Andrea Colvin

EDMA 657
Lesson Plan
June 3, 2016
LESSON PLAN

Teacher: Andrea Colvin Subject/Lesson Title: Distance Formula Grade: 8th Grade Time: 50-
55 minutes

Curriculum Context/References:

Van De Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2013). Elementary and middle
school mathematics: Teaching developmentally (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Alaska State Standards:

Understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem.

8.G.6. Explain the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse.
8.G.7. Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine unknown side lengths in right triangles in
real-world and mathematical problems in two and three dimensions.
8.G.8. Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance between two points in a coordinate
system.

Short Term Learning Targets/Objective(s) for This Lesson:

When given a set of two coordinate points, students will find the distance between the two
points using the distance formula (x1-x2)2+ (y1-y2)2.

Academic Language Objectives:

Pythagorean Theorem: In a right angled triangle the square of the long side is equal to
the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
Coordinate plane: The plane containing the "x" axis and "y" axis.
Distance Formula: (x1-x2)2+(y1-y2)2
Coordinate pairs: (x,y)

ASSESSMENT PLAN

Pre-Assessment:
See pre-assessment attachment. This assessment will show if students know how to find the
distance when given two coordinate pairs. There is also a question asking them to state the
distance formula and for an explanation of how to find the distance between the two points. This
assessment will be given prior to the start of the lesson, possibly the day before so that you can
review the status of the class on the knowledge of the distance formula.
Formative Assessment:
Throughout this lesson, I will be asking questions to see if children are understanding the
concept. Some of these questions will be:
How do you find the height of the triangle, length?
How are you using the Pythagorean Theorem to find distance?
Does it matter how you find the difference between the points? Does the order matter?

Summative Assessment:
Students will take post-assessment quiz in the same format as the pre-assessment quiz. This
will let me know if they can meet the learning objective. The students will show that they can
find the distance between two coordinate pairs and explain how it works.

Student Voice/Student Self-Assessment:

I can find the distance between two points on a coordinate plane.

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
Behavior Expectations:
1. Be respectful of others ideas
2. When one person talks, others should listen
3. Everyone contribute
4. Try to answer questions with the group before asking the teacher
5. Quiet voices

Activating Prior Knowledge:

By this point, the students have already learned the Pythagorean Theorem in previous lessons.
This lesson would come in sequence after the students have learned the Pythagorean
Theorem. To activate prior knowledge, display a picture of a triangle, image 1, that has two
known sides and ask them how to find the third side. Most students should recall the formula by
stating a2+b2=c2. For further prompting, ask why it works. Students should be able to state that if
the sides were made into squares, they would all touch corners. Display image 2 to give
students the visual of why this works.

Image 1. Image 2.
For a quick formative assessment review, show image 3 and 4 one at a time and have them
display the results on a personal white board. If students incorrectly answer the problem, spend
time to make sure they understand how to solve for a missing side.

Image 3. Image 4.

Communicating Learning Targets:

Today we are going to learn about the distance between two points on a coordinate plane. By
the end of the day, you will be able to use what you learn to find the distance between two
points in real life!

Learning Experiences:

