Workshop on Geometry Software


Math 241
Fall 2015
Course number: 22128
Meeting Tu Th 2:00- 3:15
GMCS 421
San Diego State University


Professor: Mike O'Sullivan
Web page: http://www.rohan.sdsu.edu/~mosulliv/Courses/geometrysoft15f.html
Email: mosullivan@mail.sdsu.edu
Office: GMCS #413, ext. 594-0175
Office Hours: Tu Th 3:15 - 4:00.
and other times by appointment.

Detailed Information

Syllabus
Week 1 notes and assignment
Week 2 notes and assignment
Week 3 notes and assignment
Week 4 notes and assignment
Week 5 notes and assignment

Course Description

This one-credit software workshop provides prospective secondary mathematics teachers an opportunity to explore a geometry software program (GS).

Required Materials

We will use GeoGebra, which is an open-source product similar to The Geometer's Sketchpad. GeoGebra is available free on the web. It is installed in the computer lab GMCS 421. Each student will create an account on the web with GeoGebra and save their work to this account. The instructor will access it and grade it via the web.


Schedule

Week Tu. date Th. date Topic
Week 1 Tu Sept. 1 Th Sept. 3 Euclidean Geometry
Week 2 Tu Sept. 8 Th Sept. 10 Beyond Euclid
Week 3 Tu Sept. 22 Th Sept. 24 Algebra and Geometry
Week 4 Tu Sept. 29 Th Oct. 1 Trigonmetric Functions
Week 5 no meeting Th Oct. 8 Exponential Functions
Week 6 Tu Oct. 13 no meeting Explorations and Final Project

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Geometric constructions: Students will use the GS to do key constructions from Euclidean geometry and explain the properties of these constructions. Examples include the circumcircle of a triangle and quadrilaterals with special properties (rhombus, kite, parallelogram) and the midpoint quadrilateral. Students will also construct parabolas, ellipses and hyperbolas using their foci (or directrix).
  2. Graphs of polynomial equations and intersections of curves: Students will use the GS to graph lines, parabolas and other polynomial equations and explain how varying parameters affects the graphs. They will explore and explain how the intersection points of curves vary as the parameters vary.
  3. Graphs of trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions: Students will use the GS to graph trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions and explain how varying parameters affects the graphs.
  4. Transformations and creative geometry: Students will use rotations, reflections, dilations, and other transformations to produce complex and aesthetically appealing geometric objects.
  5. Functionality of Geogebra: Students will become adept with key capabilities of Geogebra that make it useful for teaching: creating tools, exporting files, labeling figures, adding explanations, and publishing their work.

Grading