Exploring

 Geometrical  Concepts  using  

Dynamic  Geometry  So7ware  

Jonaki  B  Ghosh  
Department  of  Elementary  Educa9on  
Lady  Shri  Ram  College  for  Women  
University  of  Delhi  
jonakibghosh@gmail.com  
 
At  Right  Angles  Webinar  
16th  June  2021  
 Outline of the session
 
q  A   brief   overview   of   the   use   of   technology   in   mathema9cs  
educa9on.  

q  Role   of   Dynamic   Geometry   SoFware   (DGS)   in   learning  

geometrical  concepts  and  proof.  

q  Examples  of  students’  work  and  how  they  engaged  with  some  
geometrical   problems   in   GeoGebra   and   transi9oned   from  
conjecture  to  proof.  
 
 
 

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 Recommendations of NCF 2005

School •  Activity oriented

•  Accessible to all and affordable by all
Mathematics
•  Problem solving, estimation and
Shift from content approximation, use of patterns
•  Visualization, Reasoning and proof
to processes •  Mathematical communication
•  (Explorations and investigatory problems
involving DGS have great relevance)
here.

•  Taking over computations.  

Technology •  Explore concepts using multiple
representations.  

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 TECHNOLOGY FOR MATHEMATICS
INSTRUCTION

COMPUTER
DYNAMIC HANDHELD ALGEBRA
GEOMETRY SPREADSHEETS
TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS
SOFTWARE (CAS)

GRAPHIC
GEOGEBRA CALCULATORS MS EXCEL
CINDRELLA MATHEMATICA
FX CG50 LIBREOFFICE
MAPLE CALC
DrGeo
GEOMETRIC MATLAB
ALGEBRAIC
EXPLORER CALCULATORS DERIVE
GEOMETER’S CLASSPAD 300 MAXIMA
SKETCHPAD
CABRI/3D
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 GeoGebra  offers  mulHple  modes  of  representaHons  

Algebra Spreadsheet
view Graphic view view
(symbolic) (Graphical) (Numeric)

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 AFFORDANCES  OF  DGS    
In  a  Dynamic  geometry  soFware  (DGS)  like  GeoGebra  
 
§    geometrical  figures  are  dynamic  and  can  be  manipulated  rather  than  
sta9c  pictures  on  paper.    
 
§ parts   of   a   figure   can   be   dragged   in   the   geometry   window   and   its  
measurements   will   change   dynamically   in   the   algebra   window.   Allows  
mathema9cal  concepts  to    
be  explored  in  a  visual-­‐    
dynamic  way.  
 
§   The  learner  can  observe  
proper9es  which  remain  
invariant  and  those  which    
vary.  This  helps  us  to  verify    
proper9es  and    
make  and  test  conjectures.  
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 Varying  appearances  of  a  triangle  obtained  by  dragging  

While  dragging  parts  of  a  figure,  the  Algebra  view  as  well  as  the  Graphics  View  
reveal  those  aRributes  which  vary  and  those  which  remain  invariant.  Myriad
figures can be tested using the drag function very quickly and this provides
opportunities for making conjectures. 7
 Visualising  the  Angle  Sum  Property  of  a  Triangle  

Grade  VI  students  visualised  the  angle  sum  property  of  a  triangle  using  the  
Algebraic,  Graphic  and  spreadsheet  views,  that  is,  using  mul9ple  representa9ons.  
 
Although  students  had  explored  the  angle  sum  property  through  other  ac9vi9es,  
GeoGebra  offered  an  exci9ng  and  different  way  to  explore  the  problem,  along  with  
the  added  advantage  of  being  able  to  examine  many  triangles  very  quickly  to  
develop  the  idea.     8
   
 A  “new”  Angle  Sum  Property  of  a  Triangle  

Explora9ons  using  technology  oFen  leads  to  surprises  and  a  teacher  using  
technology  in  her  classroom  must  be  prepared  to  deal  with  them.    
 
Students  “stumbled  upon”  a  new  angle  sum  property,  when  GeoGebra  marked  the    
reflex  angles  instead  of  the  interior  angles.  
 
Dragging  led  to  two  invariants  amidst  varia9on  –  namely  the  interior  angle  and  the  
reflex  angle  sum  proper9es.  Students  were  eager  to  provide  an  explana9on.   9
 Dragging  as  a  tool  

A   key   feature   of   DGE   is   its   ability   to   visually   represent   geometrical  

invariants   amidst   simultaneous   varia9ons   induced   by   dragging  
ac9vi9es…….  
 
…when   engaging   in   mathema9cal   ac9vi9es   or   reasoning,   one  
oFen   tries   to   comprehend   abstract   concepts   by   some   kind   of  
“mental   anima9on”,   that   is,   mentally   visualising   varia9ons   of  
conceptual  objects  in  the  hope  of  “seeing”  paRerns  of  varia9on  or  
invariant  proper9es.  
 
