Step 2 Demo Lesson Plan

Members of Teaching Team: Lesson Due Dates:

Member 1 (Leader): Kevin Hughes Rough Draft 8/11/14
Member 2: Final Draft 8/18/14
Final Approval 8/25/14

Name of Course Grade Level (Pre/AP, Advanced, Academic)

Math 8th Academic

Identifying Patterns and Relationships

Topic

Title of Lesson: Discovering Pi

Concept Statement:

The ratio of the circumference of any circle to its diameter is constant. This constant ratio is an
irrational number, i.e. it cannot be written as a ratio of two integers. This ratio is represented exactly
22
using the Greek letter pi or π . For computational purposes, π is often approximated as 3.14 or . This
7
ratio is an important value because it appears in many applications involving circles, cylinders, and
spheres. Of particular importance in this lesson is the relationship between a circle’s circumference (C)
C
and its diameter (d): =π .
d

Source of Lesson:
Adapted from an original UTeach Lesson by Mark Powell and Pamela Powell.

List of appropriate TEKS:

TEKS # Student Expectation

Reporting Category 2: Patterns, Relationships, and Algebraic Reasoning
The student will demonstrate an understanding of patterns, relationships, and algebraic reasoning.
8.5 A Pattern, relationships, and algebraic thinking. The student uses graphs, tables, and algebraic
representations to make predictions and solve problems. The student is expected to predict,
find, and justify solutions to application problems using appropriate tables, graphs, and
algebraic equations. Readiness Standard

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 Underlying Processes and Mathematical Tools
8.14 C Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student applies Grade 8 mathematics to
solve problems connected to everyday experiences, investigations in other disciplines, and
activities in and outside of school. The student is expected to select or develop an appropriate
problem-solving strategy from a variety of different types, including drawing a picture, looking
for a pattern, systematic guessing and checking, acting it out, making a table, working a
simpler problem, or working backwards to solve a problem.
8.14 D Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student applies Grade 8 mathematics to
solve problems connected to everyday experiences, investigations in other disciplines, and
activities in and outside of school. The student is expected to select tools such as real objects,
manipulatives, paper/pencil, and technology or techniques such as mental math, estimation,
and number sense to solve problems.
8.15 A Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student communicates about Grade 8
mathematics through informal and mathematical language, representations, and models. The
student is expected to communicate mathematical ideas using language, efficient tools,
appropriate units, and graphical, numerical, physical, or algebraic mathematical models.

Common Core State Standards:

Grade 8 Functions. Define, evaluate, and compare functions. Use functions to model relationships between
quantities.
CCSS.Math.Content.8.F.B.4 Construct a function to model a linear relationship between two quantities.
Determine the rate of change, and initial value of the function from a description of a relationship or from two
(x, y) values, including reading these from a table or from a graph. Interpret the rate of change and initial value
of a linear function in terms of the situation it models, and in terms of its graph or table of values.

CCSS.Math.Content.8.F.B.5 Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by

analyzing a graph (e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or nonlinear). Sketch a graph that
exhibits the qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally.

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 Objectives Evaluation Questions (at least one open-ended)
Write objectives in IWBAT form. Each question should match the written objective. You may use one of
your sample TAKS/STAAR problems as a guiding template for your
evaluation questions. Note: these should be the SAME questions you are
utilizing in the evaluation section.
Include answers to all questions.
Include 1 real-world, 1 griddable, and 1 explanation question
1 I will be able to measure the Use your ruler and string to measure the diameter and
circumference and diameter of a Circumference of the circular objects you are provided (in
circle. centimeters).

2 I will be able to use a table or After collecting the measurements of the circular objects in
graph of data to identify the the bag, what relationship do you notice between the
relationship between the circumference and the diameter of all of the circles you
circumference of a circle and its measured? Did your partner get the same results? Did your
diameter. classmates get the same results?
3 I will be able to determine the The tallest tree in the world is believed to be the Mendicino
diameter of a circle given the Tree, a redwood near Ukiah, California, that is 112 meters tall!
circumference of the circle. Near the ground the circumference of this tree is about 9.85
meters. The age of a redwood can be estimated by comparing
its diameter to trees with similar diameters. What is the
diameter of the Mendicino tree?

