Created By: Elizabeth Fiedler

Inscribed and Central Angles

Overview of Lesson
The students will explore, through writing proofs, the relationship between inscribed and central angles. They will then write the rule as a theorem.

Common Core State Standards Grade Level Content

G-C.2 Identify and describe relationships among inscribed angles, radii, and chords. Include the relationship between central, inscribed, and circumscribed angles; inscribed angles on a diameter are right angles; the radius of a circle is perpendicular to the tangent where the radius intersects the circle.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice

1. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 2. Attend to precision. 3. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Prerequisites
Students will need to have a basic knowledge of triangles and their angle properties as well as properties of circles. Previously, the students will have learned that central angles have the same degree measure as the arc that they make on the circle. They will also need to have experience writing proofs.

Learning Targets
After completing a discovery worksheet, students will be able to accurately explain in writing the relationship between inscribed and central angles of a circle.

Time Required
This lesson will take one 50 minute class period.

Materials Required
Inscribed/Central Angle Proof worksheet Enrichment worksheet

Instructional Lesson Plan I. Essential Questions

What are characteristics of inscribed and circumscribed angles? What is the relationship between an inscribed angle and a circumscribed angle?

Fiedler

II.

Plan
1. Reviewing inscribed and central angles. Give students images of each and have them write down the similarities and differences that they see. Discuss students ideas as a whole class. For the last question, students make a prediction of what the relationship between the inscribed angle and the central angle is. This is what the activity will be addressing. Possible student predictions: The angles are the same because they intercept the same arc. The angles will be different because they dont have the same points. If students say that the angles have different measures, do they have a prediction of what the inscribed angle will be? Is there a relationship to the central angle because they intercept the same arc? 2. Work through the first proof example on the worksheet. Solicit student participation for the different steps, reasons, and relationship. Discuss students ideas and predictions about whether the relationship will hold for all cases. 3. Have students work in groups based on readiness level. They should work through the last two proofs and answer the guiding questions that go along with the proofs. Observe groups and help those that are struggling with the proofs. 4. If time allows, discuss, as a whole class, students findings from the proofs and the ideas in the extension questions. Advanced students will be able to present initial ideas to begin class discussions. If time runs short, follow up the next day with a quick review of what the students found and then guide the discussion of the extension questions.

Assessment
After the class discussion, students will complete a short writing assignment to demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between inscribed and circumscribed angles. Writing Prompt: Describe the relationship between a central angle and an inscribed angle. Explain the process you used to find this relationship. What must be true about the two angles for the relationship to be true? Write your answer in a paragraph.

Possible Extensions
Advanced students worksheets will receive an extra page of extension questions to look for nonexamples and explore how to write a relationship as a theorem. This will be handed out to students after they have completed the general class worksheets.