Name: Kelly DeNu
Contact Info:
denuk@goshenlocalschools.org
Lesson Title: Researching the Pythagorean Theorem
Activity Title: Pythagoras WebQuest
Worksheet Title: Pythagoras WebQuest
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Unit #:
3
Lesson #:
2
Date:23-Jul-13
Activity #:
1
Worksheet:
a
Name:_________________________________________________Date:__________Period:______
Pythagorean Theorem Webquest
(Adapted From http://pberlin.com/pythagoras.htm)
Use this data collection sheet and the online resources to answer question about
the Pythagorean Theorem.
Task 1. Find out facts about Pythagoras.
1. Where and when was Pythagoras born? Did he live there all his life? How old was he when he
died?
2. What pursuits did Pythagoras dedicate his life to?
3. Where did he get his schooling?
4. According to Pythagoras, how could the world be best understood?
5. In what other science did the make a contribution and what was it?
6. What were the members of Pythagoras' Philosophical and Religious School expected to do?
7. Pythagoras had several rules for his members. What were some of the rules?
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Pythagoras.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras
http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/pythagor.htm
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pythagoras/
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Pythagoras.html
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/science/math/pythagoras.htm
Task 2: Using Pythagorean Theorem in real life:
1. How did the ancient Egyptians use a rope to measure 90 degree angles?
2. How is the Pythagorean Theorem used by carpenter’s when they are building structures?
Egyptian angle method:
http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~demo5337/Group3/hist.html
Carpenter’s Method:
http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~hipp/app2.html
http://www.carpentry-pro-framer.com/pythagorean-theorem.html
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Task 3: Demonstrate a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem
The following link has 72 different proofs of the theorem. Choose one you understand and explain it to the
class.
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/index.shtml
Here are some more links with proofs and explanations:
http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMT668/emt668.student.folders/HeadAngela/essay1/Pythagorean.html
http://mathforum.org/isaac/problems/pythagthm.html
http://standards.nctm.org/document/eexamples/chap6/6.5/index.htm
http://www.math.hmc.edu/funfacts/ffiles/10007.2.shtml
http://www.sunsite.ubc.ca/LivingMathematics/V001N01/UBCExamples/Pythagoras/pythagoras.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/proof/puzzle/theoremsans.html
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