Drawing Wumps
Updated: April 6, 2004
Students draw a character named “Mug Wump” by connecting points on a coordinate grid using Microsoft Excel. By applying transformations to this character, they create different characters. The students then compare the shapes, side lengths, and angles of the figures that they charted to determine which characters are members of the Wump family (those who are similar to Mug) and which characters are impostors (those who are not similar to Mug).
“In the past, this project was done with pencil and paper and took a long time. I wanted to improve the lesson using Excel so that it would be more efficient and even more fun for the students.”
Jamie Bennett, Ridley Middle School
Objectives
| • | Review locating points in a coordinate system. |
| • | Graph figures using algebraic rules. |
| • | Predict how figures in a coordinate system are affected by a particular rule. |
| • | Learn that corresponding angles of similar figures are equal and that corresponding sides grow by the same factor. |
Learning Areas
• Math
Levels
• 12 to 14 year-olds
Software
• Microsoft® Excel
• Microsoft Word
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