Personal Experience Finding the Height of Flagpole...

In our math class, we were given the assignment to find the height of the flagpole outside our school. To find the height, we had to do four things: measure our heights, measure the heights of our shadows, measure the height of the flagpole’s shadow, and use our knowledge about similar triangles to create a ratio so we could figure out the actual height of the flagpole. While there was a lot of room for error, we did the best job we could when measuring, and found ways to avoid obstacles that could have mess up our measurements. We started out with our knowledge of similar triangles since, in essence, our heights and our shadow heights formed a right triangle, as did the flagpole and its shadow. We could use this idea because similar triangles are triangles with the same shape but different sizes, and the triangles we formed and the one formed by the flagpole were the same shape but different sizes. Our height would correspond with the height of the flagpole (which was the var iable in our ratio), and our shadow height corresponded with the height of the flagpole’s shadow. Once we understood how to complete the task and why it would work, we were put into teams of 3 to 4 people and began measuring our actual heights. The person whose height we were measuring would stand against the wall, and someone would hold a ruler above their head and make sure it was flat. Once it was, the person whom we were measuring could move so another team member could use a tape measure to findShow MoreRelated1000 Word Essay85965 Words   |  344 Pages(ASEP) High School Completion Program Service members Opportunity Colleges Associates Degree Program (SOCAD) Veteran s Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)/Montgomery G. I. Bill (MGIB) Skill Recognition Programs Command Language Programs (Head start - Gateway) Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) Education Counseling Services Learning Resource Centers What Soldier development programs does ACES provide? 1. Functional Academic Skills Training (FAST). 2. High School Completion