A complete, ready to teach GCSE maths lesson on Pythagoras’ theorem. Students learn to identify the hypotenuse, find missing sides in right angled triangles and apply the theorem to real problems. A consistent colour code runs through every diagram: the two shorter sides are teal and the hypotenuse is coral, so students always know which side is which.
- 30 slides
- About 60 minutes
- All answers included
- Teacher notes on every slide
- Editable diagrams
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What the lesson covers
- Learning objectives at three levels: must, should and could.
- Warm up on squares and square roots, the skills students need for the lesson, with answers.
- Key words (right angle, hypotenuse and legs) and a spot the hypotenuse activity with triangles in different orientations.
- Discovery: squares drawn on each side of a 3, 4, 5 triangle show that 9 + 16 = 25, leading to a² + b² = c².
- Finding the hypotenuse: two step by step worked examples, then three your turn questions with answers.
- Finding a shorter side: two worked examples, including decimals, and an add or subtract decision slide.
- Practice: six mixed questions with a full answer slide.
- Problem solving: the ladder problem, the distance between two coordinates, and checking whether a triangle is right angled.
- Exam style question (4 marks) on the area of an isosceles triangle, with an M1 and A1 mark scheme.
- Common mistakes, an exit ticket with answers and a key points summary.
Who it is for
GCSE maths, Foundation and Higher tier, and strong KS3 groups. The distance between two points slide links to Higher tier work on the distance formula and the equation of a circle.
Next lesson: continue with our premium trigonometry (SOHCAHTOA) lesson.
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More resources
Browse all premium PowerPoints, or find more teacher made slides in our free Pythagoras and trigonometry PowerPoints.