UKanTeach 2 Lesson Plan

Author (s): Kelly Downes,

Casey Kelly, Hannah Kovarik
Team Members: Kelly
Downes, Casey Kelly, Hannah
Kovarik

Title of Lesson: Pythagorean Application

Lesson #:
Lesson 3
Date lesson will be taught:
Monday, April 29th

Mentors Name: Ms. Poettker

Mentors School: South Middle School
Subject/Grade level: Geometry/7th and 8th

Lesson Source: http://angelaescobar.tripod.com/lessonplans/Unit%20Lesson%20plan

%201%20Pythagorean%20Theorem.htm,
http://mrwalkerhomework.wikispaces.com/file/view/8-8+Problem+Solving.pdf

Concepts/Main Idea in paragraph tell the concepts and vocabulary of this activity. (see model lesson
examples):

Students will be able to know and understand the Pythagorean Theorem and use it to find the
length of the missing side of a right triangle and the lengths of other line segments. In some
situations, they will verify the Pythagorean Theorem by direct measurement.
Objective/s- Write objectives in SWBAT
form

The Students Will Be Able To:

Evaluation

Based on your objectives, draft the content of the questions

you will ask on your pre- and post-tests; at least 1 question for each objective.
Questions do not have to be multiple choice. The your actual pre- and posttests will be attached to the end of this lesson plan.

The student will be able to demonstrate the

Pythagorean relationship in right triangles
using models or diagrams (for example,
manipulatives, dot, graph, or isometric
paper).
The student will be able to apply the
Pythagorean theorem in real world
problems through hands-on activities and
projects.
The student will be able to represent and
apply geometric properties and
relationships to solve real world and
mathematical problems.

Pre Test: Jake is 5 feet and 7 inches tall. Standing outside in the sun, his shadow is 54 inches
long. What is the distance from the top of Jakes head to the top of Jakes head in the shadow.
A light pole casts a show of 23 feet. The distance between the top of the light pole and the top
of the shadow is 17 feet. How tall is the light pole?
Post Test: A triangle has a hypotenuse of 25 centimeters and a base of 20 centimeters. What is
the area of this right triangle?
During a storm, a tree falls toward a house. The top of the tree leans against the house 45 feet
above the ground. The distance on the ground from the house to the base of the tree is 24 feet.
What is the height of the tree?
During a training exercise, a firefighter leans a 40-foot ladder up to a window in a house. The
bottom of the ladder is 24 feet from the bottom of the house. How high is the window from the
ground?

Common Core Math Practice Standard

1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Common Core Math Content Standard

Expressions and Equations

o 2. Understand that rewriting an expression in different forms in a problem context can shed
light on the problem and how the quantities in it are related. For example, a + 0.05a = 1.05a
means that increase by 5% is the same as multiply by 1.05.

Geometry

o 2. Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with
given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides,
noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no
triangle.

Materials list (BE SPECIFIC about quantities)

for Whole Class:
per Group:
per Student: angle-finder, meter-stick (or tape-measure?), worksheet
Advance preparation:
Include handouts at the end of this lesson plan document (blank page
provided to paste a copy of your document). List handouts in your
materials list.

Accommodations: Include a general

statement and any specific student needs

The students will all work together and have

the opportunity to ask questions if they dont
understand what is going on. Also there is a one
to one ratio of teachers to students so we will
monitor each of the students carefully and
answer every question.
For ELL students, pair them up with students
who are strong in the subject area. Make sure
that the ELL students are seated at the front of
the classroom, nearest to the teacher. Give the
students extra assistance and support during
group/individual activities. Have step-by-step
directions printed for ELL students and allow
them more time to complete assignments if
needed.

Safety: Include a general statement and any specific

safety concerns

Students will stay in their seat unless instructed

otherwise. When outside, students will stay in
the boundaries that instructors have created for
them. The students will go outside as the
instructors go out, and inside when the
instructors return to the classroom.

