Marker, Jumbled Letters, Geogebra

III. Learning Activities

A. Preparatory Activities
- Prayer
- Greetings
- Classroom management
- Checking of attendance

B. Developmental Activities
1. Motivation
- Play “Jumbled Letters” game.
- Tell the students that they need to guess the jumbled words that will be
shown to them.
- Let the students have some time to think about it.
- Student who knows the answer will raise his/her right hand.
- If the first student tells a wrong answer, other students may steal and
provide his/her answer.

2. Discussion
- Overview about the proponent of Desargues’ theorem
GIRARD DESARGUES
• A French geometer, engineer, and army officer, who was first person
to prove properties relating to projective geometry.
 • He wrote a treatise and theorems that helped create projective
geometry and led to Desargues Theorem, a theorem named in his
honor.
• His work was ignored and ridiculed while he was alive; it was not until
almost two centuries later until, Michel Chasles discovered his work
and released it to the Mathematics community.
• Two main reasons why historians of mathematics believe Desargues’
work in was ignored and left to be lost for almost two hundred years:
1. Most mathematicians, during this time, worked on the
development of new ideas and theorems in analytical geometry.
2. Other suggested reason for the initial disregard towards his work
was his unconventional writing style.

- Introduction of Desargues’ theorem

DEDARGUES’ THEOREM

Desargues never published this theorem, but it appeared in an appendix entitled

Universal Method of M. Desargues for Using Perspective (Maniére universelle de M.
Desargues pour practiquer la perspective) of a practical book on the use of perspective
published in 1648 by his friend and pupil Abraham Bosse (1602–1676).

Theorem: If two triangles are perspective from a point, then they are perspective
from a line.
This shows: Let A, B, C and A', B, C' be two triangles in the (projective) plane. The
lines AA', BB', CC'intersect in a single point if and only if the intersections of
corresponding sides (AB, A'B'), (BC,B'C'), (CA, C'A') lie on a single line.

Figure 2.1: Two triangles in a Desargueian

configuration
The theorem has a clear self-duality: given two triplets of

lines and defining two triangles, the intersections of the

corresponding sides lie on a line if and only if the lines of intersection of the
corresponding vertices intersect in a point.

-Illustration that shows the Desargues’ theorem

3. Activity
- Divide the class into four groups.
- Each group will be given a copy of the activity.
- Each group will draw an illustration that proves the Desargues’ theorem
and label the parts correctly.
- Each group will be given a chance to present their work at the front of the
class.

4. Application
- The teacher will ask what are the things they can relate in real life
situation about the Desargues’ theorem.
 5. Generalization
Girard Desargues, a French geometer, engineer, and army officer, who was first
person to prove properties relating to projective geometry.
He proposed the theorem:
Theorem: If two triangles are perspective from a point, then they are perspective
from a line.
The theorem has a clear self-duality: given two triplets of

lines and defining two triangles, the intersections of the

corresponding sides lie on a line if and only if the lines of intersection of the corresponding
vertices intersect in a point.

An illustration that proves the Desargues’ theorem shows that there is a perspector
or perspectivity center and the perspectivity axis.

IV. Evaluation
a. Who is Girard Desargues?
b. What is the theorem proposed by Desargues?
c. What comes to your mind if you heard the word self-duality?
d. What are the different parts of an example of Desargues’ theorem?

V. Assignment
Research about Blaise Pascal and his proposed theorem.

Prepared by:
Via V. Toledo