Lesson Plan

Mathematics Course: X 8th Math ___ Math 1 (9th) ___ Math 2 (10th)
Title of Lesson: Discovering Pythagoras (Created by: Amanda Sopko & Cindy Carpenter
with information from Connected)
Unit: The Powers That Be
Purpose within unit (include information to help place this lesson within the unit):
X Exploration ____ Direct Instruction ____ Culminating Task
Georgia Performance Standard: M8G2. Students will understand and use the
Pythagorean Theorem. a. Apply properties of right triangles, including the Pythagorean
Theorem. b. Recognize and interpret the Pythagorean Theorem as a statement about
areas of squares on the sides of a right triangle.
M8N1. Students will understand different representations of numbers including square
roots, exponents, and scientific notation. a. Find square roots of perfect squares. b.
Recognize the (positive) square root of a number as a length of a side of a square with a
given area.
Objective for This Class Period: Students will see the correlation between the length of a
side of a square and the area of that same square.
Essential Question(s): What is the correlation between the length of a square and the
area of the square? What is the Pythagorean Theorem and when does it hold?
Resources: Connected
Materials: Dot paper, The Pythagorean Theorem worksheet (all are attached), and a
straightedge and compass.
Timing outline:
5- Question Mixed Review (5 minutes)
Activator- Filling in Boxes with squares (10-15 minutes)
Activity- Finding the Area of squares (30-35 minutes)
Summarizer- Review finding the Area of a square and Triangle (3 minutes)
Assessment- TOTD (5 minutes)
5-Question Mixed Review (attached)
Lesson Guide:

Day 1
5-Question Mixed Review (attached)
Activating Strategy: Students are given dot paper with 12 empty boxes or squares
on it (attached-boxes). In these boxes students are to draw as many different
shaped squares that will fit. They will not fill up every box; some squares will be
drawn diagonal. Once they have finished have them turn the paper over and they
will find the squares they should have drawn in the boxes (attached-squares #2).
These pages can be front and back, at least that is what I do.
If students are having trouble on the filling in the boxes some questions you could
ask could be Do all of your squares have to be drawn with vertical and horizontal
lines? and, Is the box a square?.

On page #2 from above students must find the area of each square. Again, some
of these squares are diagonal. This is where you can review how to find the area
of a triangle. You will make triangles in the diagonal squares. Here you would
discuss how to find the Area of a square and a Triangle. Ask students what they
notice about the length of a side of the vertical squares compared to the area of
that square. Discuss results as a class. You will more than likely end Day 1 with
this page.
Summarizer- Review the formula for finding the area of a square and a triangle
with the students.
TOTD- Given another square, have the students find the area of the square
(attached-TOTD #1).
Day 2-4
Activator- start out the class by discussing the vocabulary at the top of the
Pythagorean Theorem Worksheet- listed below (leg, hypotenuse, and right
triangle). Have students write down what they think the meanings of the words
are and then discuss as a class.
Students are given a 3rd sheet of dot paper (attached-triangles 1) with 3 triangles
on the front. They are also given a 4th triangle (attached-triangles 2), which should
be the back of the 3rd sheet. They must draw squares off the sides of the triangles
to find the area of the squares and to find the length of each leg of the triangle. To
find the hypotenuse students will compute the same thing. Here is where they will
begin learning about square roots. Along with this sheet students will also get
The Pythagorean Theorem worksheet to complete at the same time (attachedPythagorean Theorem Discovery Worksheet).
For Special Education students or if you need to modify for any reason there also
are modified sheets for 2 pages of dot paper stated above (attached- triangles
mod 1 & 2). On these pages the squares are drawn off the sides of the triangles
for the students.
Students shouldnt have many problems finding the length of the sides of the legs
and the area of each leg. Where they will begin to struggle is finding the area of
the hypotenuse. This is where the compass comes in. This is a good teaching
moment if students arent quite sure how to use a compass and the importance of
the right angle.
On the worksheet, there are questions that guide the students to find the formula
of the Pythagorean Theorem. One thing to make sure the students do is utilize the
letters of a, b, and c in the table that they fill when they find the area and lengths
of the 3 triangles. This will help them in their discovery.
Summarizer- Review what the Pythagorean Theorem is and how or why it works.
TOTD- extra problems using the Pythagorean Theorem (attached-TOTD-#2).