Idea Galaxy

Adventures in Junior High and Mathematics

Pythagorean Theorem

9 Ways to Make Teaching the Distance Formula Awesome

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Do you want to make your unit about distance formula awesome? I know, I know- silly question. Well, I’ve got you covered. The goal of this post is to share a bunch of low prep and awesome ideas for teaching and practicing with the distance formula. While this topic baffles some, armed with these ideas you’ll engage your students for sure.

We’ve got a variety of activity types for practicing the distance formula, as well including anticipatory sets, modeling and teaching, and extension ideas. (For more ideas on how to plan your instruction, check out the post “Teaching the Distance Formula Using I Can Statements”.) Now, let’s get started with the list of activities:

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13 Pythagorean Theorem Activities for Your Classroom

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Looking for ideas for teaching the Pythagorean Theorem? I’m so excited to share with you some of my favorite activities for this topic. This is one of my favorite things to teach all year, and it’s probably my favorite geometry topic of all time.

The Pythagorean Theorem is a very visual concept and students can be very successful with it. This list of 13 Pythagorean Theorem activities includes bell ringers, independent practice, partner activities, centers, or whole class fun. It also includes both printable and digital activities for the Pythagorean Theorem- so no matter how you’re having students practice, we’ve got you covered. [Read more…] about 13 Pythagorean Theorem Activities for Your Classroom

Teaching the Pythagorean Theorem Proof through Discovery

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Using a discovery lab to introduce students to the Pythagorean Theorem was an amazing way to kick off my Pythagorean Theorem unit. I’m excited to share with you exactly how we got hands-on with the Pythagorean Theorem proof and how it helped my students really understand this geometry concept. I’ll also share with you how I used foldable notes to introduce this unit to my students. [Read more…] about Teaching the Pythagorean Theorem Proof through Discovery

Teaching Pythagorean Theorem with I Can Statements

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Using I Can Statements when teaching about the Pythagorean Theorem has helped me really plan out my teaching while giving students a clear map of their learning. The Pythagorean Theorem is one of the culminating standards in my 8th grade class. It takes some of the other topics and concepts that we’ve learned and brings it all together. It involves concepts like square numbers, formulas, triangles, and coordinate graphs, among others. There are 3 Common Core standards dedicated to this theorem. Plus, it’s something that 8th graders can really get!

When I am planning my teaching for this topic, I like to chunk it out step by step with “I Can” statements. Then, I use those with students to help them keep track of their progress. Below I’ll share with you the “I can” statements I used to prepare & teach this unit, and how my students used them in their math interactive notebooks to reflect on their learning. [Read more…] about Teaching Pythagorean Theorem with I Can Statements

Friday Favorites: Pythagorean Theorem Drawing Activity

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Last week my students took their district benchmark assessments, so I was on the hunt for something fun and relevant for when they finished testing. I was so happy to come across a great activity from 123 Teach-Brittany Kiser that she had available as a freebie in her TPT store. Seeing that the topic fit perfectly with what we were studying, and gave them another way to practice applying the Pythagorean Theorem, I quickly downloaded her Pythagorean Theorem Drawing Project. And my students LOVED it.

Fri Favorites: Using th Pythagorean Theorem Drawing Project from 123 Teach-Brittany Kiser, a blog post at ideagalaxyteacher.com

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