Connect students directly to the concept in a personal way. Capture students' attention by initiating a group problem-solving activity before delivery of instruction. Begin with a situation that is familiar to students and builds on what they already know. Construct a learning experience that allows diverse and personal student responses. Facilitate the work of cooperative teams of students.

Ping Pong ball and equilateral triangle drawings.

Objective: To create an interest in the "rules" not working and a need to create new truths.

Activity: Each student is given a ping pong ball and a fine-point felt tip marker. They are instructed to draw a small equilateral triangle, and to observe its sides, angles, and the sum of the angles. Next they will draw progressively larger triangles around the first one until frustration is reached.

Assessment: Involvement of each student. Teacher conversations with individual students including comments of "I can't do it," "What do I do with these curved lines?", "Where are the angles?", And observations about the triangle becoming a circle are shared with the rest of the class.