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Pythagorean Theorem
Geometry
Lesson Objective:
Introduction to Pythagorean Theorem. One activity involves students
playing with manipulatives and shapes for various types of triangles.
Page 1
Day: 1
Grade: 8
Co-Teaching Options:
One Teaching/One Helping
Parallel Teaching
Station Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Team Teaching
The class will be split in half and
each instructor will teach the
lesson to half the class. The same
content is covered, and because
the group size is smaller, students
receive more teacher supervision
and attention. Because of the
better teacher-student ratio, it will
be easier for teachers to notice
when a student is having
difficulty.
I enjoy your use of parallel
teaching.
Academic Language
Which new vocabulary words will you teach students?
Right Triangle
Hypotenuse, Legs
Pythagorean Theorem
Page 2
Show how the area formula for a triangle can be derived. Have the students draw a rectangle on graph paper
and calculate its area. Then have the students create two right triangles by drawing a diagonal through the
rectangle. Ask them to compute the area of each triangle and to write down the area formula that they found
for each triangle.Students can be paired together to work on the solution.
These are great activities that you have outlined. This portion of the activity should be demonstrated for
students in the I, Do section. Then during the We, Do section students still in whole group will complete
another example with you the teacher as the facilitator. During this time, the teacher gives students an
opportunity to ask questions, answer questions and discuss the problem. By the end of the We, Do section
students should have a better understanding of what should be done during the independent practice, You, Do.
And during the You, Do students are practicing independently which means without even less support from
the teacher. Independent practice can include students working together but the hope is that students will have
an opportunity to practice with less and less teacher support.
You, Do (Independent Practice)
Conduct a computer activity that allows students to drag multicolored shapes (squares and right triangles). A
right triangle is shown having one square figure on each of it. Students are asked, Can you fit the two smaller
squares into the big one? Try it out by dragging the pieces with your mouse.
http://mathematica.ludibunda.ch/pythagoras.html
This is a great activity that can be used as an extension to the activity that you have students practice above.
English-Language
Learners
The independent activity
is visual and, as such, the
lack of English should not
be a hindrance to the ELL.
Struggling Leaners
Struggling Learners
should find the handouts
to be useful for looking
up the squares and
square roots for numbers
that represent the lengths
of the various sides of a
right triangle.
Gifted Individuals
Students who have
mastered the lesson will be
given a challenge question
leading them toward the
next lesson involving
proofs. Specifically, the
will be asked to examine
the computer activity and
try to understand why it
works as it does. That is,
why is it that the areas of
the square relate to each
other as they do?
The above groupings take into account different student groupings but I am wondering what group the general
education students would fall into. Differentiated groups are not only based on individual student learning
styles but also include student assessment data from previous lessons. Below please find some considerations
for differentiation,
Group 1: Struggling Students - which should include general education and special education students and ELL
students
Group 2: On-Level Students - which again can include general education and special education students and
ELL students
Group 3: Above grade level Students - which again can include general education and special education
students and ELL students
creating these groups are based on previous student assessment data as well
Page 3
Group 4: Individuals - which again can include general education and special education students and ELL
students who require individual differentiation in order to be successful in the lesson, this could include
behavior modifications as well.
Assessment
The teachers will observe students work on the activities and, as needed, interrupt a student as they work in
order to point them in the right direction. In addition, during the We-Do activity, students can go to the board,
in pairs of two or three. If they are given time to discuss their solution beforehand, it would give weaker
student(s) someone to bounce ideas off of and benefit by learning from the stronger student(s). If a majority of
students are struggling, the teachers can reteach those parts of the lesson.
Closure
Students will get a brief quiz at the end of the lesson to help reinforce the terminology and concepts
underlying the Pythagorean Theorem.
Pythagorean Theorem
Geometry
Lesson Objective:
Through the manipulation of physical models (four
right triangles and a square), the students will prove the
algebraic methods.
Standard(s):
CCSS.Math.Content.8.G.B.6: Explain a proof of the
Pythagorean Theorem and its converse.
Teaching Point:
How can the five geometric shapes on each desk (four
identical right triangles and one small square) be
physically combined to form one larger square?
What conclusions can be drawn concerning the area of
the individual and combined geometric shapes?
Page 4
Day: 2
Grade: 8
Co-Teaching Options:
One Teacher/One Helping
Parallel Teaching
Station Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Team Teaching
The primary rationale for using One Teaching/One
Helping is to allow for one of the teachers to spend
the period moving about the classroom, providing
targeted assistance to students, as necessary, during
the physical manipulation of geometric shapes
which serves as the critical activity of the lesson.
It is expected that either of the gen ed or special ed
(math content) teacher can serve as the lead teacher
for this lesson.
This is a good use of the co-teaching option.
Academic Language
Which new vocabulary words will you teach students?
The proof demonstrated in this lesson will reinforce the
new vocabulary words (hypotenuse, legs, Pythagorean
Theorem) introduced and defined in day one of this
unit.
