Geometry Assessment 1.05

Hello, Mrs. Riley!  What you are about to see is the 1.05 assessment.  I chose to do Option 2 because I didn't understand how to find a partner for Option 1.  Hope you like this.


Summary: For this debate, I chose to support Argument A.  The argument states that there is a need for students to understand and be able to construct geometirc figures using a compass and straightedge.  I chose to support this argument because the compass-and-straightedge method has been used for centuries.  According to http://www.mathopenref.com/, "The ancient Greek mathematician Euclid is the acknowledged inventor of geomtry.  Hid did this over 2000 years ago, and his book Elements is still regarded as the ultimate geometry reference."  The quote refers to Euclid's extensive use of the compass and straightedge.  I also think that learning to use a straightedge and compass will help students better understand the idea of constructing figures.  If students were to use a drawing program, they won't learn as much because the computer does the constructing for them.  That's why I believe it's important to use a straightedge and compass, rather than use a drawing program.

There are a few reasons why the method I chose is better.  First of all, students can learn to use a compass and straightedge at a young age.  On the website http://answers.yahoo.com/, it states that using a compass "develops drawing skills."  Second of all, the method can be used not only in homework and projects, but also in practical life.  For example, if you wanted to find the measurement of a coffee table, you could use a compass and straightedge to draw a figure of the table and measure the length of its angles.  Third of all, using a compass and straightedge helps you get accurate measurements. A drawing program, however, does not always give you accurate measurements.

I think the drawing program is a bad idea for three reasons.  The first reason is that a drawing program may not be accurate.  You can make an angle on a program, put you can't be sure if the measurement of the angle is accurate.  The second reason is that not everyone has access to a computer.  If a student was in a place where she can't use a computer, she would have to work with a compass and straightedge.  The third reason is that drawing programs are expensive.  A student may own a computer, but she may not have the money to buy a program.

Two resources:
http://www.mathopenref.com/constructions.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100202073254AAIxtPL