Lesson Plan: Geometric Constructions: Perpendicular Lines Mathematics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to construct, using a ruler and a pair of compasses, the perpendicular to a given line from or at a given point and the perpendicular bisector of a line segment.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- construct the perpendicular to a line from a given point not on the line,
- construct the perpendicular to a line at a given point on the line,
- construct the perpendicular bisector of a line segment,
- understand that any point on the perpendicular bisector of a line segment is equidistant to the segment ends,
- understand that the perpendicular bisector of a line segment is its axis of symmetry,
- understand that the shortest distance from a point to a line is measured on the perpendicular from this point to the line.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- lines, line segments, right angles,
- constructing triangles.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- drawing parallel lines and congruent angles.