         -­‐  Allen  Leung,  (2003  &  2012)  

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 QUESTIONS TO ASK
 
q  How  can  mathema9cal  concepts  be  experienced  differently  in  
GeoGebra  than  on  paper    -­‐  pencil  mode?  
q  How  are  geometrical  construc9ons  in  GeoGebra  different  from  
those  of  ruler  and  compass  on  paper?  
q  What   is   the   nature   of   explana9ons,   argumenta9ons,  
jus9fica9on  made  by  children  while  using  GeoGebra?  
q  How  can  GeoGebra  facilitate  the  transi9on  from  conjecture  to  
proof?  

 
 
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 The  Variability  Principles  of  Zoltan  P  Dienes  
The  perceptual  variability  principle  (mul9ple  embodiment)  states  that  to  
abstract   a   mathema9cal   concept   effec9vely   one   must   meet   it   in   a  
number   of   different   situa9ons   (representa9ons)   to   perceive   its   purely  
structural  proper9es.  
 
 
 
  Paper cutout Parallelogram
      of a
parallelogram
        on a
geoboard

Parallelogram
obtained by
Straw model joining two
of a equilateral
parallelogram triangles

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 The  Variability  Principles  of  Zoltan  P  Dienes  
The   mathema9cal   variability   principle   states   that   as   every   mathema9cal  
concept  involves  variables,  all  these  mathema9cal  variables  need  to  be  
varied   if   the   full   generality   of   the   mathema9cal   concept   is   to   be  
achieved.  
             

Sliders  may  be  used  in  GeoGebra  to  vary  the  angles  and  side  
lengths  of  a  parallelogram.  However,  the  equality  of  opposite  sides  
and  opposite  angles  remains  invariant.    
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 The  drag  test  –  Drawing  versus  ConstrucHon  
The   drag   test   is   a   dragging  
strategy   that   can   facilitate  
generaliza9on  since  it  allows  the  
user   to   discern   or   verify  
invariants   amidst   varia9on.   A   Manual  adjustment  
ro bu s t   fi gu re   doesn’t   get  
“messed  up”  upon  dragging.  
Using  regular  polygon  
tool  
 
Students  
  learned   the   difference  
b e t w e e n   d r a w i n g   a n d  
c o n s t r u c 9 n g .   V a r y i n g   Using  
appearances  of  a  ‘‘square’’  were   construc9on  
experienced  via  dragging  and  the   tools  
meaning   of   a   square   manifested  
in  a  visual  dynamic  way.    
 
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 DGS:  DRAWING  vs  CONSTRUCTION  

Asking   students   to   produce   construc9ons,   rather   than   drawings,  

can   help   improve   their   understanding   of   formal   defini9ons   and  
rela9onships  among  geometric  objects.    
 
Task   1:   Construct   a   rhombus   and   explain   why   it   is   rhombus.  
(Reflect  on  how  this  is  different  from  construc9ng  a  square.)  
 
Task   2:   Construct   a   regular   hexagon   in   different   ways.   How   are  
these  methods  different  from  each  other?  
 

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 Square  vs  Rhombus  ConstrucHon  
Students  constructed  a  rhombus  and  observed  that  one  of  the  ver9ces  can  be  
dragged  to  make  it  a  square.  They  argued  “a  rhombus  can  be  made  into  a  square  
by  dragging,  so  the  square  is  a  special  type  of  rhombus”.    
       
Once  a  square  is  constructed  “it  cannot  be  made  into  a  rhombus  by  dragging”.    
     
These  kind  of  explana9ons  lead  to  ideas  of  rela9onships  between  figures  and  
hierarchical  inclusions.  

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 MulHple  ways  of  construcHng  a  figure  

     
   

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 The  Nine  Point  Circle  ExploraHon:  Conjecture  making  
to  proving  by  Grade  IX  students  

In   any   triangle,   the   midpoints   of   the   three   sides   (D,E,F),   the   feet   of   the  
three   al9tudes   (I,J,K)   and   the   midpoints   of   the   segments   joining   the  
orthocentre  to  the  ver9ces  (L,M,N)  -­‐  all  nine  points  lie  on  a  circle.   18
 Students’  exploraHons  in  GeoGebra  –  The  
ConstrucHon  Process  

Step  1:  Mark  the  

midpoints  of  the  three   Step  2:  Construct  the  
sides  using  the  midpoint   al9tudes  and  mark  the  
tool  (D,E,F)   feet  of  the  al9tudes  
(I,J,K)  

Step  3:  Construct  the  

orthocentre  H  and  mark  
the  midpoints  of  HA,  HB  
and  HC  (L,M,N)  
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 Students’  exploraHons  via  Dragging    

Step  4:  
Students  used  the  ‘circle  through  three  
points’  op9on  to  draw  the  nine-­‐point    circle.  

