MultiMedia

Tools
Lesson Idea Name: Exploring the Pythagorean Theorem
Content Area: Math
Grade Level(s): 8th
Content Standard Addressed:
Georgia Standards of Excellence – Mathematics – 8th Grade – Geometry – Standard 6: “MGSE8.G.6 Explain a
proof of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse.” – Georgia Department of Education
Technology Standard Addressed:
“Innovative Designer: Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve
problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.” – International Society for Technology in
Education
Selected Technology Tool:
☒ Movie (list application): iMovie Creator app
☒ Audio (list application): Audacity
☐ Other: (list)
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):
Source of educational video clips: https://www.discoveryeducation.com
Source of background music: https://www.fesliyanstudios.com
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration

☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):
Some students may be more engaged by having content presented through a video, rather than a traditional
lecture. My audio file and movie will both have written transcripts posted with them so that students who are
hearing impaired will not miss content. In addition, the video file will be posted with textual descriptions of
the imagery used. Students with visual impairments can use text-to-speech software to listen to these
descriptions, so that they do not miss visually presented content. In this lesson, students will be working in
groups, so those who are more advanced can scaffold the learning of the others in their group. Students will
be given hands on manipulatives and graphing paper to aid visual and tactile learners in investigating the
problems. Students will choose the problems that they investigate, so they can choose problems that are
relevant to them. Students are able to present what they learned in a variety of ways: through drawings,
writing, and verbal explanation. Students have options in how they contribute to the project within their
groups (creating the transcript, speaking on the recording, contributing to the design, using the editing tools
to revise the product). Students are asked to create a product to teach someone with visual impairment, or
someone who is primarily an auditory learner, the proof of a theorem that is typically demonstrated primarily
through visual means. Hopefully, the created products will improve access for my students with visual
impairment or auditory learning styles, and challenge all of my students to study the theorem in more detail.
Lesson idea implementation:
This lesson is designed to take approximately 4 days.

Flipped classroom, to be completed prior to class: Students will be assigned to listen to the audio recording
and watch and/or listen to the video (supplementing if needed with the transcripts or descriptions of visuals)
of the Pythagorean Theorem before class.

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Day 1: When students come to class, I will assign them to groups of three or four and ask them to discuss
what they learned from the flipped classroom materials. I will ask each group to come up with answers to the
following three questions: (1) What characteristics does a triangle need to have in order for the Pythagorean
theorem to be applied? (2) For the Pythagorean theorem to be used, what rule needs to be followed when
labeling the sides of a triangle with the letters a, b, and c? (3) For one of the problems mentioned in the video,
or another your group comes up with, how might you solve the problem using the Pythagorean theorem? To
help with their visualization of the problems, students would be given graphing paper, rulers, and hands-on
manipulatives called AngLegs, which can be used to create triangles of various shapes and sizes (including
several right triangles). I will monitor each group’s progress, addressing any questions or concerns, and
making sure that all students are contributing and being welcomed to contribute by their group members.

In class discussion, I would call on groups to present the answers that they came up with for these questions,
allowing students to present verbally and/or visually, depending on preference. Each member of the groups
will be expected to contribute to the explanations. I would use this as an opportunity to identify any
misconceptions and reframe the questions for the class to help students revise their reasoning and provide
constructive feedback for their classmates.

Once students have come to a consensus about the answers to these questions, I will have students work
individually or with a partner (depending on preference). Each student will choose two cases that the class
had discussed to try and solve. They can state any reasonable values for the two sides of known length on the
right triangle to solve the equation to find the length of the third side. Students will be able to use calculators
in this task. Students who are visually impaired may use talking calculators. Students will present their
methods and findings to the class. I will end this class period by asking students to think about how the
Pythagorean theorem can be proven, providing them each with a copy of this image:

"Pythagorean Thm" by pboothe is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/97703875@N00/5078791998
*A tactile version of this drawing (made using a Hi-Mark tactile pen) will be provided to any students with
visual impairment.

Day 2:
As a class, I would have students discuss how they believe the Pythagorean theorem might be proven. They
can use the image that they were asked to consider to support their ideas, or they can discuss any other
methods they believe might work. The time spent on this discussion may vary depending on the students’
levels of spatial reasoning and the extent to which they considered the topic outside of class. In groups, I will
have students investigate how the theorem might be proven. I will provide them with AngLegs, graph paper,
rulers, scissors, and any other available classroom resources that they believe will aid their process
(protractors, etc). I will monitor each group, checking to make sure that they are progressing (and providing
scaffolding as needed for groups that are not).

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Any groups who have come up with a method may present it to the class, by whatever means they prefer. I
will encourage students to discuss what they have learned, and provide feedback to one another on their
methods. This class would end with me overviewing what the students had discovered, along with filling in
any potential remaining gaps in reasoning, to prove the Pythagorean Theorem using the method implied by
the above visual. I will let students know that in the next class, they will be working on a project in groups.
Each group will be creating an audio file that contains a complete and thorough proof of the Pythagorean
Theorem. For homework, I will ask students to consider how they would explain the theorem to someone
using just an audio recording.

Day 3:
During this class period, students will be working in groups of 4. They will have access to computers and be
shown how to use audio recording and editing software. They will have a chance to plan out how they are
going to structure their recording, the script they will use, and background music or sounds that they would
like to add (I would have some royalty free music and sound effects in a file for them to select from). If any
groups finish their project ideas, I will check to make sure that they included the required content and allow
them to begin creating their projects.

Day 4:
This class period will be used for students to finish their projects. Any groups who have finished can begin
another activity, such as a computer based educational game that addresses content standards in this unit.
After class, I will assess the students’ final products. With parent permission, I will post them to our class
webpage for others in our classroom community to access. If parents consent, I will also post these recordings
to a broader audience of teachers and students.

Students will be assessed throughout this lesson on participation in group, and individual, activities. Their final
products will be graded on the quality of presentation and the logical argument that is presented.
Importance of technology: Students will use the internet and home computers or electronic devices to access
the flipped lesson audio and video files prior to class. This project requires access to a tool that allows for the
recording and editing of audio files. Audio recordings make it possible to share student verbal presentations
outside the classroom. Editing technology allows students to properly sequence and revise their logical
arguments. Students can modify their content until it is presented the way that they think will best convey
their ideas. The completed student work will be shared online, with parental permission.
Internet Safety and Student Privacy: This project will involve student groups working together to create
audio recordings. Parent permission would be obtained before any students are recorded. No personally
identifiable information for any of the students will be recorded. If parents do not provide permission for
their child’s voice to be recorded, the student will still be able to contribute to the project through
contributions to the design, transcript, background music/sounds, and audio file editing. I will provide options
for background music and sound effects, so that students will not be doing an open search of the internet.
The final products will be shared to a classroom webpage. With parent permission, they will be made
available online as an educational resource for teachers and students.
Reflective Practice: I believe that student engagement will be improved by accessing the video prior to class,
so that they can consider what they learned from it. I want students to feel like they have a choice in how
they learn about the Pythagorean theorem. I try to offer them choices throughout the lesson. I encourage
students to share what they have learned and to learn from one another. I believe that group collaboration
aids in coconstruction of knowledge. I hope that this lesson will help students to think about differing learning
styles, and more fully consider their own learning style. After completing this lesson, I would proceed by
teaching the converse of the Pythagorean Theorem, while incorporating graphing software. Students will also
continue applying the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse in solving numerical problems.

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