Common Core High School Geometry Teaching and Learning Resources
Domain: C: Circles
Select the cluster for resources on this page:
C-A: Understand and apply theorems
about circles
Standards:
- C-A.1. Prove that all circles are similar.
- C-A.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.
- C-A.3. Construct the inscribed and circumscribed circles of a triangle,
and prove properties of angles for a quadrilateral inscribed in a
circle.
- C-A.4. (+) Construct a tangent line from a
point outside a given circle to the circle.
Technology-enhanced investigations:
Mathwords.com: Math Dictionary:
Key vocabulary for this domain. Use
with C-A and C-B:
CK-12:Geometry: concepts, videos, and practice exercises for learners to
complete: Use with C-A.2.
Khan Academy:
Geometry: Circles:
Khan Academy:
Geometric Constructions, Tutorial videos:
Imagine Learning Classroom (formerly LearnZillion) subscription
needed:
MathsIsFun.com:
Constructions: This is a series of 17 animated geometric
constructions, which learners would do with a compass, pencil, and
straightedge only. Among those are circle constructions to find a
center, tangent lines from an external point, inscribed and
circumscribed circles for triangles, circle touching three points, and a
pentagon construction. Aligns with C-A.3 and C-A.4.
Math Open Reference:
Constructions: The site provides
step-by-step animations of constructions with compass and
straightedge. The list is comprehensive for lines, line
segments, angles, triangles, circles, arcs, ellipses, polygons, and
non-Euclidean constructions. The following align with C-A.3
and C-A.4:
NCTM Illuminations:
- Incenter-Incircle:
This applet allows you to find the incenter and incircle of a triangle, and
provides a visual explanation of why it occurs where it does.
-
Circumcircle: Applet to construct the circumcircle about a
triangle.
-
Simson Line: Applet to construct and explore the Simson line.
Thinking Mathematics:
Tangent Theorems for Circles
and the Pythagorean Theorem: A YouTube
video on two results from the geometry of circles that are easily proven
using the Pythagorean theorem.
Wolfram Demonstrations Project:
Download the free Wolfram CDF player
to interact with the following manipulatives. Note: Within the
Wolfram Demonstration Project are
21 manipulatives addressing C-A.2,
10 manipulatives for C-A.3, and
1 manipulative for
C-A.4. Among those:
-
Geometric elements of a circle: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Inscribed and central angles of a circle: Aligns with C-A.2.
- Inscribed angles that intercept the same arc: Aligns with C-A.2.
- Inscribed angles in a circle subtended by the same chord: Aligns with C-A.2.
- Thales' theorem: angles inscribed in a semi-circle: Aligns with C-A.2.
- Thales' theorem: a vector-based proof: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Equally distance chords: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Tangent chord angle: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Intersecting secants theorem: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Intersecting chords theorem: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
The Chordal theorem: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
The perpendicular bisector of a chord: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Sum of Opposite angles of a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle
is 180 degrees: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Euclid, Book 3, Proposition 22:
in a cyclic quadrilateral, opposite angles sum to 180 degrees:
Aligns with C-A.2, C-A.3, and CO-C.10.
-
Circles and triangles: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Three points determine a circle: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
Reflection in a circle: Aligns with C-A.2.
- Tangent circles: Aligns with C-A.2.
-
The bomb problem:
This problem considers multiple points on a plane.
In the "bomb problem", the smallest circle that contains all
the points is found. The bomb problem comes from military tactics. What
is the least powerful bomb that can destroy all targets,
and where should it be dropped? Aligns with C-A.2, C-A.3.
-
Triangle Calculator: The program calculates triangle centers:
incenter I, centroid G, circumcenter O, orthocenter H. The
points G, O, and H are collinear: Aligns with C-A.3.
-
Problems on Circles IX: Circumcircles and Incircles of a
Triangle: Aligns with C-A.3.
-
Circumcircle and incircle of a triangle: Aligns with C-A.3.
-
Johnson's theorem:
Let three circles of equal diameter intersect at a point H and
intersect pairwise at points A, B, and C. Then the circumcircle
of the triangle ABC has the same diameter as the other circles.
Aligns with C-A.3.
-
Pairwise Tangent Circles Centered at the Vertices of a Triangle:
Aligns with C-A.3.
-
Tangents to a circle: Aligns with C-A.2, C-A.4.
Multiple Choice:
MathsIsFun.com:
Circle
Theorems: Content reviews inscribed angle theorems, angles in
quadrilaterals inscribed in circles, the 90 degree angle between a
tangent line and the radius drawn to the point of tangency.
Examples are shown. Learners then complete 10 multiple choice
problems on those theorems. Aligns with C-A.2 and C-A.3.
Constructed-response:
Khan Academy: HSG-G-C
includes HSG-C.A.1 through HSG-C.A.4 Common Core aligned problems.
Also see
Geometry: Circles:
Practice questions with videos:
Performance tasks:
Illustrative Mathematics:
Geometry:
Inside Mathematics: MARS Tasks:
-
Circle and
Squares: Students calculate sides of squares given the radius of the
inscribed and circumscribed circle and calculate ratios of nested
circles and squares. This task aligns with standards C-A.2 and C-A.3.
-
Circles in
Triangles: Students use geometric properties of circles and
triangles to prove that two triangles are congruent.
This task aligns with geometry congruence standards CO-C.9 and CO-C.10
and geometry circle standards C-A.2 and C-A.3.
Mathematics Assessment Project:
High School: Geometry:
Mathematics Vision Project,
Secondary
2 Student Edition:
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C-B: Find arc lengths and areas of
sectors of circles
Standards:
- C-B.5. Derive using similarity the fact
that the length of the arc intercepted by an angle is proportional
to the radius, and define the radian measure of the angle as the
constant of proportionality; derive the formula for the area of a
sector.
Technology-enhanced investigations:
Multiple Choice:
MathsIsFun.com:
Circle Sector and Segment: Content reviews arc length and area of a
sector showing how formulas are derived. It also includes how to
find the area of a segment. Learners can complete 10 multiple
choice problems. Use with C-B.
Constructed-response:
Khan Academy: HSG-G-C
includes HSG-C.B.5 Common Core aligned problems.
Also see
Geometry: Circles Practice questions with videos:
-
Arc measures in degrees:
Aligns with C-B.5.
-
Arc Length: Relate the length of the arc to the
circumference and the central angle subtended by the arc in
degrees. Aligns with C-B.5.
-
Radians and Degrees: Convert angle measures from degrees to
radians and vice versa. Aligns with C-B.5.
-
Radians and Arc Length: Solve problems related to radians
and arc length, like finding an arc length given a central angle
in radians and a radius.
-
Area of a sector: Relate the area of a sector to the area of
the whole circle. Aligns with C-B.5.
Performance tasks:
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Common Core Math:
Intro | HS Geometry Domain: CO | SRT | C | GPE | GMD | MG |