Written by Alison Owens Mathematics – History – Reading – English - Philosophy Pythagoras was born in the island of Samos in ancient Greece1. No one knows for certain the exact year when he was born, but it is believed to be around 570 BC That is about 2,570 years ago!. Your quest is to find out more about this famous mathematician and the theorem named after him. You will discover how the Pythagorean Theory impacts our daily lives and what types of professionals might use this theorem in their work. You will travel back in time 2500 years and journey to the modern day. Pythagoras of Samos Time Travelers BEgin! ________________________________________ |
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| Below is a brief description of each activity you will encounter in this WebQuest. Remember, if you have any questions, the Guidance section has some helpful hints, and the Resources section has some useful Web sites. THE QUEST History Challenge 1 First, research the famous mathematician Pythagoras and write a report on his life and contributions to mathematics. Geometry Challenge 2 Now that you know what the Pythagorean theory is you will solve geometry math challenges using the theorem. Real World Challenge 3 You will research and describe three ways that professionals might use the Pythagorean theorem and give a sample of a problem each must solve in their profession THE PROCESS ________________________________________ Below is a detailed description of each challenge. History Challenge 1 Use the Internet to research the life and work of Pythagoras. What cultural issues of the day might have influenced his life? What were some of the connections he made between religion and math? What did you find most interesting about his life? You will write a report on his life and contributions, answering each of the questions above. The report should be a minimum of 8 paragraphs. You should use at least three references and document them in the paper. Geometry Challenge 2 Next, you will need to prove the Pythagorean Theorem. Using manipulatives (available in the classroom or online), graph paper, and other tools for measurement show why the Pythagorean Theorem works in three examples. Tell which types of learners might understand or learn better from the different examples. Create a puzzle or math lesson for teaching the Pythagorean Theorem. • You may use physical manipulatives available in the classroom or design a pictorial using graphic animation or other methods available on the internet. • Show a minimum of three methods for demonstrating the theorem and represent them with geometric drawings. • Use measurement tools to show the Pythagorean Theorem at work in our every day lives. What type of real world problem could one solve by knowing the theorem? • Review the NC Learning Styles, previously discussed in class, to assist you in understanding which method of teaching the theorem might appeal to each learner type. Real World Challenge 3 Use the Internet to research the uses for the theorem. Research what careers or professions might use the theory in their job. Write a description of the career or profession and give a real world example of a problem each profession might solve with the theorem. • In finding the careers consider first what professions use geometric math. • Research on line, send emails to professions (with your parents approval) and find other ways to come up with a real world examples. • Once you provide a real world example show how you would solve it. ________________________________________ Guidance If you are having difficulties with a particular challenge, take a look at some of the helpful hints below. History Challenge 1 a. When writing your report, be certain to include an introduction and a conclusion. Moreover, be sure to properly cite any information you take from the Internet. b. When writing your report, remember to discuss who Pythagoras was and what he did. Describe the culture he lived in and give a few interesting facts about him other than coming up with the Pythagorean Theorem Geometry Challenge 2 a. You may want to look at sample lessons in the Glencoe Text Book for ideas. b. You may want to use an online puzzle making program. Sources below. c. Hand drawn examples are fine. Graph paper, rulers and colored pencils can be useful tools in presented your ideas. Real World Challenge 3 a. You will also want to site your references and write a clear and concise report for this challenge. b. You can include pictures and drawings to clarify ideas and demonstrate how to solve the problems. ________________________________________ INTERNET RESOURCES Listed below you will find some helpful Web sites. You are not, however, limited to these Web sites. You are encouraged to find your own research sites. General Resources Yahoo Yahooligans History Resources Stanford Encyclopedia www.historyforkids.org.html Math Resources cut-the-knot cienceworld.wolfram.com www.glencoe.com www.awesomelibrary.org discoveryeducation Labor Resources www.bls.gov (department of labor) www.glencoe.com/sec/math/geometry/geo/geo_04/careers/index.php// ________________________________________ Welcome back time travelErs You Did It! You have finished your journey through time and learned how math concepts we use today were discovered thousands of years ago. Isn't it amazing how math can be found in every dimension of life? Now when your classmates ask – Why do I need to learn this? You can tell them about how it is used in different professions (some great paying ones at that). Through your hard work, you have experienced what it is like to teach a math concept. Congratulations on completing these challenging tasks! Virginia SOL Standards for 8th Grade Geometry 8.8 The student will apply transformations (rotate or turn, reflect or flip, translate or slide, and dilate or scale) to geometric figures represented on graph paper. The student will identify applications of transformations, such as tiling, fabric design, art, and scaling. 8.9 The student will construct a three-dimensional model, given the top, side, and/or bottom views. 8.10 The student will a) verify the Pythagorean Theorem, using diagrams, concrete materials, and measurement; and b) apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the missing length |
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| PYTHAGOREAN THEORY WEBQUEST |
