Discovering the Beauty of Math Remotely

Many at Parker are familiar with the innovative ways Upper School mathematics teacher Vicki Lee integrates technology into her geometry classes. These past months of remote learning have provided her and her students an opportunity to stretch their mathematical mindsets well beyond the classroom by taking a closer look at a pair of Greek philosopher Pythagoras’ well-known discoveries.

 

After proving the Pythagorean theorem using similar triangles, Lee shared a YouTube video that depicted both a visible and tangible proof of the theorem. As an optional assignment, she asked her students to create their own original proof videos or recreate a proof inspired by someone else. Some of the student work is available below.

 

Lee also introduced the concept of the Pythagorean spiral while exploring concepts of geometry using a compass. In one project, she asked students to use a compass to create a spiral of right triangles constructed on the hypotenuse of the previous right triangle and to creatively color their products. Student Pythagorean spirals are available here.