Page 5
Mixed Groups
For this lesson, groups will be heterogenous, mixed
across ability, learning style and able-bodiedness.
Differentiation will be across content - groups that are
struggling with the puzzle will be given a related but
easier task, to take the five pieces and cover up the
outline of the larger square presented on on a
background piece of paper.
Individual Differentiation
As with much of the Pythagorean Theorem unit, this
lesson is adaptable to meet the needs of ELL
students, visual vs. numerical learners, gifted vs.
struggling students, etc. One primary reason is the
fact that the lesson content is presented in both
geometric (visual) and algebraic (numerical) terms.
Individuals or groups that grasp and complete the
lesson quickly can be given advanced puzzles based
on the Pythagorean Theorem.
Assessment
An exit slip will be utilized as a formative assessment, with each student asked - using informal conversation
language - to summarize and describe the concepts underlying this proof of the Pythagorean Theorem.
Closure
The closing activity will consist of one student modeling the geometric manipulations and one student
modeling the algebraic steps that form the basis of this proof of the Pythagorean Theorem.
Pythagorean Theorem
Geometry
Lesson Objective:
By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to
state, explain and apply the converse to the
Pythagorean Theorem.
Page 6
Day: 3
Grade: 8
Co-Teaching Options:
One Teaching/One Helping
Station Teaching
Parallel Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Team Teaching
The content for the converse to the Pythagorean
Theorem lesson is a bit dense, and more
mathematically sophisticated than prior lessons in the
unit. As such, Alternative Teaching is an appropriate
co-teaching option, with one teacher focusing on
providing individualized or small group instruction
based on student needs, whether remedial or mastery.
GREAT
Academic Language
Which new vocabulary words will you teach
students?
Converse to the Pythagorean Theorem
Acute and obtuse triangles
Page 7
The independent practice will consist of a worksheet, comprised of numerical examples, simple proofs and
short answers. It is during this phase that the benefit of Alternative Teaching will be most obvious, as each
teacher is able to provide individualized or small group differentiated instruction, as necessary.
Struggling Students
Struggling students
should benefit from
the remedial
assistance provided
from the Alternative
Teaching option.
ICT Students
During the Individual
Practice segment of the
lesson, it is expected
that the ICT students
will work on fewer
questions. However, it
expected that the full
range of material (in
terms of content and
difficulty) will be
covered in the problems
that the teacher instructs
these students to solve.
Gifted Students
Gifted students will be
directed to more advanced
questions during the
Individual Practice portion
of the lesson, including
using the converse in
problems requiring
rudimentary proofs.
Pythagorean Theorem
Geometry
Page 8
Day: 4
Grade: 8
Co-Teaching Options:
One Teaching/One Helping
Station Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Parallel Teaching
Team Teaching
The co-teachers will act like a tag
team in that each teacher will be
responsible for teaching the
material to the full class of
students. The students will benefit
from the professionalism and
teaching styles of the two
instructors. The Team Teaching
classes can be less monotonous,
more stimulating and more
engaging for the students.
Academic Language
Which new vocabulary words will you teach students?
Pythagorean Triples
Scaling Up
Page 9
this is great but the model should occur during the previous section.
You, Do (Independent Practice)
Allow the students to work on their own and to complete the worksheets having the Pythagorean theorem
problems for special right triangles where one side is missing. Remind students to look for the pattern in the
lengths of the sides. Students will be able to use 30:60:90 and 45:45:90 ratios, that are written on the
board for reference, in order to solve for the lengths of the sides of each right triangle.
Special Needs Students
Students with special
needs can do less
problems in the class
work and homework.
They will not be expected
to memorize the ratios,
while the other students
will have to memorize the
ratios and how to
recognize them.
Struggling Students
If students are
struggling, the two coteachers will assist
during the problem
solving activities.
Gifted Individuals
Students who finish first
should check their work
while the teachers walk
around and help those who
are still struggling.
Pythagorean Theorem
Geometry
Lesson Objective:
Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance between two points
in a coordinate system.
Standard(s):
CCSS.Math.Content.8.G.B.8
Page 10
Day: 5
Grade: 8
Co-Teaching Options:
One Teaching/One Helping
Parallel Teaching
Station Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Team Teaching
Teaching Point: How can the distance between two points be computed
using the Pythagorean Theorem? Regardless of whether or not one point
is at the origin, why is the distance formula the same -- even though the
formulas are written differently?
Academic Language
Which new vocabulary words will you teach students?
Distance Formula
Labelling/Subscripting (e.g., x1, x2, y1, y2) of Coordinate Pairs
Struggling Students
Teachers can assist (and
assess) struggling students
during the independent
practice.
Page 11
Gifted Students
Students who have
mastered the lesson will be
asked a challenging
question to pique their
interest and curiosity. For
instance, they will be
asked to research President
Garfields involvement in
the Pythagorean Theorem.