Lesson Plan

General Topic of Lesson and Concepts and Procedures to be Used:

The purpose of this lesson is for students to discover and prove the Pythagorean Theorem. This would be a two
day lesson when taught to my students. This is an 8th grade topic.
The NJSLL for this lesson is 8.G.B Understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem, with concentration on sub-
strands 6 and 7.
8.G.B.6 - Explain a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse.
8.G.B.7 - Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine unknown side lengths in right triangles in real world
and mathematical problems in two and three dimensions.

Students will investigate the Pythagorean Theorem using a puzzle to find that the sum of the areas of the
squares on the legs of a right triangle is equal to the area of the square on the hypotenuse. Students will then
collect data about the areas of squares on the sides of a right triangle. They use patterns in their data to confirm
that the sum of the areas of the two smaller squares equals the area of the largest square. Students are then
introduced to this idea in symbolic form: If a and b are the lengths of the legs of a right triangle, and c is the
length of the hypotenuse, then a2 + b2 = c2.

Mathematics Goals: (Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):

Students will be able to solve for the unknown measurement in any given right triangle.
Students will be able to justify the relationship between the legs and hypotenuse of any right triangle.

Procedures and Materials:

Enactive (Concrete/Motor) Mode Materials and Procedures Students will investigate an 11 Piece puzzle and

try to fit the pieces into two frames. They must use all of the pieces. The pieces consist of 3 squares and 8

equal right triangles. Once students have fit the pieces into the frames they will make conjectures about the

relationship between the sides of the right triangle and the area of the squares. The goal is for the students to

see that the square root of each square represents one side of the triangle.

Iconic (Pictorial) Mode Materials and Procedures Students will be given two right triangles that are drawn on a dot

grids. They will construct the squares on each side of the triangle. Students will then find the area of the squares and

the corresponding side lengths. Students will organize their data in a table and then draw conclusions about the

relationship between the sum of the area of the squares. The goal is for students to discover that the sum of the area

of the two smaller squares is equal to the area of the largest square.

Symbolic (Written or Oral) Mode Materials and Procedures Students will be asked to analyze the patterns

from the two previous activities to create a rule that can be used for any right triangle. The goal is for students

to develop a2 + b2 = c2.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes Students will complete an exit ticket requiring them to solve for the
unknown side of a right triangle.