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Resources, Materials, Handouts, and Equipment List in the form of a table:

ITEM Quantity Source List who this is for

(Specify worksheets) (How many do you need?) (Who is responsible?) (teacher, student, group)

Ziploc® Gallon size Bags 1 per pair Teacher Student Pairs

Tablet Computer 1 per student Teacher Student
Circular items (cans, lids, Frisbees, rolls 4-6 items per pair Teacher Student Pairs
of tapes, CDs)
Tennis balls in a can 1 can Teacher Whole Class
Yarn or String 1, 2-ft section per student Teacher Student
1 box assorted markers 1 per pair Teacher Student Pairs
Rulers 1 per student Teacher Student
Recording Sheet 1 per student Teacher Students

Advanced Preparations:
1. Prepare a gallon Ziploc® bag of materials for each student pair. The bag should contain the following:
 4-6 circular items
 2 rulers
 2, 2-foot pieces of yarn or string
 1 box assorted markers
2. The following Google Forms should be uploaded to the teacher’s Google Drive to send out to the students:
 Tennis Ball Can Survey http://bit.ly/1hwvdlJ
 My Measurements Form http://bit.ly/1jyE4Fl
Note: After submitting their measurements for the circumference and diameter of their first object, a
screen will pop up with the message that “Your response has been recorded.” The students will then
need to click on the hyperlink “Submit another response” to input the measurements for their next
object. They will repeat these steps until they have finished entering all of their data.
3. The following Google Spreadsheets will be used to collect, display, and analyze student data:
 Tennis Ball Can Survey Results http://bit.ly/1mI5qKo
 Collected Measurements Form http://bit.ly/1hsInkS
4. The following Google Docs will be used to assess student’s understanding during the lesson:
 Equator Distance http://bit.ly/1cYSXyX
 What’s My Age? http://bit.ly/1fuTeMz
5. Check to make sure that the classroom set of tablets are fully charged and that the Wi-Fi is working.
6. Run off copies of Measurement Recording Sheet

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 5E Lesson Plan
Objective Statement: Today we will be looking at data we collect from measuring the different parts of a
circle. By the end of the lesson, we will be able to use tables or graphs to analyze our data and determine if
there are any patterns that we notice. We will use the patterns we discover to determine the circumference
of any given circle.

ENGAGEMENT Time: 5 Minutes

Probing/Eliciting Questions and
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students Will Do
Students Responses
Hello students! My name is Given the can of tennis balls, do you Before class starts, students will
Mr. Hughes. think the distance around the lid of need to have picked up a tablet in
“I have a can of tennis balls the can would be longer, shorter, or order to complete the survey in the
the same as the height of the can?
here. I wonder: Do you think engagement activity.
Most students will exhibit some form
the distance around the lid of of perceptual centration where they
the can would be longer, What are students doing during the
believe the height of the can is longer
shorter, or the same length as engagement activity?
than the distance around the lid of the
the height of the can?” (Walk can simply because “it looks that Students will examine a can of
around the room holding up way.”
tennis balls and make a conjecture
the can of tennis balls so that about the distance around the lid
all students can see the can.) compared to the height of the can
“Think about this for a (without measuring).
minute.”
“Once you’ve decided, I want Describe what the students will do.
you to submit your answer
Students will utilize their tablets to
using your tablets and the
enter their conjectures using a
Google form that I sent each
“What does the bar graph tell us Google form. This form will collect
of you. This form has three
about which measurement the class all the student responses and
answer choices: The distance thinks was longer?” create a bar graph to display the
around the lid is longer; The Only __ people said that the distance
results.
height of the can is longer; or around the lid would be longer, __
They would be the same.” people said that the height of the can Students will verbalize what the
“Respond to this survey by would be longer, most of us said __
graph indicates about which
selecting one of the answers.” would be longer.
measurement the majority of the
Allow students one minute to class thinks has the longer length:
“What are some ways we might be
vote. able to test our conjecture?” the distance around the lid or the
Use a ruler or measuring tape to height of the can.
“Let’s look at the conjectures measure the distance around the lid
that we made.” Display the and the height of the can.
bar chart representing the
students’ responses in the
Google spreadsheet collecting
the data, Tennis Ball Can

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(Responses).
“It appears that the majority
of the class thinks ___ (insert
what the bar graph indicates).
What are some ways that we
might be able to test our
conjectures?”

