Kassie Kuehn Lesson Plan Math ED 335

Apply Triangle Sum Properties

Rationale: Students will develop an understanding of the Triangle Sum Properties.

Furthermore, they will classify triangles and find their measures. Students will explore different
triangles: scalene, isosceles, equilateral, acute, obtuse, right, and equiangular, interior angles,
exterior angles, and the corollary to a theorem.

Grade Level: 10th Grade Geometry

Objectives: Students will be able to classify a triangle by its sides and angles. They will be able
to construct the triangles using a straight edge and compass. They will be able to prove and
understand the Triangle Sum Theorem, the Exterior Angle Theorem, and Corollary to the
Triangle Sum Theorem.

Standards:

NCTM: Understand Relationships among the angles and side lengths, create and critique
inductive arguments concerning geometric ideas and relationships, recognize and apply
geometric ideas and relationships in areas outside the mathematics classroom, use visual tools
to represent and solve problems, draw geometric objects with specified properties, use
coordinate geometry to represent and examine the properties of geometric shapes

Wisconsin:

 Similarity, Right Triangles, and Trigonometry G-SRT: Prove Theorems Involving Similarity
 (4) Prove Theorems about Triangles: Students will explore the Triangle Sum
Theorem, Exterior Angle Sum Theorem, and Interior Angle Sum Theorem
 (5) Use Congruence and Similarity Criteria for triangles to solve problems and
proves relationships in geometric figures: Students will discuss how to classify
triangles and similarities.
 Congruence G-CO: Make Geometric Constructions
 (12) Make formal geometric constructions with a variety of tools and methods
(compass and straight edge): Students will be asked to create triangles using
their compass and straight edge.

Materials: Book, Notebook, Paper, Pencil, Compass, Ruler, Graph Paper with Triangles, Exit
Ticket, Scissors
Kassie Kuehn Lesson Plan Math ED 335

Lesson Plan Components:

o Introduction: We will begin with an activity to reinforce their previous known

knowledge about triangles. I will ask the students what the sum of a triangle’s
angles are. They should hopefully know this and answer with one hundred
eighty degrees. I will ask them how they know this and to demonstrate this to
me. They will each receive a piece of computer paper, where they will be
instructed to cut out any triangle that their heart desires. Next they will tear off
each corner piece and align them to form a one hundred and eighty degree
angle. They can use their ruler as a straight edge to help align the corners. This
activity helps them develop the Triangle Sum Theorem.
o Body: We will begin with the Triangle Sum Theorem. We will go through the
steps in the theorem. Within this Theorem we will discuss what exterior and
interior angles are and how to identify them. We will do a few examples on the
board to reinforce the material. I will then ask them to formulate the Theorems
for the exterior and interior angles. Next as a class, we will discuss how we
classify triangles. What types of sides a scalene triangle, an isosceles triangle, or
equilateral triangle has? Also we discuss angles that are acute, right, obtuse, and
equiangular and their relationship to triangles. After the students have
developed an understanding of classifying triangles by their sides and angles, we
will then look at three triangles drawn on grid paper (will be displayed on ELMO
or SMART board). The students will be asked to classify the triangle. They will
have to use the distance formula to find the side lengths.
o Probing Questions/Discussion Questions:
 Given the measures of two interior angles of a triangle, how can you find
the third angle?
 Can an equilateral triangle be also isosceles?
 Can an equilateral triangle have an obtuse angle? Actute angle? Right
Angle?
 Can an equilateral triangle be also acute?
 If you have a right angle, what is the sum of the other two angles?
 The side of your house by the roof forms a triangle with angles fifty-five,
fifty-five, and seventy. What kind of triangle is this?
 Do the sum of a triangle’s angles measure interior or exterior angles?
 If you have an exterior angle, what is that equal to/what angles?
o Closure: To finish up the class we will go through application problems involving
solving equations to identify side lengths and angles to classify triangles. And
after we go through a few examples they will be given their exit ticket.
Kassie Kuehn Lesson Plan Math ED 335

Extensions: Students will be assigned to complete a few problems relating to the application
problems that we covered at the end of class. They will also be given a compass and ruler to
take home to create the different triangles we discussed in class. The following class period we
will discuss their drawings to make sure they were done correctly.

Anticipated Difficulties: The students may get the different types of classifications mixed up.
Therefore, we will keep coming back to the idea of what is each type of triangle. If they are still
having problems, I will create them a chart to help organize their thoughts. They may also have
problems calculating the application problems at the end of the class period, therefore I will
make sure that the class is all the same page and we’re going at an appropriate pace. I will ask
probing questions often to get them thinking. They may also have problems using the compass
to construct the triangles. I want them to struggle a bit and ask me for help before I just give
them an answer. But if time permits during class I will show them how to create at least one of
the triangles.

Assessment: Upon leaving the classroom they will be given an exit ticket. On this exit ticket
there will be several questions covering the material learned in class. There will be application
problems: finding the side length or angles using an equation and off of that information they
will have to classify the triangle. They will have to give this exit ticket to me before they leave
the class.

Source: This lesson plan was created by myself but modeled off the material presented in the
Wisconsin Edition text book of Geometry by Larson, Boswell, Kanold, and Stiff. It was produced
by McDougal Littell.