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Here's
an idea that's sure to keep students interested.
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1. Divide
students into groups of three for this exercise.
2. Give
each group a
generous
supply of licorice shoe laces.
3. Give each group a set of rulers.
4. Have the
students cut (or rip) the licorice into specific lengths
(even numbers
from 2 to 20 work well.) |
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5 . After
ripping or cutting the licorice strips, the excess can be eaten.
(Students consider
this to be the best part of the activity.)
6. Have students
attempt to create triangles from their measured pieces.
7.
Students will make a chart to keep
track of their data, noting the lengths of the sides, and whether or not these lengths formed a triangle. |
8. Be sure
that the groups work with various lengths in their attempts to form triangles. Each group should work until they have 3 examples where the sides formed triangles and 3 examples where
the sides did NOT form triangles.
9. Ask
students to compare their examples and try to form a conjecture about the inequality relationship involving
the sides of a triangle. Some students may need hints, but
many students will come up with the relationship.
Students can also discover the inequality relationship among the sides
and angles in a triangle in a similar manner. For this extension
activity, students will
need protractors to measure the angles.
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As
an added incentive for the students to discover the theorems, you
could tell
them NOT to eat the excess licorice until the theorems have been
discovered. This may, however, be difficult to enforce. |
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