Transition Statement
“We are going to actually discover an interesting relationship today that exists in all circles no matter the size
of the circle. After we discover this relationship, we will come back and show which length is longer using
mathematics.”

EXPLORATION Time: 20 Minutes

Probing/Eliciting Questions and
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students Will Do
Student Responses
Since there are several What geometric shapes do you notice Students will create drawings and
important vocabulary terms when you look at the can of tennis write definitions in their Evernote
that will be utilized within the balls? notebook for the following terms:
exploration activity, it is Circles (top and bottom), Cylinder circles, diameter, and
important that the teacher (container itself), Sphere (the tennis circumference.
assess the students’ balls), Rectangle (the walls of the
understanding of these terms cylinder when unrolled). Students will work in pairs to
before starting the exploration complete the exploration activity.
activity. How would you define a circle?
1. Continue to hold up the The set of all points that are the same The oldest student will be
tennis ball can (or share a distance from a fixed point, called the responsible for getting the
picture of a can of tennis center of the circle. materials for their group. They will
balls with the students via
need to collect one Ziploc® bag
their tablets).
2. Ask the students what What are some parts of circle that you containing their supplies and two
geometric shapes they have talked about in the past? recording sheets for their group
notice when they look at The radius; the circumference; the from the supply station.
the can of tennis balls. diameter.
3. Solicit responses from Both students in the pair will
students by writing them How would you define what the measure all of the objects in their
on the board.
diameter of a circle is? bag. Each student will then submit
4. Ask other students to help
with describing what a The diameter is the length of the line their measurements using the
good definition of the segment with endpoints on the circle Google Form, My Measurements.
word would be. and passing through the center of the
5. The teacher and other circle. Students will need to be sure to
students can encourage A common misconception held by record their measurements on
mathematical dialogue by
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 asking questions or students is that a formula defines a their recording sheets before
providing geometric object. For example, rather entering the data into the Google
counterexamples to help than provide a definition of what the form. That way, if they lose their
fine tune the definitions
radius of a circle is, students will connection to the Internet they will
that the class generates.
6. Words that the students simply state, “The radius is half of the not lose all of the data they have
will need to know for the diameter.” While this does correctly collected up to that point.
lesson are: describe the relationship between the
a. Circle radius and diameter of circle, it does If a student pair finishes submitting
b. Circumference not indicate what the defining their data early, they can begin
c. Diameter characteristics of a radius of a circle looking at the data they collected
d. Cylinder
are or how to describe it using their on their recording sheets. They
e. Sphere
own language. need to look for patterns that may
What are the directions for the exist between the measures they
exploration activity? Write How would you define what the recorded.
them here: circumference of a circle is?
“You will be working with a The circumference of a circle is the Once all students are finished
partner to complete our distance around the circle. submitting their measurements,
investigation today. You will be Again, students will often simply recite they will receive a spreadsheet
collecting data on the the formula for computing the through Google drive. Students will
measurements of the circumference of a circle from the examine the class data to
circumference and diameter of STARR formula sheet instead of the determine a relationship between
several circular objects. definition of circumference. the measurements.
The oldest person in each pair Students may find it helpful to plot
needs to come over to our How could we start looking for a their data points using the Google
supply station and pick up a pattern? spreadsheet functions.
Ziploc® bag and two recording Try adding, subtracting, multiplying,
sheets.” or dividing the diameters and the
Hold up the bag and the circumferences to look for a repeated
recording sheet. Instruct result…. Look at a change between the
students to take their supplies diameters of two circles and see if
out of their bags when they there is corresponding change in the
get them back to their desks. circumferences. Graph the data.
Review the following
directions with the students: What relationships are you finding in
1. Using the ruler and string the data on the table?
in the bag, each person The circumference is approximately
will need to measure the three times the length of the
diameter and the diameter. The diameter is
circumference of the approximately one-third of the length
circular objects in your of the diameter.
Ziploc® bag. This means all
of the objects will be
measured twice – once by

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 you and once by your
partner. Don’t simply copy
your partner’s
measurement. You have to
actually measure the
circumference of each
circle – do not use your
formula for circumference.
2. Record your What patterns do you notice when
measurements on the you plot your data points?
recording sheet as you go They appear to form a straight line.
along.
3. Once you are finished
measuring, you will submit
your measurements using
the Google Form, My
Measurements.
4. If you finish early, you and
your partner can look over
your recording sheets.
Begin looking for patterns
in the data you collected.
5. Once everyone is finished
submitting their data, you
will receive a spreadsheet
with all of the
measurements the entire
class collected. Examine
this data. What patterns
do you notice in the data
in the table?
6. Plot your data using the
Google spreadsheet. What
do patterns do you see
now?

