Pythagoras Meets Dynamic Software and a Digital Camera Summary Armando M. Martinez-Cruz Amartinez-cruz@fullerton.edu CSU-F Paul Sexton psexton@fjuhsd.k12.ca.us.

Pythagoras Meets Dynamic Software and a Digital Camera Summary

Armando M. Martinez-CruzAmartinez-cruz@fullerton.eduCSU-FPaul Sextonpsexton@fjuhsd.k12.ca.usBuena Park High School

Outline

• Some comments about GSP

• Getting Started: Some menus and commands

• Dragging: The Transformation Menu

• Repeating the same construction? No way! Use a Script

Some Comments:

• Software is extremely friendly, powerful and self-contained, but not perfect.

• The power of the software lies on the ability to preserve the properties of Euclidean constructions when figures are dragged.

• Strong tool for pedagogical purposes.• Constructions can be copied and pasted in

other program documents but they become static.

• Photos can be pasted in GSP docs.• Mathematical investigations are enticed.• Also good for analytic geometry.

The tool palette

The menus

The Construct Menu

The Transform Menu

Dragging is not a Drag

• Construct• Transform• Drag• The math is underneath

Construct a human like figure using the circles and segments. Select (ie, mark) a line of reflection, and use the transform menu to reflect your figure. Then drag some (or all) parts.

• Repeating the same construction….

• No way! Use SCRIPTS

Equilateral Triangle, Construction

• Using ruler and compass, construct an equilateral triangle.

• Repeat the same construction in GSP

• CREATING A SCRIPT

The Custom Tool