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Squeak Challenge Web Activity


Pyramid Challenge

Web ActivityDescription

Norbert and Zot have discovered new pyramids on the Egyptian desert and they need your students’ help measuring their heights. The pyramids are too tall to climb so they will need to use mathematics. Thales of Miletus (624 to 547 BC), who may have been the first person to use geometry to determine the heights of pyramids, used similar triangles to calculate the heights. In this interactive web activity using Squeak, your students will determine the heights of their simulated pyramids by applying the geometry of similar triangles used by Thales. Students will measure three side lengths of two triangles and use ratios to calculate the height of the pyramid. The students can then directly measure the height to check their calculations and measurements.

This activity uses a free, exciting, multimedia, object-oriented programming environment called Squeak that runs on many different computer platforms. Important Note: This activity uses the new version of Squeak made available in September 2004. If you installed Squeak prior to that, you should update your version of Squeak at www.squeakland.org.

If you don't have Squeak installed on your computer, you will need to first download the plug-in for Squeak before doing this activity. You can download the plugin for Squeak at www.squeakland.org and then double-click the downloaded icon for easy installation. Once you have the Squeak plugin installed, you can click on the image above or link below to start the activity. Set your resolution to 1024x768 to use this Squeak project.

 

Instructional Objectives

The student will

  • measure the sides of triangles using the ruler provided in the simulation.
  • apply the properties of similar triangles to solve a problem.
  • analyze their measurements by forming ratios and measuring the unknown height of their pyramid.
  • work together cooperatively to analyze and present their results.

Go to Squeak Pyramid Challenge Web Activity.

Books, periodicals, pamphlets, and web sites may provide teachers and students with background information and extensions. Inclusion of a resource does not constitute an endorsement, either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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