Contras9ng   experience   of   the   varying   and   the   invariant:   By   dragging  

students   observed   that   the   existence   of   the   circle   is   invariant.   The   side  
lengths,  angle  measures  and  the  posi9ons  of  the  nine  points  vary.    

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 Students’  exploraHons  in  GeoGebra  
The  right  angled  triangle  case:  During  the  
explora9on  some  students  commented  on  
how   “some   points   have   disappeared   and  
only   five   points   are   visible”.   Others  
reinforced   this   with   the   argument   “some  
points   come   on   top   of   others   (meaning  
that   they   coincide)”.   Which   points  
coincide  and  why?  

The   obtuse   angled   triangle   case:   The  

al9tudes   HA,   HB   and   HC   and   the  
orthocenter  H  lie  outside  the  triangle,  but  
the  nine-­‐point  circle  remains.    

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 The  Nine  Point  Circle  –  Towards  Proof  

FENM   and   LNDF   are   rectangles   and  

therefore   cyclic   quadrilaterals.   They  
have   a   common   diagonal   FN   which   is  
also   the   diameter   of   the   circle   on  
which   lie   the   six   points,   D,E,F,L,M  
and  N.  

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 The  Nine  Point  Circle  –  Students’  explanaHons  
Student’s   jus9fica9on:   The   midpoint  
theorem   was   used   to   prove   that  
FENM  is  a  parallelogram.
 
“But   is   it   a   special   kind   of   a  
parallelogram?”  the  teacher  asked.    
 
One  student  remarked  “it  looks  like  a  
rectangle.   Even   aFer   dragging   the  
ver9ces   it   looks   like   a   tectangle”  
another   responded   “but   we   need   to  
prove  it”.      
 
“We   need   to   find   four   other   points  
which  form  a  rectangle”.    
 
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The  Nine  Point  Circle  :  The  journey  from  conjecture  to  
proof  

It  was  required  to  prove  that  the  feet  of  the  al9tudes,  namely,  I,  J  and  
K   also   lie   on   the   circle,   which   contains   the   six   points.   The   two  
rectangles   and   the   line   segments   HA,   HB   and   HC   were   ‘hidden’.   The  
diagonal   LD   of   the   rectangle   FLND   (which   is   also   a   diameter   of   the  
circle)  was  drawn.  Angle  LID  is  a  right  angle.  
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 Role  of  DGS  in  mathemaHcs  learning  
The  cogni9ve  aspects  of  technology  (Pea,  1987)  
Makes  external  the  intermediate  products  of  thinking.  Enables  us  to  
embody  thought  processes  in  a  communicable  medium  that  can  be  
preserved.  (what  we  used  to  mentally  imagine  can  now  be  captured  on  the  
computer  screen)  
 
Develops  mathemaHcal  thinking  
§   Amplifier  –  amplifica9on  of  possibili9es,  providing  opportuni9es  to  
inves9gate  similar  situa9ons  at  high  speed  and  accuracy  e.g  genera9on  of  
graphs  or  a  table  of  values.  Students  can  focus  on  making  observa9ons  and  
on  developing  insight.  
 
§ Re-­‐organiser  –  Restructures  our  thinking,  and  gives  us  access  to  higher  
level  concepts.  Has  the  poten9al  to change  the  nature  and  character  of  the  
curriculum.  Supports  looking  for  paRerns,  iden9fying  invariances  and  
making  and  tes9ng  conjectures.  
 Conclusion

 
Proof  is  important,  but  equa9ng  proof  with  deduc9on,  as  done  in  
schools,  does  violence  to  the  no9on.  Some9mes,  a  picture  suffices  as  a  
proof,  a  construc9on  proves  a  claim  rigorously.  The  social  no9on  of  
proof  as  a  process  that  convinces  a  skep9cal  adversary  is  important  for  
the  prac9ce  of  mathema9cs.  Therefore,  school  mathema9cs  should  
encourage  proof  as  a  systema9c  way  of  argumenta9on.  The  aim  should  
be  to  develop  arguments,  evaluate  arguments,  make  and  inves9gate  
conjectures,  and  understand  that  there  are  various  methods  of  
reasoning.  
   (NCF  2005,  Posi9on  paper,  Na9onal  Focus  Group  on  
   Teaching  of  Mathema9cs,  page  10)  
 
 
 
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Addi9onal  slides  

27
 MulHple  RepresentaHons  
Visualising the limit of a function

Symbolic Graphic Numeric

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 DemonstraHng  key  concepts  
Visual  representa9ons  -­‐  Exterior  Angle  Property  of  a  Polygon  
 

Using  sliders  the  number  

of  rectangles  can  be  varied  
so  as  to  visualise  the  
lowersum  and  uppersum  
approxima9ng  the  area  
under  a  curve.  
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