Engagement:

Estimated Time: _5 minutes_

What the teacher does AND how will the

teacher direct students: (Directions)

Probing Questions: Critical

questions that will connect prior
knowledge and create a Need

to know
Last lesson, we used optical illusions as a
segue into the real-world applications of the
Pythagorean Theorem.
Now, turn of the lights and use a lamp to cast
your shadow on the ground.

Expected Student Responses AND

Misconceptions - think like a student
to consider student responses
INCLUDING misconceptions:

What were some of the

applications we talked about?

Architecture
City design
Engineering

How about this application?

Using my shadow, how could I
find my height?

Pythagorean Theorem
Measure the length of the shadow and
the length from the tip of the shadow
to the top of your head
Tangent

As one teacher asks the question to the right,

have another draw a diagram representing
them and their shadow on the board. Identify
the angle.

What if the only

measurements I had were the
length of the shadow and the
angle from the tip of my
shadow to the top of my head?

Exploration:

Estimated Time: _20 minutes_

What the teacher does AND what the

teacher will direct students to do:
(Directions)

Probing Questions: Critical

questions that will guide
students to a Common set

of Experiences
Using your shadow, have the students measure
its length and, after introducing them to the
angle-finder, the angle from the tip of your
shadow to the top of your head.
Take the students outside.
Everyone pick a different tree.

Give the students each their own individual

angle-finder, meter-stick, and worksheet, and
remind them to get low as to negate their
height.
Find the height of your tree.
Walk around and aid students in their use of the
angle-finder or meter-sticks when needed.

How tall am I?

How tall do you THINK your

tree is?

Expected Student Responses AND

Misconceptions - think like a student
to consider student responses
INCLUDING misconceptions:
As a group, the students will solve for
your height, recording their
measurements and answers on the
diagram and the board.
15 feet
20 feet
Etc.
Students will find the height of their
individual tree.

Explanation:

Estimated Time: __________

What the teacher does AND what the

teacher will direct students to do:
(Directions)

After the students have finished exploring the

given assignment of finding the height of their
tree, each student will individually have to
explain their findings step by step to at least
one UKan teacher.
This will help us determine if the theorem and
application has actually set in.

Clarifying Questions: Critical

questions that will help
students clarify their
understanding and introduce
information related to the
lesson concepts & vocabulary
What were the steps you took
in finding the height of the
tree?

Expected Student Responses AND

Misconceptions - think like a student
to consider student responses
INCLUDING misconceptions:

Show me how you did this?

(maybe some work shown on
their exploration)

Giving explanation to their work

Maybe finding errors.

First I found the angle from the end of

the shadow to the top of the tree and
measured the length of the shadow.
ECT

Elaboration:

Estimated Time: __________

What the teacher does AND what the

teacher will direct students to do:
(Directions)

Probing Questions: Critical

questions that will help
students extend or apply
their newly acquired
concepts/skills in new

Expected Student Responses AND

Misconceptions - think like a student
to consider student responses
INCLUDING misconceptions:

situations
After the students are done explaining their
work we can get more into depth with different
situational factors.

Noting these different situational factors will

help the students understand that there are
applications with variables.

What if it was 5 oclock?

The shadow would be longer/shorter.

What would change?

The length of the shadow.

How could we solve the same

problem of the height of the
tree?

Find all the new lengths and angles of

our triangle.
Pythagorean Theorem.

Evaluation:

Estimated Time: _5 minutes_

Critical questions that ask students to demonstrate their understanding of the lessons performance
objectives.
Formative Assessment(s): In addition to the pre- and post-test, how will you determine students learning within
this lesson: (observations, student responses/elaborations, white boards, student questions, etc.)?
We will determine students learning through their answers to the Engagement questions (its a small group, therefore, easy
to ensure everyones on the same page), as well as their work and resulting answer recorded on their individual worksheet.

Summative Assessment: Provide a student copy of the multiple choice quiz (a blank page provided at the end of this
document for you to paste your quiz).

Name: ____________________
Measure the length of the shadow of your tree.
Shadow length (m): __________
Measure the angle from the tip of the shadow to the top of the tree.
Angle (in degrees): __________
Calculate the height of the tree (SHOW YOUR WORK):

Height of tree (m): __________