Molloy College

Division of Education

Lesson Plan

Student Chelsea Brandimarte Professor Professor Wisnewski

Course EDU 329 03 Date April 12, 2017
Grade 8 Topic Pythagorean Theorem Content Area Mathematics

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

After watching a demonstration on how to apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine

unknown side lengths on the SMARTboard, students will use this method to complete an Exit
Ticket, answering at least 3 out of 5 correct.

NYS-CCLS / +NYS STANDARDS AND INDICATORS

New York State Mathematics Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.B.7
Domain: Geometry
Cluster: Understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem
Standard: Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine unknown side lengths in right triangles
in real-world and mathematical problems in two and three dimensions.

Indicator: This will be evident when students participate in a SMARTboard lesson regarding the
Pythagorean Theorem, watch a model performed by the teacher on how to solve for missing
sides of a right triangle using the Pythagorean Theorem, and complete problems independently.

New York State ELA & Literacy Standards

Reading: Literature: (RL.8.4)
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,
including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Indicator: This will be evident when students use key words or phrases such as leg, hypotenuse,
and right triangle in a given real-world word problem to solve the problem.
 INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
SMART Notebook Lesson, Science of NFL Football: The Pythagorean Theorem video
(URL:https://science360.gov/obj/video/d37dd34c-b721-4230-9931-27c663c208df/science-nfl-fo
otball-pythagorean-theorem), Worksheet #1 with attached Answer Key, Worksheet #2 with
attached Answer Key, Worksheet #3 with attached Answer Key, Pythagorean Theorem
Vocabulary Worksheet, Exit Ticket.

MOTIVATION

Motivation: Students will watch the video Science of NFL Football: The Pythagorean
Theorem, which allows students to understand how the Pythagorean Theorem is used in
everyday life.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES

1. Students will recall their prior knowledge of the area of squares. Teacher will discuss the
importance of the lengths of the sides of squares. (What is the formula to solve for the
area of a square?)
2. Students will participate in the interactive SMART Notebook Lesson. It will begin with
vocabulary terms such as triangle, right triangle, perpendicular lines, legs, hypotenuse,
and square root. Teacher will give direct instruction of the meaning of each term. A
student will come up to the board, draw a picture of a right triangle, and label each part.
(Will somebody come to the SMART board and demonstrate for your classmates how we
draw a right triangle? Can you identify each side of the triangle? How do you know it is
the hypotenuse?)
3. Students will continue to engage in the SMART lesson. They will take notes on the slides
that give a brief history on Pythagoras. Students will then be called up to attach squares
to each side of the right triangle that their previous classmate drew. They will be given
the opportunity to think in groups of two (Think-Pair-Share) if they recognize any
patterns or if the sum of the area of the two squares attached to the triangle's legs are less
than, greater than, or equal to the area of the square attached to the hypotenuse. Students
will discuss their ideas with the class. (Can another students come up and attach squares
to each side of the right triangle that your classmate drew? Discuss with your neighbor
what would result if you add up the area of both squares attached to the legs of the
triangle?)
4. Students will take notes on the proof of the Pythagorean Theorem and its equation (a2 +
b2 = c2). Teacher will discuss what a, b, and c symbolize and then model two types of
 problems with the class: solving for the hypotenuse, and solving for a leg. (If you are
solving for c, how do you get rid of the square as part of the c2 ? Can you distinguish
between when to solve for the hypotenuse and when to solve for a leg?)
5. Students will be grouped based on achievement level and complete a Pythagorean
Theorem worksheet. As students work on the activity together, the teacher will walk
around the classroom frequently monitoring each group and providing feedback. The
students will be given ten minutes to complete the worksheet of six problems.
6. Once the assignment is completed, students will retrieve the answer key for their specific
worksheet from the front of the room. The answer key will not only provide the correct
answers, but the correct methods in solving the problem.
7. Students will be pulled back together as a whole. Teacher will discuss the key ideas
learned for the day. (What type of triangle can the Pythagorean Theorem be used on?
What is the equation to solve for the missing side? How would you test to see if your
answer is correct? Can someone give me a real-life application of the Pythagorean
Theorem?)
8. Students will complete an Exit-Ticket, achieving at least 3 out of 5 correct.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Cooperative Learning
Indicator: This will be evident when students utilize Think-Pair-Share to discover patterns of
the displayed right triangle and the squares attached to it.
Direct Instruction
Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher displays information about the history of the
Pythagorean Theorem on the SMARTboard.
Discussion
Indicator: This will be evident when students are discussing prior knowledge of squares and
how to calculate its area.
Modeling
Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher shows the students how to apply the
Pythagorean Theorem to discover missing side lengths.
Scaffolding
Indicator: This will be evident when the teacher helps students understand the
vocabulary of certain mathematical terms before they brainstorm how to prove the Pythagorean
Theorem.
ADAPTATIONS (Exceptionality*)
The student who is an English language learner will be provided with a worksheet create
worksheet prior to that days lesson with content specific vocabulary regarding triangles,
right triangles, perpendicular lines, legs, hypotenuse, and square root.
 The student who struggles with a learning disability will be given additional time to
complete the Exit Ticket.
DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

