standard_description: Given two figures, use the definition of similarity in terms of similarity transformations to decide if they are similar; explain using similarity transformations the meaning of similarity for triangles as the equality of all corresponding pairs of angles and the proportionality of all corresponding pairs of sides.
problem_activity: Warm-up
Students examine statements deciding in each case whether the statement is always true, sometimes true, or never true. Since figures are similar if one is the result of reflecting, rotating, translating, and dilating the other, and figures are congruent only as a result of the rigid transformations, congruent figures are similar but not vice versa. Though students have not studied how angles behave under dilations, students have had multiple opportunities to see that dilations influence the size of a shape but not its angles. They also know from work in grade 7 that scaled copies have corresponding angles with the same measure, and dilations have been characterized as a process that makes scaled copies.
Launch
Display all 3 statements. Ask students to decide whether each of the statements is always, sometimes, or never true and give a signal when they have reasoning to support their decision.
Student Facing
Choose whether each of the statements is true in
all
cases, in
some
cases, or in
no
cases.
If two figures are congruent, then they are similar.
If two figures are similar, then they are congruent.
If an angle is dilated with the center of dilation at its vertex, the angle measure may change.
Student Response
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Activity Synthesis
Discuss each statement one at a time with this structure:
Poll the class on their answer choice and display the answers.
If everyone agrees on one answer, ask a few students to share their reasoning, recording it for all to see.
If there is disagreement on an answer, ask students with opposing answers to explain their reasoning to come to an agreement on an answer.


aligns: no