# Lesson 6: Building Polygons (Part 1)

Let’s build shapes.

## 6.1: True or False: Signed Numbers

Decide whether each equation is true or false. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

$4\boldcdot (\text -6) = (\text -6) + (\text -6) + (\text -6) + (\text -6)$

$\text -8 \boldcdot 4 = (\text -8\boldcdot 3) + 4$

$6 \boldcdot (\text -7) = 7\boldcdot (\text -7) + 7$

$\text -10 - 6 = \text -10 - (\text -6)$

## 6.2: What Can You Build?

1. Use the segments in the applet to build several polygons, including at least one triangle and one quadrilateral.
2. After you finish building several polygons, select one triangle and one quadrilateral that you have made.
1. Measure all the angles in the two shapes you selected. Note: select points in order counterclockwise, like a protractor.
2. Using these measurements along with the side lengths as marked, draw your triangle and quadrilateral as accurately as possible on separate paper.

GeoGebra Applet Fgeza7B8

## 6.3: Building Diego’s and Jada’s Shapes

1. Diego built a quadrilateral using side lengths of 4 in, 5 in, 6 in, and 9 in.
1. Build such a shape.
2. Is your shape an identical copy of Diego’s shape? Explain your reasoning.
2. Jada built a triangle using side lengths of 4 in, 5 in, and 8 in.
1. Build such a shape.

GeoGebra Applet Fgeza7B8

## 6.4: Building Han’s Shape

Han built a shape using side lengths of 3 in, 4 in, and 9 in.

1. Build such a shape.
2. What do you notice?

GeoGebra Applet Fgeza7B8

## Summary

Sometimes we are given a polygon and asked to find the lengths of the sides. What options do you have if you need to build a polygon with some side lengths? Sometimes, we can make lots of different figures. For example, if you have side lengths 5, 7, 11, and 14, here are some of the many, many quadrilaterals we can make with those side lengths:

Sometimes, it is not possible to make a figure with certain side lengths. For example, 18, 1, 1, 1 (try it!).

We will continue to investigate the figures that can be made with given measures.