Geometry Lesson
The Ferris Wheel Frame: Arcs, Angles & Sectors
Shared by A STEM Educator
High School3-act-mathCCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.C.A.2,CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.C.A.3,CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.GMD.A.150 min
Learning Objective
Students will calculate central and inscribed angle measures, arc lengths, and sector areas, and apply secant/tangent angle theorems to solve problems in a real-world circular context.
Lesson Overview
Students analyze a Ferris wheel to explore central angles, inscribed angles, arc measures, secant/tangent relationships, and sector area — moving from visual estimation to precise calculation.
Materials
- Whiteboard or projector
- Printed student task sheets
- Colored pencils
- Scientific or graphing calculators
- Compass and protractor (optional for constructions)
Scaffolded Task Progression
1Task 1
The Ferris wheel below shows 8 gondolas equally spaced around the rim. Shade ONE section (the 'slice' between two neighboring gondolas) and estimate what fraction of the whole circle it represents. Then estimate its central angle in degrees.
```geometry
{"figureType":"polygon","sides":8,"vertexLabels":["1","2","3","4","5","6","7","8"],"showAngles":false,"showCenter":true,"title":"Ferris Wheel — 8 Gondolas"}
```
2Task 2
Using your estimate from Task 1, predict: if the radius of the Ferris wheel is about 40 feet, roughly how long is the arc (the curved edge) of one gondola-slice? Explain your reasoning — no formula required yet.
Unlock the full lesson
See all 7 scaffolded tasks, the full answer key, warm-up, exit slip, and a print-ready version — free to start.
Create a free accountAlready have an account? Sign in
Make it your own
Like this lesson but want to tweak it?
Make an editable copy and adjust the tasks, warm-up, and answer key to fit your class — no need to start from scratch.