Lesson Title: Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems

Subject Area: 8th grade algebra

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify key information in a word
problem.
Students will be able to identify the hypotenuse and legs of a
right triangle.
Students will be able to use the Pythagorean theorem to solve
word problems.
Standards:
Domain- Geometry 8.G
Cluster- Understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem
Standard- 7. Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine
unknown side lengths in right triangles in real-world and
mathematical problems in two and three dimensions
Anticipatory Set:
Bell Work:
Find the hypotenuse of the triangle using the Pythagorean theorem.
Find the length of the missing leg using the Pythagorean theorem.
Lesson Activities:
Pythagorean Word Problem Notes
Describe two strategies for solving word problems.
Identify key information (which sides are given)
Draw a picture with the given information
Work on Examples 1-4 as a class
Ask students to identify key information from the
word problem.
Draw a picture and label the parts of the triangle that
are given.
Insert the given information into the Pythagorean
theorem formula and solve for the missing side.
Examples 5-8
Give the students the opportunity to solve these
problems on their own.
Have the students draw a picture with the given
information.
Students compare their drawings with a partner.

Continue solving for the missing side length.

Check that the students have successfully solved for
the missing length by having a student describe their
process and/or drawing their triangle on the board.

Examples 9 and 10
Students solve these problems on their own.
Check answers with teacher.
Answer must be correct in order to receive their
homework.
Closure: (If time)
Review the strategies for solving word problems. How do you know
which side is the hypotenuse? Whats the formula for the Pythagorean
theorem?
Evaluation: Students must check their answers with a teacher before
they receive their homework.
Resources: iPads, pencils, notesheets, calculator

Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems Notes

Strategies for Solving Word Problems

Directions: Solve each word problem using the Pythagorean theorem. Draw
pictures and show your work. Round each answer to the nearest tenth, if
necessary. Label your answers with the correct units.
1) The slide at the playground has a height of 6 feet. The horizontal distance of the
slide is 8 feet. What is the length of the sliding board?

2) Emilys cat is stuck in a tree. To rescue the cat, Emily places the base of a 10 foot
ladder 3 feet from the tree. Approximately, whats the height of the branch on which
the cat is stuck?

3) The diagonal of a rectangle is 25 inches and the width is 15 inches. What is the
length?

4) The distance between each consecutive base on a baseball diamond is 90 feet. If

Salvador Perez throws a ball from home plate to Omar Infante on second base, how
far does he throw the ball?

5) John leaves school to go home. He walks 5 blocks north and then 9 blocks west.
How far is John from the school?

6) A 13 feet ladder is placed 5 feet away from a wall. The distance from the ground
straight up to the top of the wall is 13 feet. Will the ladder reach the top of the wall?

7) A park is in the shape of a rectangle 10 miles long and 9 miles wide. How much
shorter is your walk if you walk diagonally across the park than along two sides of it?

8) Tim has let out 50 meters of kite string when he observes that his kite is directly
above Kylee. If Tim is 35 meters from Kylee, how high is the kite?

9) A 5 foot ramp is placed on the back of a truck to load a lawn mower. If the truck
bed is 4 feet high, how far away is the base of the ramp from the truck?

10) A 13 foot wire is stretched from the top of a pole to a stake 5 feet from the base
of the pole. How tall is the pole?