Chalk Talk part 2 #makthinkvis

Another task I presented students in the form of a Chalk Talk…

We had previously used a patty paper lesson to construct our kites.

Simply enough, we constructed the kite by first creating an obtuse angle, with different side lengths. Folding along AC, tracing original obtuse angle using a straightedge to form the kite. Immediately students made comments about the line of symmetry. They were given time to investigate side lengths, angles, diagonals, etc. forming ideas and testing them to prove properties.

Their Chalk Talk task was to devise a plan to calculate the area of a kite.

Most every group approached the problem by dissecting the kite into right triangles, then combining areas. Several approached dissection as top triangle/bottom triangle, but would have to adjust their thinking when I asked them test their idea with specific total diagonal lengths. Some even extended the kite to create a rectangle. In the end, our discussion centered around 3 statements/procedures for finding area of a kite.

1/2(d1*d2) (d1*d2)/2 d1*d2

Allow them to determine which will /will not work and share evidence as to their conclusions. (Hello! MP3 critique reasoning of others.)

Sure, it would have been quicker to say here’s the formula, here’s a worksheet, practice, learn it. But its so much more fun “listening” to their Chalk Talk. Again, the end discussion is key-allowing them to think / work through each group’s findings, address any misconceptions and finally coming to a concensus as a class.