| Discussion: | All Topics |
| Topic: | activitiy ideas for the Pythagorean Theorem |
| Post a new topic to the General Discussion in Math 7 discussion |
| ||||||||
| Subject: | RE: activitiy ideas for the Pythagorean Theorem |
| Author: | Davem |
| Date: | Apr 23 2008 |
 |
|
(a) Draw right angled triangles and squares on their sides, measure lengths,
calculate areas, have students work out what's going on.
(b) Draw polygons on square dot paper (vertices always on dots). Investigate
the relationship between their area, the dots inside the polygon and the dots on
the perimeter (Pick's Theorem) Then, having done this, have them draw right
angled triangles on the grids, & use Pick's theorem to find the areas of the
squares drawn on the sides. Voila - they can work out Pythagoras again.
(c) Draw a large square. Divide each side into lengths a & b, draw triangles
in each corner with sides a, b, and diagonal c creating a square in the centre
with area c^2. Do the necessary algebra to work out Pythagoras' Theorem.
(d) Show the video 'The Story of One' - some good discussion of mathematical
history there with a great bit about Pythagoras (my grade 7 students, and I,
loved it and it comes back into class all the time)
(e) Pythagorean triples - they're great.
(f) Research the Egyptian rope-stretchers
http://www.themathlab.com/Algebra/lines%20and%20distances/pythagor.htm (I've no
idea how good the book is but that's the page I got from a quick Google
search)
That should get you started
David
| |||||||
| Post a new topic to the General Discussion in Math 7 discussion | |||||||
| Visit related
discussions: Math 7 Activities | |||||||