“The distance between two points in a plane is measured by the length of the straight line that joins the points.” See the definition of the Distance Formula in the Vocabulary section. Use a blackboard, whiteboard, or overhead projector to present the following information to the class. Organize groups so that struggling learners will be able to access needed supports from peers.

Review previous concepts and vocabulary words.Ĭonsider how students ewill work through using additional materials. Model and reason with students how the problem may be solved. Review with the students the what they actually mean and what they are being asked to do. Model the use of the verbs estimate, describe, list, etc. Review with students the concept of change in the variable. Students are in groups the majority of the lesson, but the exit ticket is individual. It begins with a discussion about measurement, leads into note-taking and then activities involving measurement. This lesson flows from measuring to activity. On the exit ticket, for learners needing more practice, give the four coordinates to students. This lesson is adaptable both for students needing more practice and students going beyond the standards. It is a good visual activity because the paper and dots are larger than the usual materials they use. This prevents them from picking only positive numbers.

Students place dots on paper with their eyes closed. The dot activity begins like the Pin the Tail on the Donkey game. To be the subject and focus of the class activity is fun for them. They are being the coordinates and finding the distance between themselves. The ball activity gets students out of the classroom and into the human coordinate plane. This lesson is tailored to kinesthetic and visual learners. If there is disagreement, clarify the mistakes. They evaluate one another’s work in the ball and dot activities before moving on. This lesson involves a lot of collaboration with peers. The dot activity is before the exit ticket, so they have another opportunity to refine their work before the lesson is over. Since there is more than one activity, students have the time to revise and rethink their work before moving on to the next activity. They try them on their own, then work with a partner and correct mistakes before moving to the ball activity. Students first see distance, midpoint, and slope problems in the graphic organizer. They have to collaborate and discuss the problem if one calculated a different answer. Since the coordinates are not given, students are responsible for checking one another’s work. They have two roles: passing, bouncing, and rolling a ball, and then solving for the distance, midpoint, and slope. The ball and dot activities allow students to “do” and “see” the math behind the new formulas. They fill out a graphic organizer at the beginning, but after that the lesson is active, visual, and connects the new material to real-world applications.Īfter students fill out a graphic organizer, they use it for the following activities. Students are hooked throughout this lesson. After this lesson, students will be able to calculate the distance and the midpoint between two points as well as the slope of the line created by the two points.

They are going to learn new formulas to measure distance, especially when the usual measuring tools are not around. This lesson begins with a discussion about measurement, something students use every day. Active Engagement, Modeling, Explicit Instruction W:

Slope and distance formula geometry