The Pythagorean Theorem

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Henri Picciotto

Links to activities you can use to preview, introduce, or review the Pythagorean theorem.

On the geoboard or dot paper:
Geometry Labs, 8.4 to 9.4 — a whole unit: an exploration of the areas of tilted squares leads to the Pythagorean theorem and to a better understanding of radicals.
A philosophical discussion of the above.

On grid paper — breaking down a proof into images, step by step.

Online:
Puzzle — arrange the pieces to show `a^2+b^2`, then rearrange to show `c^2`.
Animation 1
Animation 2
Animation 3
For maximum impact, only show the animations after having done some of the preceding work.
Guided inquiry: The Three Triangles, a proof of the theorem based on similar triangles.
Teacher Notes
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