Tents - Remote Circumcircle

Learning Intentions

We are learning today about the circumcenter. Students will
  • Write down a suitable location for the fire (circumcenter).
  • Find the circumcenter given any three starting points.
  • Investigate the properties of the circumcenter.
  • Reflect on the key learning.

Success Criteria

Students will
  • Use GeoGebra to find the perpendicular bisector of a line segment connecting each pair of tents.
  • Use GeoGebra to locate the circumcenter of the given three points.
  • Use GeoGebra to change the location of the three points and find the circumcenter.
  • Write down a rule to describe the location of the circumcenter for each of the following: acute, obtuse or right angle triangle.

Problem

A Scout Troop has pitched three tents to sleep in and wish to build one fire. Where is the fairest location for the fire? Use GeoGebra to investigate this problem. Justify your answer.

Locating the circumcenter.

Write down the steps used to find the location of the fire (circumcenter).

Investigating the circumcenter.

Under what circumstances does this method not produce a suitable location for the fire?

Making a prediction.

Can you suggest a rule to describe the location of the circumcenter when the tents form an acute, obtuse or right angle triangle?

Reflection

Write down what new learning you encountered during this lesson. Write down any new terminology that you learnt today.  Provide a detailed description of the strategies used in this lesson.

Create your own

Create a new GeoGebra file to explore the properties of the incircle.