Struggling Students
The worksheet assigned to these students will involve computations of small numbers.
The teacher will place these students in a group to work collaboratively. The teacher will assist
each student individually to assess their comprehension of the topic and scaffold them to reach
the correct answers.

Average Students
The worksheet assigned to these students will involve computation of double-digit
numbers. The teacher will place them in a group and all of them will work collaboratively. The
teacher will monitor student's success of the worksheet, but allow them to complete the
problems on their own.

Advanced Students
The worksheet assigned to these students will contain questions that have greater
difficulty and are often found on Algebra Regents Exams. The teacher will place them in a group
and allow them to work collaboratively. The teacher will monitor this group, but allow them to
think and answer on their own.

ASSESSMENT

Students will complete a Pythagorean Theorem worksheet in groups based on academic

achievement levels.
Students will complete an Exit Ticket at the end of the lesson, achieving at least 3 out of
5 correct.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Following the lesson on solving for missing side of a right triangle using the Pythagorean
Theorem, students will create their own real-world word problem, draw a picture to represent it,
and apply the Pythagorean Theorem to solve for the missing side described. Teacher will provide
feedback based on the problem and its solution.
 FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND
ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

Direct Teacher Intervention

The teacher and student will, together, work on khanacademy.org
(URL:https://www.khanacademy.org/math/geometry-home/geometry-pythagorean-theorem) to
practice applying the Pythagorean Theorem to both mathematical and real-world word problems.

Academic Enrichment
The student will identify another proof to the Pythagorean Theorem using the website
Wolfram MathWorld (URL: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PythagoreanTheorem.html).
 References

English Language Arts (New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for

English Language Arts and Literacy) http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_

standards/pdfdocs/p12_common_core_learning_standards_ela.pdf

Mathematics (New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics).

Retrieved from http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/

pdfdocs/nysp12cclsmath.pdf

Pythagorean Theorem. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.khanacademy.org/math/geometry-home/geometry-pythagorean-theorem

Pythagorean Theorem. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PythagoreanTheorem.html

Science Of NFL Football: The Pythagorean Theorem. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://science360.gov/obj/video/d37dd34c-b721-4230-9931-27c663c208df/science-nfl-f

ootball-pythagorean-theorem
 Pythagorean Theorem Vocabulary Worksheet

Polygon
A closed plane figure for which all sides are line segments. The name of a polygon describes the
number of sides.
Triangle
A polygon with three sides.
Right Triangle
A triangle which has a right (90) interior angle.
Perpendicular
At a 90 angle. Note: Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals.
Leg of a Right Triangle
Either of the sides in a right triangle opposite an acute angle. The legs are the two shorter sides of
the triangle.
Hypotenuse
The side of a right triangle opposite the right angle. Note: The hypotenuse is the longest side of a
right triangle.
Pythagorean Theorem
An equation relating the lengths of the sides of a right triangle. The sum of the squares of the
legs of a right triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.
Square Root
A nonnegative number that must be multiplied times itself to equal a given number. The square
root of x is written or x. For example, since 32 = 9.
Name: Questions Correct:
Date: Total Questions:
Your Score:
Exit Ticket
1. Explain, in your own words, the proof for the Pythagorean Theorem. You may include
drawings and other mathematical computations.

2. A firefighter is called to get a cat down from a top of the tree. He has a 13 foot ladder and
places it 5 feet away from the base of the tree. The distance from the ground straight up to the
top of the tree is 13 ft. If the cat is at the very top of the tree, will the firefighter be able to reach
the cat? Include an illustration and label each part.

3. Is a triangle with sides 12 meters, 15 meters, and 20 meters a right triangle? Show all work.

4. Solve for the missing side: a + 7= 16. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

5. Matthew leaves anatomy lab at NYIT Med School to go home. He drives 9 blocks North and
24 blocks East. How far is Matthews home from the anatomy lab?