[size=150]This activity is the first introduction to the [i]criteria[/i] we need to show that 2 triangles are congruent. We are going to spend the next few weeks focusing on these ideas. No need to have this mastered today - just the idea that we can use 3 pieces of specific information to show 2 triangles are congruent.[/size]

[b]Triangle Congruence Criteria [i]Assertions[/i]: [br][/b]Our experiements today lead us to believe that these combinations of sides and angles will show 2 triangles are congruent:[br][br]• Angle-Side-Angle (ASA) “Two angles and the [i]included[/i] side.”[br][br]• Angle-Angle-Side (AAS) “Two angles and the [i]non included[/i] side.”[br][br]• Side-Angle-Side (SAS) “Two sides and the [i]included[/i] angle.”[br][br]• Side-Side-Side (SSS) “All three sides.”[br][br]• Hyptenuse-Leg (HL) "The hypotenuse and leg of a right triangle (so also a 90 degree angle)."[br][br][br]

[b]Sets of information that are [i]not[/i] valid triangle congruence criteria[/b][br]Our experiments today showed us that these combinations of sides and angles will NOT show 2 triangles are congruent:[br][br]• Side[br][br]• Side-Angle[br][br]• Side-Side-Angle (SSA) "Two sides and a [i]non-included[/i] angle"[br] (the easy way to remember this one is that it [i]can[/i] make a bad word when the [i]A[/i] is not between the 2 S's, [br] but we choose to not write it in that order to be polite!)[br][br]• Angle-Angle (AA) This one makes similar triangles!