Differentiated Lessons 8th Grade

Aritz Cardenas
Math Concept: Pythagorean Theorem

Grade 8
CCSS.Math.Content.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.

Big Ideas: The Pythagorean theorem can and is used in real
life applications.

Tiered Lesson: Students will be divided into two groups based on their results of a
pre-test that tested their skills on solving numbers that were squared and dividing
numbers.
Group 1: Students will be in pairs to solve 12 problems that have them add
and subtract numbers that are squared. Examples of problems that will be
solved include the following:
(5
2
+ 4
2
, 7
2
+ 11
2
, 9
2
- 3
2
, 1.5
2
+ 3.2
2
, 6
2
-2.2
2
; 49-16)

Group 2: Students will be with teacher to go over rules of exponents, order of
operations, squaring numbers, and division. Problems include the following:
(3
2
=, 8
2
=, 1.5
2
=, 32, 3
2
+ 4
2,
9
2
- 3
2,
)

Academic Language Check: Guide students in changing their informal language or
playground words into academic language or scholar words. Discussion as a
whole class; then groups highlight phrases they used and write new words next to
the original ones. Chart the language on poster or word wall as shown below.
Two on top = square
Put the box over = square root

Debrief: Teacher will go over results of tiered lesson activities. Teacher will go over
a few problems to check for understanding. As students were working in pairs,
teacher will ask if there was any pair that wanted to ask any questions about the
practice activity. After questions (and going over a few problems), teacher will
transition to vocabulary instruction

Vocabulary Instruction: Using Marzanos vocabulary guide, students will develop
understanding of the meaning of a hypotenuse.

1. Write the word.
2. Rate your understanding of the word (1-4).
3. Talk with a partner and make predictions.
Lesson Goal #1: Understanding what is a hypotenuse and how to
solve them in right triangles.
4. Teach guides in developing a definition and examples.
5. Students write a sentence using the word and draw a picture.

Debrief of Vocabulary Instruction and Instruction on Pythagorean Theorem:
Teacher will use ELMO projector to go over the Pythagorean Theorem. Students
will copy down teacher activity on their notebook. Teacher will start of going over
student responses of hypotenuse. After discussion, teacher will clarify that a
hypotenuse is the longest side of a right triangle. Teacher will demonstrate how to
find the measurement of a hypotenuse by using the formula of a
2
+ b
2
= c
2
. Teacher
will start by drawing a triangle with the hypotenuse length being represented as c
and the other two sides as a and b. Teacher will then show how to solve for c
when a and b are given (by using a
2
+ b
2
= c
2
). This is known as Pythagorean
Theorem. Teacher will use classic example of solving for c by having a = 3 and
b = 4. Teacher will use another example using different examples.

Summarize what we have learned: Teacher will provide a worksheet with 9 right
triangles. Students will need to identify where the hypotenuse is located for each of
the triangles. Below each triangle, the lengths of a and b are stated, which
students are instructed to solve for c, the hypotenuse. Students must use the
Pythagorean Theorem to show their work.

Formative Assessment (Exit Ticket, Ticket Out the Door, Show What You
Know): Teacher gives students quarter sheet of paper with a right triangle. Given
are the side lengths 4 and 7. Students need to find the length of the hypotenuse and
show how they came with the solution.

Open Question: What types of everyday objects can we measure by using the
Pythagorean Theorem?
Expected Student Responses
o I cannot think of any every day triangles
o Mountains, peaks, architecture
Management:
Students talk in pairs and then share whole class. Teacher charts
ideas.

Open Question #2. What if I told you that a hypotenuse is also the diagonal line of a
rectangle. What types of everyday objects (rectangles) can we measure by using the
Pythagorean Theorem now?

Expected Student Responses
o TVs
o iPhones
o Paintings
Lesson Goal #2: Students will able to utilize the information they
learned about the Pythagorean Theorem and apply them to real-
world applications.
o Buildings
o Towers

Management:
Students will again talk in pairs and then share whole class. Teacher
charts ideas on ELMO projector.

Academic Language Check: Reviewing charts. Have we used our scholar words?
Did we write in complete sentences? Students self-edit.
- Make sure students are using new terms
o Hypotenuse
o Right triangle
o Pythagorean Theorem

Debrief: Discuss findings from students. Teacher will explain that electronics, such
as TVs, tablets, computer moniters, cell phones are measured by the hypotenuse,
not the length and/or the width. However, the length and the width are essential to
solving for the hypotenuse as learned from yesterdays lesson. Teacher will use
example of measuring a tablet (teacher will put under ELMO projector so all
students can see). Teacher measures length and width of tablet using a ruler. He
gets a length of 7 inches and a width of 5 inches. Teacher removes tablet from ELMO
and draws tablet on sheet of paper. He labels the length (which will be a)and
width (b). He draws the diagonal line (hypotenuse c) on the rectangle that is
representing the tablet. Teacher uses Pythagorean theorem to solve for hypotenuse.
7
2
+ 5
2
= c
2
. Solve for c. c
2
= 74, so c= 8.6. Teacher gets ruler and measures diagonal
length of iPad to confirm answer for c, and he should get 8.6 inches.

Summarize what we have learned: Complete paragraph frame about solving for
the hypotenuse of your or your partners cellphone screen (if students does not
have a cellphone, teacher will provide a picture of a typical cellphone screen that
they can measure with their ruler).

Paragraph frame example. We have learned about how we can use the Pythagorean
Therom to measure the screen size of a rectangular, electronic screen (such as a cell
phone). First, we need to measure the ___________ and the ____________ of the rectangle.
For my cellphone, I measured _____________________________________________________________.
Now that we found our measures for ___________ and ___________, we can now find the
______________________. We can find the ______________________ by using the Pythagorean
theorem. For my screen, I found out the diagonal of the rectangle, the
__________________, was ___________ inches because
__________________________________________________________________________________.

Formative Assessment: Teacher gives students quarter sheet of paper with a
rectangle. Given are the length of 2.8 and the width of 5.4. Find the hypotenuse using
the Pythagorean Theorem.

Differentiated Lessons 8th Grade

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Aritz Cardenas

Math Concept: Pythagorean Theorem

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