Geometry Monthly Schedule

(Periods A and B)

M 2/2/04

Groundhog Day; no additional HW due. However, please use this opportunity to get caught up on your incomplete problems from before.

 

T 2/3/04

HW due: §9.3 #8, 9, 10; §9.4 #1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13.

 

W 2/4/04

HW due: First, get caught up on all previous HW for this semester. Some of you are very far behind and will receive zeros if you do not use this opportunity. Second, make diagrams and clear, grammatically correct instructions for constructing (1) the arithmetic mean and (2) the geometric mean of two given segment lengths (AB and CD).

Here are two examples of the instructions for #1. You may not copy these, but you may adapt them or find a better method. (There is definitely a better method.) Remember, diagrams are also required. You may work with your friends, but no copying is allowed. THE WORDS YOU WRITE MUST BE YOUR OWN.

Construction #1, Method 1:
(a) Construct a long straight line through segment AB.
(b) On line AB, mark off distance CD as C¢D¢, where C¢ coincides with B. Place D¢ as close as possible to A. In other words, place D¢ so that B (a.k.a. C¢) is at the extreme end, not with B between A and D¢.
(c) Construct midpoint M of segment AD¢.
(d) MC¢ is the required length.

Construction #1, Method 2:
(a) Construct midpoint J of segment AB.
(b) Construct midpoint K of segment CD.
(c) Construct a long straight line through two arbitrary points E and F.
(d) On line EF, mark off distance AJ as EJ¢.
(e) On line EF, mark off distance CK as J¢K¢, taking care to keep J¢ between E and K¢.
(f) EK¢ is the required length.

For an optional extra challenge, see if you can devise methods that allow both constructions to use a single diagram.

New students will probably need to take a look at these Web links:

 

 

Th 2/5/04

HW due: §9.5 #1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 21, 22; §9.6 #1-13 all, 15c, 16, plus choice of 17 or 18. Reading notes are optional for today.

If you’d like to bid on a Smokey-type computer, one is for sale on eBay right now. (I can’t vouch for the reliability of the seller, but it looks like a good deal.)

 

F 2/6/04

HW due: Read §9.7; write §9.7 #1, 2, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9. This is a nice short assignment that should allow you a few minutes to finish up the §9.5 and §9.6 problems. Remember, in §9.6, most of the problems are supposed to be done by inspection.

 

M 2/9/04

HW due: Read §9.8 (no reading notes required this time); write §9.8 #1-5 all, 13, 14, 16, 19.

 

T 2/10/04

HW due: Review questions, pp. 429-433 #1-31 all, except for #18 and #19b. Focus on the questions that look somewhat challenging to you, and do as many as you can in 35 minutes. More time is recommended, but 35 minutes is required. I will be able to tell easily whether you invested 35 minutes on the project. Remember, this is primarily for your benefit, to help you do better on Wednesday’s test.

In class: Review.

 

W 2/11/04

Test on §§9.1–9.8. To prepare for the test, review the textbook reading material and finish up the rest of review problems #1-31 all. (Omit #18 and #19b.)

 

Th 2/12/04

HW due: Read §§9.9 and 9.10, plus the rule of SOHCAHTOA. Reading notes are required. Bring a scientific calculator (i.e., a calculator that has sine, cosine, tangent, inverse sine, inverse cosine, and inverse tangent keys).

Suggested additional work, time permitting: Start redoing yesterday’s test. Extended-time students should work on the “*” problems as well. Now that everyone has taken the test, you are free to discuss it with other people.

 

F 2/13/04

No school (faculty professional day).

 

M 2/16/04

No school (holiday).

 

T 2/17/04

Equipment purchase due: If you have not already done so, buy a scientific calculator that has sine, cosine, tangent, inverse sine, inverse cosine, and inverse tangent keys. Such a calculator is quite inexpensive (e.g., the Casio fx-260 Solar is only about $9 at Office Depot), or if you want to prepare for next year, you can go ahead and buy the Texas Instruments TI-83 or TI-83 Plus that St. Albans requires for Form IV and above. The TI machines are inexpensive on eBay but sell for about $90 at a store.

In class: More trigonometry drill and practice on the obsolete computers.

 

W 2/18/04

HW due: Redo the entire Test on §§9.1–9.8 from Wednesday. Note: Extended-time students should work all problems, even the “*” problems. You may work with friends for hints and ideas, but no copying is permitted. One hint regarding the octagon problems (#12 through #15) is that there are many 45°-45°-90° triangles involved. To find the area, chop the octagon into rectangles and squares, and combine the leftover triangles into squares. Show all your work clearly for all problems.

 

Th 2/19/04

HW due: Read §10.1; write §9.10 #17, 18, 19; §10.1 #1, 2, and rewrite Theorems 74-75 as a single theorem. Hint: Use the word “iff.”

 

F 2/20/04

HW due: Read §§10.2 and 10.3; write §10.1 #5, 7, 8, 12, 14; §10.2 #1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 13.

HW note: I will accept your Test on §§9.1–9.8 without penalty today. Several students forgot to give this to me at the end of the period Wednesday, and B period Wednesday was shortened by a fire drill. If you were slow in redoing the test, or if you had trouble getting the diagrams to print out correctly, this is your chance to turn in the test corrections without penalty.

Quiz today (B period): You will be issued a small obsolete computer (Smokey or one of his siblings) and will be required to do several of the randomly generated problems on your own, without notes. You must show your work—diagram, equation, and solution—in the manner we practiced earlier. Here are some practice problems for you.

 

M 2/23/04

HW due: Read §10.4; write §10.3 #1-4 all (OK to omit diagrams), 6 (two-column proof, diagram required), 9, 10, 12; §10.4 #10, 13, 14.

Quiz today (A period only): Similar to the quiz that the B period class took on Friday.

After school: It’s the first-ever Upper School Trigonometry Challenge (a.k.a. the “BIG TRIG”)! Meet in Math Lab immediately after chapel. Please read the official rules carefully.

Results of the competition: Brian G. won for the second year in a row in the Regular Division, with an amazing score of 23, only a point shy of his record last year. Matt A. came in second. Congratulations! In the Honors Division, Chris N. obliterated Will W. with an all-time record score of 37. (Not only that, but Chris earned his score of 37 in only 20 minutes.)

Congratulations to all who participated! We may need to hold another Big Trig in a few weeks . . .

 

T 2/24/04

HW due: Write §10.4 #16, 20, 22, and get caught up on previous assignments.

 

W 2/25/04

HW due: Write §10.5 #1-16 all; then do as many of the angle-arc puzzles as you can. Better yet, try writing an angle-arc puzzle of your own to pose to the class!

 

Th 2/26/04

HW due: Get caught up on your old HW, especially the walk-around problems in §10.4. Then do all 5 of the angle-arc puzzles and try to write a unique, clever one of your own.

 

F 2/27/04

Practice Quiz on §§10.1–10.5. This was supposed to have been a real quiz, but a late start (A period) and strategic procrastination (B period) made this into a practice quiz instead.

HW due: §10.5 #18, 21; §10.6 #1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 14. No reading notes are required this time.

 

 

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Last updated: 01 Mar 2004