Collaborative Problem Solving with Portals

[Thermal Discouragement Beam Congruent Angles]

Grade Level: 8 Subject: Math Prepared by: Gilbert Apodaca Overview and Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to encourage students to analyze situations and create puzzles while investigating congruent angles. Students will collaborate in pairs to create problems in the Portal 2 Puzzle Creator that can only be solved using congruent angles. Students will then share puzzles with other groups for critique and collaborative solving. Educational Standards Colorado Content Standard Math 8 - Shape, Dimension, & Geometric Relationships (4) Transformations of objects can be used to define the concepts of congruence and similarity Common Core Standards Math 8.G Understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software. Understand that a two-dimensional figure is congruent to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, and translations; given two congruent figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the congruence between them. NETS-S 1 - Creativity and Innovation (c) use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. 4 - Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making (b) plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project. (d) use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. 5 - Digital Citizenship (b) exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.

Objectives: Specify skills/information that will be learned At the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Describe congruent angles and use their properties to design a multiplayer puzzle that can only be solved with congruent angles. Solve and Critique a puzzle created by another group. Identify how congruent angles were used. Present your puzzle, along with your proposed solution, to the class. Project is considered complete with a passing score of at least 7 (out of 10 point rubric)

Materials Needed: One computer per learner with decent (10 Mb+) internet connection. Steam for Schools must be installed and Portal 2 with Puzzle Creator downloaded and ready to play. (All of this is freely available for all schools, after you are approved for access) Most Media PCs built in or after 2009 should run Portal 2 well. The newer and better technical specifications that the computer has, the better it will run the game. Windows Technical Specifications OS: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 CPU: Intel P IV @ 3 GHz or Dual core 2 GHz or AMD64X2 (or higher) RAM: 1GB XP or 2GB Vista/7 HDD: 7.5 GB free disk space Graphics: 128 MB Graphics Memory with pixel shader 2.0 Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible DirectX: Version 9.0c

Supported Graphics Cards: ATI Radeon X800 or higher / NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or higher / Intel HD Graphics 2000 or higher

Mac Technical Specifications OS: MAC OS X 10.6.6 or higher CPU: Intel Core Duo 2 GHz RAM: 2 GB

HDD: 7.5 GB free disk space Graphics: 256 MB Graphics Memory Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible DirectX: Version 9.0c Supported Graphics Cards: ATI Radeon 2400 or higher / NVIDIA 8600M or higher

Puzzle Creator Introduction Video (YouTube)

Other Resources: (websites, videos, books, etc.) Puzzle Creator Wiki Level Creation Wiki

Information: Give and/or demonstration necessary information 1 For this project you will be using the Portal 2 Puzzle Maker. Learn how to use this program here.

Verification: Steps to check for student understanding 1 2 3 Learning Log - Each team will create a learning log for this project where you will write a daily reflection and explain the success's and challenges that you and your partner faced. Interview - You will demonstrate the test chamber that you and your partner created to the instructor in a informal interview. Demonstration - In a short presentation to the class, you are expected to: a Explain exactly how the solution to your chamber requires multiple congruent angles. b Discuss the challenges you and your partner faced while creating your chamber.

Activity: Describe activity that will reinforce the lesson On different computers, you and your partner will watch a 15 minute video on how to use the Portal 2 Puzzle Creator. Create a Google Drive Document, title it CongruentLearningLog.LastName.LastName (replace LastName with both you and your partners last name, alphabetical order) Share it with your partner and your instructor. Keep notes from your experiences and your critiques of other puzzles here. Notes are expected to be updated every day; you will use these notes to create your presentation. Login to Steam with the information provided by your instructor. After a bit of practice, you are expected to design a multiplayer puzzle that contains a Thermal Discouragement Beam and multiple Discouragement Redirection cubes and will require manipulating the

laser beam into multiple congruent angles using cubes and portals to solve the puzzle. You more than one beam receptacle to solve your puzzle. Feel free to share your puzzle with classmates before it is complete and use their feedback to improve your test chamber. Your instructor will be available if you have any questions with the tools. Notes: Before preparing for this lesson you must be approved for the Steam for Schools Beta. This process takes around a week to get the required usernames and codes that will provide your computers with Portal, Portal 2, and Portal 2 Puzzle Maker for Free. Sign up here. After you receive an email with instructions and install Steam and the games, ensure that the logins work as desired. Play with the Puzzle Maker and get used to the tools. They are very intuitive but it can take time to understand how they work together. Some Students will find the lesson a bit difficult, encourage them to persevere and create something that they will be proud to share. Remind students to stay on course to complete the objectives. It is easy to get distracted in this digital sandbox. Constantly ask students, How will you manipulate the beam into congruent angles to solve your puzzle?