Geometry for Elementary Teachers

Welcome to Mth171: "Analysis and description of 2- and 3-dimension geometric concepts.  Intuitive, direct, and indirect proofs and applications of geometric principles.  Transformations, similarities and symmetry.  Some topics from measurement." 

Note: To download Geometer's Sketchpad Files, you'll probably need to right-click and select "save target as" (or equivalent), then open it in Geometer's Sketchpad manually.

News and Updates

  • See the Homework and Handouts table below to download or print the syllabus, calendar, and all homework sets and class notes.

Homework and Handouts -- Hit Refresh (F5) to Get Updated Homework Set --

Date Homework Set (Attempt all problems before next class period) * Class Notes / Handouts
Tue. 9/2 Sec. 2.1:  2-13, 17-18, 21-22. (Answers.doc)
Thu. 9/4 Sec. 1.1 #6-8, (10), 11, 13, (14), 17.
Sec. 1.2 #4-9, 10, 13, 14 (Answers.doc)
* Note: problems in parentheses are optional if you are 100% certain that you can do them.
Tue. 9/9 Sec. 3.1 #1-10. (Answers.doc)
Read the rest of Sec. 3.1 if you haven't already.
Thu. 9/11 Sec. 3.1 #11-16 (Answers.doc)
(Also practice those "basic" constructions -- perpendiculars and parallels and copying angles...)
Sec. 3.2 #1-3, 6-8 (Answers.doc)
   Golden Triangle Construction.gsp (Sec. 3.2 #7)
   Golden Triangle into Pentagon.gsp (Sec. 3.2 #8)
Tue. 9/16 Sec. 3.1 and 3.2 wrap-up.
Compass Questions Worksheet (Due Thursday)
Thu. 9/18 Sec. 3.3 - Theoretical Origami. HW #1-5 (optional), 6-9, 10, 13-15, 26-27
Quiz 1 - emphasis on Ch. 3
Tue. 9/23 Wrap up 3.3
Sec. 3.4 - Star Polygons: HW #5-15 (Answers.doc).
Thu. 9/25 Wrap up 3.4 - Star Polygons.
Explore Gauss's Theorem on Constructability.
Review for Exam 1
Monday 9/29 Office Hour / Review starting at 4:30pm in Cowley 41.  
Tue. 9/30 Start with 20 minutes for review and a bit of closure on Mira / Paper Folding relationship.
Exam 1 (Exam1.doc, Answers.pdf)		  
Thu. 10/2 Finish up the homework in Sec. 4.1 on Semi-regular tilings.
See Class Notes (last page) and the email sent 10/12 for some tips.
Tue. 10/8 Read Sec. 4.2, though p. 106.
Do problems #1-8. We'll work on the irregular tilings some more in class on Thursday.
Thu. 10/9 HW Sec. 4.2 #15-19
Also, complete your artistic irregular tiling, including a paragraph explaining how it was created using the maneuvers described in Sec. 4.2.
Tue. 10/14 Sec. 5.1 HW:
   Figure out the "mirror" contradiction.
   Finish the "Slide Me Now" activity.
   Do Sec 5.1 #4, 6, 7, 8.
Thu. 10/16 Sec. 5.1 continued.
   Complete the NCTM activities and answer the question about reflections across intersecting lines.
Tue. 10/21 Quiz 2 - Open Note, Closed Book. Make sure you are caught up on homework and you'll do great.
Sec. 5.2 #5-10, 19, 20 (Answers.doc)
Thu. 10/24 Sec. 5.2 comments, then create scoring rubrics for quiz as review for exam.
Tue. 10/28 No Class - Sick Day!  
Thu. 10/30 Exam 2 - Ch. 4 and Ch. 5 (Answers.pdf)  
Tue. 11/4 Election Day! Get out there and VOTE.
Sec. 6.1 #6-10, 16; Sec. 6.2 #6-9, 14
Thu. 11/6 Sec. 7.1 #3, 4, 5, 7, 9-12, (13 - did in class), 15-17 (for #17, also calculate the Euler Characteristic)
Tue. 11/11 Sec. 7.2 #9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17-22.
Thu. 11/13 HW: From the "Big Ideas" handouts: #2, 3, 4*, 6, 7 (*can ignore bits about conic sections) (Answers.pdf, TaxicabRegularTriangles.gsp)
Tue. 11/18 Student Presentations:
  7.3 - Archimedean Solids (HW: #11, 18, Answers.pdf)
  7.4 - Polyhedral Transformations (HW: #2-4, Answers.doc)
  7.5 - Models of Polyhedra (HW: Build 1 Platonic & 1 Archim. solid, make origami cube (p. 242), and what applications are there for continuous units of polyhedra? -- Answers not available online due to nature of assignment.)
  8.1 - Symmetries of Polyhedra ( HW #6, 9, 10, Answers.pdf)
Thu. 11/20 HW: From the "Big Ideas" handouts: #2-7 (Answers.doc)
Tue. 11/25 More non-Euclidean geometry. From "Big Ideas" handouts: #2, 5, 6.
Quiz 3 - Open Note, Closed Book. Printed solutions from web page are not allowed, but other handouts are acceptable.
Thu. 11/27 No Class - Happy Thanksgiving!  
Tue. 12/2 Answers to Ch 6 and 7 Homework are now available: (Answers.doc)
Thu. 12/4 Exam 3 (Answers.pdf)
Tue. 12/9 Portfolio Due
Review for Final Exam		  
Mon. 12/15 Final exam scheduled for 7:45am in Cowley 041.