TRIANGLE CENTERS

ART FOCUS
Day 13
OBJECTIVE
Students will connect geometric concepts and how they have been applied to
the philosophy of art. Students will be able to present how artists such as Wassily
Kandinsky have used certain geometric structures.
STANDARDS
Common Core Content Standards:

Geometry: Congruence
10. Prove theorems about triangles. Theorems include: measures of interior angles of a triangle
sum to 180; base angles of isosceles triangles are congruent; the segment joining midpoints of
two sides of a triangle is parallel to the third side and half the length; the medians of a triangle
meet at a point; the altitudes of a triangle meet at a point.

ISTE Technology Standards

3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of
sources and media

PREPARATION
Research information regarding mathematics and philosophy of art. Be prepared
to answer questions regarding both.
Students will need access to search engines, make sure to have enough IPads
and class computers for students that do not use personal devices. Students will also
need access to a device to record video if they are not using their own device. Discuss
with students multiple ways that they can create a video, including narrating a Keynote
or PowerPoint and saving as a video or making a screen capture video. Students are also
free to make a video blog discussing what they learned.
TEACHER INSTRUCTION STUDENT WORK
Pass out iPads, assign class computers
and allow students to use their smart
phones to do research on the Internet
regarding art and mathematics.
Explain to students that many abstract
artists, in particular Wassily Kandinsky,
focused on form and what they could
Students should begin researching
philosophy of art and math.





represent.
Allow students to discuss their findings
through Twitter.
Have students draw an acute, obtuse and
equilateral triangle and find different
centers.
The diagrams can be done with a
straightedge and compass, freehand or
on a drawing app.
Direct students to think about the
diagrams and what type of feelings or
inspiration could they draw from the
diagram.
For example, through discussions in the
class or through Twitter, ask students if
an equilateral triangle has a sense of
balance or calm. Perhaps an obtuse
triangle can signify stress?
Allow students to discuss the philosophy
that they have learned both in class and
in Twitter.
Assign a video assignment to the class.
Students will make a short video
discussing some of the art philosophy
that they have learned through their
research.
Students should also discuss one of their
diagrams and the emotion or
connotation they get from the diagram.
Discuss with students some of the ideas
that they have learned and let them
know that the videos do not have to be
formal and can be short as long as they
discuss some of the philosophy they
learned and one of the diagrams.
Have students submit the video to the
class YouTube page and have them also
pin it to their boards.

Students should ask questions and
provide links to one another through
Twitter.
Students will draw diagrams of triangles
and different centers. It is up to them if
they want to be precise, use color, or an
app for this process.
Students will analyze their figures and
reflect on what emotions or connotations
their figures/diagrams could represent.



Students should continue to discuss on
Twitter their thoughts on art and
geometry.
Students will create a short video
discussing some of the key ideas or
interesting facts they learned through
their research.

Video can be very informal, for example a
three-minute video blog discussing key
ideas and their diagram and what they
felt it could represent.










Students will post the video to the class
YouTube account using the email upload
link.
STUDENT PRODUCTS
Video discussing art philosophy related to mathematics, specifically the philosophy
of Wassily Kandinsky.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
Internet access
Devices with video capabilities

ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
Vi deo
Rubri c
6 poi nts
possi bl e
1 2 3
Audi o
Video had major audio
issues, making it difficult
to hear and understand
the speaker.
Audio issues that
prevented the
speaker from
being heard, no
more than at two
separate moments.
Speaker is easily
understood
throughout the
video.
Content
Content has 2-3 errors in
mathematical
correctness.
Ex: student does not
solve proof correctly or
incorrectly explains a
definition.
Content has 1
error in
mathematical
correctness.
Ex: student has
one mistake in a
proof problem.
Content has no
mathematical
errors. All terms
are used and
defined correctly.