Task 1

Construct a triangle that always remains equilateral.

Construction
1. Open a new Sketchpad worksheet. (Click on tab T1 in your workbook.)
2. On the TOOLBOX Palette, select SEGMENT. Click, drag and release the mouse to draw a
straight line between the two points.
3. On the TOOLBOX Palette, select CIRCLE. Click on the left-hand point and drag to and
release on the right-hand point to construct a circle. Now click the mouse on the right-hand
point and then drag to and release on the left-hand point to construct another circle.
4. On the TOOLBOX Palette, select POINTER. Click the mouse on a blank part of the
worksheet to clear any selected objects. Click once on the circumference of each of the
circles. On the CONSTRUCT Menu, select INTERSECTIONS, to show where the circles
intersect.
5. On the TOOLBOX Palette, select SEGMENT. Click the mouse on the left-hand point on the
line and drag to and release on the uppermost intersection point to connect them with a
straight line. Click on the right-hand point on the line and drag to and release on the
uppermost intersection point to connect them with a straight line and form a triangle.
6. On the TOOLBOX Palette, select POINTER. Click the mouse on a blank part of the
worksheet to clear any selected objects. Click once on each circle’s circumference and on
the lowermost intersection point. On the DISPLAY menu, select HIDE OBJECTS and both
circles and the point will disappear.
7. Click the mouse on a blank part of the worksheet to clear any selected objects. Click the
mouse on one of the sides of the triangle. On the MEASURE menu, select LENGTH. The
length value will appear onscreen, together with the points (for example : mAB = 7.3 cm).
8. Repeat step 7. to measure the other two sides of the triangle.
9. On the EDIT Menu, select SAVE.

Investigation
Click and drag either or both of the two ends of the original line – the triangle should remain
equilateral. (How do we know that it is an equilateral triangle ?)

Demonstrate
Show your completed construction to your Teacher.

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Task 2
Construct a triangle that always remains right-angled.

Construction
1. Open a new Sketchpad worksheet. (Click on tab T2 in your workbook.)

2. Use some or all of the tools mentioned below to construct a triangle that remains
right-angled when dragged around the screen. For details on how these tools operate, see
the Useful Tools Sheet (p. 4 of these notes).

TOOLBOX Palette
SEGMENT
CONSTRUCT Menu
PERPENDICULAR LINE
POINT ON (OBJECT)
DISPLAY Menu
HIDE (OBJECTS)
MEASURE Menu
ANGLE

Demonstrate
Show your completed construction to your Teacher.

Answer Sheet
Write down your construction procedure, and explain why it works.

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Task 3
Construct a triangle that always remains isosceles.

Construction
1. Open a new Sketchpad worksheet. (Click on tab T3 in your workbook.)

2. Use some or all of the tools mentioned below to construct a triangle that remains isosceles
when dragged around the screen. For details on how these tools operate, see the Useful
Tools page (p. 4 of these notes).

TOOLBOX Palette
SEGMENT
CONSTRUCT Menu
MIDPOINT
PERPENDICULAR LINE
POINT ON (OBJECT)
DISPLAY Menu
HIDE (OBJECTS)
MEASURE Menu
LENGTH

Demonstrate
Show your completed construction to your Teacher.

Answer Sheet
Write down your construction procedure, and explain why it works.

Page 3 of 4
Useful Tools Page

POINTER – TOOLBOX Palette

(a) Clicking and dragging a vertex or point moves the object around the screen.
(b) Clicking on one or more points, line segments or circles selects that object(s) for action by a
tool from one of the menus.

CIRCLE – TOOLBOX Palette

Click and hold the mouse on the point designated as the centre and then drag the mouse to the
point designated as the radius. Release the mouse, and a circle will be drawn.

SEGMENT – TOOLBOX Palette

Click and hold the mouse (a point is marked on the screen) and then drag the mouse pointer a
small distance away. Release the mouse, and a straight line will be drawn between the two
points.

TEXT – TOOLBOX Palette

Click and drag the mouse alongside an object to create a box. Text can be entered in this box to
name an object.

HIDE (OBJECT) – DISPLAY Menu

Click the mouse on all the object(s) to be hidden. Select HIDE (OBJECT) and the selected
object(s) will disappear.

POINT ON OBJECT – CONSTRUCT Menu

Click the mouse on the object to which you want to add a point. Select POINT ON OBJECT.
Click and drag the new point to anywhere on the selected object.

POINT AT INTERSECTION – CONSTRUCT Menu

Click the mouse on the two objects that you want to mark the intersection point(s) for. Select
POINT AT INTERSECTION, and one (or two) points will now appear at the intersection point(s)
of the objects you selected.

POINT AT MIDPOINT – CONSTRUCT Menu

Click the mouse on a line segment. Select POINT AT MIDPOINT, and a point will be placed at
the midpoint of the line.

PERPENDICULAR LINE – CONSTRUCT Menu

Holding the SHIFT key, click the mouse on the point through which the line must pass, and
then click the mouse on the line to which the new line is to be perpendicular (90˚). Select
PERPENDICULAR LINE.

LENGTH – MEASURE menu

Click the mouse on the segment to be measured. Select LENGTH and the length value will
appear on the screen, together with the segment labels (for example : mAB = 4.35 cm).

ANGLE – MEASURE menu :

Click the mouse on the three points that form the angle to be measured, ensuring that the angle
vertex is the SECOND point selected. Select ANGLE and the angle value will appear on the
screen, together with the angle labels (for example : m∠ABC = 60˚).

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