“How might we use the string

in your supply bag to help you
find measurements on the
circle?”

While students are working on

the exploration activity:

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Move around to each group
and check to make sure they
are measuring correctly and
recording their measurements
on their paper before
submitting them via the
Google form.

Suggest that students look at

both the tabular and graphical
representation of the data.
Students can use their stylus
to draw a line through the
data points. The y-intercept of
this line is located at
approximately (0, 3.14).

Transition Statement
“Let’s take a look at the class data and the conjectures your groups have come up with and see if we notice
anything about the data.”

EXPLANATION Time: 10 Minutes

Probing/Eliciting Questions and
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students Will Do
Student Responses
Display the Google What patterns and relationships did Students will compare their data
spreadsheet of the data you find between the diameters and with the data collected by the
collected for the entire class. circumferences of the different entire class.
circles?
Have students enter their The circumference is about three times Using the entire class data,
formulas into a separate the diameter. students will be able to examine
spreadsheet column to verify and test their conjectures that they
their conjectures. What is a ratio? made working in pairs.
A comparison of two numbers.
Facilitate a discussion of the Students will develop ways to
results the students obtained. What two numbers are we comparing refine their computations for the
The significant piece of the here? ratio of the circumference of a
exploration activity is students A circle’s diameter and its circle to its diameter.
recognizing that the ratio of a circumference.
circle’s circumference to its
diameter is always a little How can someone use the term ratio
more than 3. This constant to describe what we’ve discovered so
ratio was given a special name far?
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and symbol: the Greek letter π The ratio of a circle’s circumference to
(pi). its diameter is a little more than 3.

Guide students in utilizing the

Did every group get exactly the same
spreadsheet to calculate the class
mean. number for this ratio?
No. They are all close to 3, but not all
Reinforce that the ratio of the the same.
Circumference of a circle to its
diameter is a constant and Why are the ratios all different?
represented by π .
Because we are measuring, and
measuring always requires some
estimation. We may have measured
incorrectly…

How could we decide on a class value

for the ratio of the circle’s
circumference to its diameters?
Find the average. Using the average of
several measurements will help to
eliminate rounding errors.

What does π represent?

The ratio of the circumference of a
circle to its diameter.

Transition Statement
Now that we know what π represents. Let’s look at how we can use this relationship to answer a real-world
question.

ELABORATION 1 Time: 5 Minutes

Probing/Eliciting Questions and
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students Will Do
Student Responses
Send the following prompt to What information are we given in the Students will utilize their tablets to
the students on their tablets: prompt? access the Google Doc, Equator
The diameter of the Earth at The diameter of the Earth is Distance. Students will highlight
the equator is approximately approximately 12,756 km. important information in the
12,756 km. Explain how you prompt.
could use what you just What are they asking us to find?
discovered about π to find the The distance around the Earth at the Using their stylus, students will
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distance around the Earth at equator. write a response to how they would
the equator. find a solution to the question.
What geometric shape is the Earth?
Use the guiding questions to A sphere (like the tennis balls).
have students determine what
information is provided in the If we were to slice the Earth in half at
prompt and how they might its equator, what shape would we
find a solution to the prompt. have at the cross-section?
It might help to take an extra A circle.
tennis ball and cut it in half so
students visualize what the How would the distance around the
cross-section of the Earth Earth’s equator be related to this
would look like if it were sliced circle?
in half at the equator. The distance around the Earth’s
equator would be the circumference of
[Interesting fact: The Earth is this circle.
not a perfect sphere. The
diameter of the Earth at the How could we use what we
equator is 12, 756 km, but the discovered about π to help use find
diameter of the Earth the distance around the Earth?
measured at its poles is 12,713 Since π is the ratio of the
km.] circumference of a circle to its
diameter, we can write
C
=π
12,756
If we multiply π by 12,756, we can find
C.

