****This lesson should take the majority of the allotted time****
****For this lesson, you will work in groups of 3 and will need a mirror, a measuring tape (preferred, but rulers will work as well), a calculator, and pencil and paper. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A PHONE OR GOOGLE TO LOOK UP THE ANSWER INSTEAD OF PERFORMING THE MEASUREMENTS****
A company is doing research about the height of objects around the school, but many of their employees are not well-versed in geometry concepts. They have decided to ask students to help in their research to identify the heights of common objects on a school campus.
In your groups, you will work together to find the height of the following objects using similar triangles and indirect measurement. Use the same student each time as the shadow person/person looking in the mirror to help achieve consistency.
1) Light pole
2) Stop light pole
3) Flag pole
4) Height of the tallest building on campus
5) Height of field goal post on football field
At the end of your data collection, you will create a poster with your findings to present to the company. The company will hire the groups that have the most accurate measurements compared to what their employees collected. They need workers who have exceptional math skills!