If we use 3.14 as an approximate

value of π , what would be the
approximate distance around the
Earth at the equator?
( 12,756 km ) ( 3.14 ) =40,053.8 km
Transition Statement
Let’s go back to the question I asked you at the beginning of class and see how we can show whether the
distance around our tennis ball can is longer/shorter than the height of the can.

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ELABORATION 2 Time: 10 Minutes
Probing/Eliciting Questions and
What the Teacher Will Do What the Students Will Do
Student Responses
Show the class the can of How would you draw a picture to Students will utlize S-Note on their
tennis balls again. represent the can with the three tablets to draw a model of the
“I want you to take a minute to tennis balls inside? tennis ball can.
think about how you might
draw a picture to model this As the teacher guides students to
can with the tennis balls in it.” consider the different algebraic
representations of the measures of
“Use S-Note on your tablet to the tennis ball can, students will
draw a picture to represent record these measures and write
the can with the three tennis brief descriptions on their notes.
balls inside of it.” What geometric shape is the lid of the
tennis ball can? Students will consider why a
Ask guiding questions to A circle. manufacturer might choose to use a
determine the algebraic cylinder to package their tennis
representations for the What would be the distance around balls as opposed to a square-based
distance around the lid of the lid? pyramid. Students will justify their
tennis ball can and the height The distance around the lid would be ideas.
of the can in terms of the the circumference of the circle. So, if d
diameter, d, of the can. is the diameter of the lid, the
circumference is πd .
Extend the situation to have
students consider why the How would the diameter of the
cylinder might be the best sphere compare to the diameter of
choice for packaging as the cylinder?
opposed to using a square- The diameter of each sphere would be
based prism for the packaging. congruent to the diameter of the
cylinder. So the diameter of the
spheres would be d.

If we draw the diameter of each

sphere so they are parallel to the sides
of the tennis ball can, how tall would
the can be in terms of the diameters
of the spheres?
The height of the can would be
d +d + d or 3 d .

How does the distance around the lid

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 compare to the height of the can?
Since π >3, πd> 3 d . This means that
the distance around the lid of the can (
πd ) is greater than the height of the
can (3d).

Why would a manufacturer choose to

package their tennis balls in a cylinder
as opposed to a prism with a square
base measuring d xd ?
The surface area of the cylinder would
be 3.5 π d 2. The surface area of the
prism with a square base would be
2
14 d . Using a square-based prism
would require more material to build
since 14 d 2 >3.5 π d 2 . This extra
material would increase the cost to
produce the packaging, which would
cut into the company’s profits.
Transition Statement
Let’s summarize what we have investigated and discovered today.

Closure Statement
Today we have analyzed data using tables and graphs to identify a relationship that exists between the
circumference of a circle and its diameter. We discovered the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its
diameter is constant and represented by a special letter, called π .

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EVALUATION Time: 5-10 Minutes
What the Teacher Will Do Probing/Eliciting Questions What the Students Will Do
The teacher will allow 5-10 What ratio did we talk about today? Students will utilize their tablets to
minutes for the post-test. Ratio of the circumference of a circle access the Google Doc, What’s My
Using the special relationship to its diameter. π Age? This is their exit ticket for the
you discovered for the ratio of day.
the circumference of a circle to How could we write this relationship
its diameter, you are going to using variables? Students will find a solution to the
use this ratio to help you solve a C following prompt:
=π
problem. d The tallest tree in the world is
believed to be the Mendicino Tree,
You have a real-world situation a redwood near Ukiah, California,
described on your Exit slip. Take a that is 112 meters tall! Near the
minute to identify what information ground the circumference of this
you are given in the problem. Then, tree is about 9.85 meters. The age
try to use this relationship to find a of a redwood can be estimated by
solution to the question. comparing its diameter to trees
with similar diameters.
Explain how you could find the
diameter of the Mendicino tree? If
π is approximately 3.14, what is
the diameter of the Mendicino
tree?
Since π is the ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its
diameter, we can write
9.85
=π .
d
If we multiply π by d, we can have
9.85=πd .
Dividing both sides by π , we have
9.85
=d .
π
If we use 3.14 as an approximate
value of π , the approximate
diameter of the tree would be
9.85
≈ 3.14 .
3.14

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