Time Teacher Tasks Student Tasks

1. Go through Activating
5 minutes Prior Knowledge procedure to Students at desks
remind students about answering questions about
Pythagorean Theorem. Pythagorean theorem.
2. Show figure 1 on the
projector. Students may guess, it is
a. Ask, how do I find the ok if they are quiet.
distance between the
two points?
b. Draw a line from one
point to the other and
then to the x-axis to
make a right triangle.
c. Ask, What about now, Students will say to use the
5 minutes how can I find the Pythagorean theorem.
distance between
these two points?
d. How do I find the The students will say to
length of these two count the squares to see the
sides? height and length.
e. Write in height and
length and find the
 distance between two
points.
3. Show figure 2 on the
projector.
a. Ask, how do I find the Use the Pythagorean
distance between theorem again.
these two points?
b. This triangle doesnt
have a point at (0, 0)
so they cannot just use
the x-axis to make a
right triangle. Go across until it lines up
c. How can I make a with the next point, then go
triangle? down to meet it.
d. Draw in right triangle
on the grid.
e. How tall is this end?
f. Write in both lengths Students respond to height
when students give and length.
distance.
g. Find the distance
between the two using
the Pythagorean
Theorem again.
4. Administer Distances on
coordinate plane practice Students working on
sheet for students to do. worksheet.
a. Walk around room to
see how they are
5 minutes solving the problems.
b. If students get stuck,
be sure they are
making a right triangle
so that they can see
the connection.
c. If students have
completed the
worksheet, prompt to
see if they can make a
connection with the
numbers on the
coordinate points to
the length of the sides.
 5. After all students have
completed the practice sheet,
bring attention to front.
a. Display the practice
sheet on the projector.
b. Ask for student's Students answering
answer to number 1. prompting questions.
Ask them to give all
side lengths.
5 minutes c. What do you notice
about the points and
the side lengths?
d. Do you notice anything
about both the x
values?
e. How about the y The height is the difference
values? in both they y values
f. Keep prompting until
they see that the The length is the difference
length is the difference in both the x values.
in x values and height
is the difference in y
values.
g. Lets check number 2
to see if it is true.
h. Go through each
question and allow
students to see that
each is the difference
between the x and y
values.
6. Write the Pythagorean
Theorem on the projector.
a. So if we were using
the Pythagorean
Theorem to find the
distance between the
two points, what can
we replace here to The distance is C
make a rule?
b. You said that the
length was the
difference in the x
10 minutes values, can we replace (x-x)=a
something here with
that information?
c. The height was the
difference in y values,
what can we replace
with that information?
d. Keep prompting (y-y)=b
students until they can
replace a2+b2=c2 with
(x1-x2)2+ (y1-
y2)2=Distance2.
e. This can also be
written as: (x1-x2)2+
(y1-y2)2.
f. Have students go back
to their worksheet and
try their new rule with
one or two problems
they already did.
7. Write the distance formula on
the projector and hand out
Distances between two
coordinate pairs practice
sheet.
a. If students finish early,
give them the
5 minutes extensions problem to
solve.
b. If you notice that
students were
struggling during the Students independently
conversation, give working on practice sheet. If
them the they finish early, they will
accommodations work on extension problem.
worksheet and help
them see the rule that
the class just made
together.
8. When students have
completed the practice sheet,
bring attention to front again I used, (x1-x2)2+ (y1-y2)2. It
and go through worksheet finds the distance between
 with students explaining how both x-coordinates to form
they did the problems. one side of a right triangle
9. Tell students the rule they just and the distance between
made and have been both y-coordinates to form
5 minutes practicing is called the another side of a right
distance formula. It is used to triangle. The Pythagorean
find the distance between any theorem is then used to find
two points on a grid. It will be the hypotenuse or distance
very useful as you get into between the two points.
even harder math.
10. People also use the distance
formula to find how far the
distance on a map is. The
world is made up of
coordinate points.
a. Show a picture of the
world with a grid.
b. We will be solving a
real world problem
using the distance
formula.
11. Display the salmon derby
question on the projector and
read the question aloud. Students are independently
12. Hand out Salmon Derby working to solve the
Question to the students. problem.
a. As students work on
the problem, circulate
5 minutes the room to see if
students need help.
13. Bring students attention to the Students share how they
front and allow them to share solved the problem.
how they solved the problem.
Write on projector as they
explain their solutions.

Closure
1. Check for understanding: What can you tell me about the
7 minutes distance between two coordinate pairs? How do people use this in
real life?
2. Today you learned how to find the distance between two sets of
coordinate pairs using the distance formula.
3. I now want you to do this quick post-assessment as your exit
ticket. It looks very similar to the pre-assessment you took before
class.
4. Next time we will work with more coordinate plane activities.
Pre-Assessment

Name: _________________________

Find the distance between the two coordinate points.

1. Distance:___________________5 units

2. (4,6) (9,2) Distance:____________________41 or 6.41 units

3. What is the distance formula and how does it find the distance between two points?

The distance formula is (x1-x2)2+ (y1-y2)2. It finds the distance between both x-
coordinates to form one side of a right triangle and the distance between both y-
coordinates to form another side of a right triangle. The Pythagorean Theorem is then
used to find the hypotenuse or distance between the two points.

*Answers are bolded

Post-Assessment

Name: _________________________

Find the distance between the two coordinate points.

1. Distance:_____________________37 or 6.08 units

2. (5,7) (1,9) Distance:____________________20 or 4.47 units

3. What is the distance formula and how does it find the distance between two points?

The distance formula is (x1-x2)2+ (y1-y2)2. It finds the distance between both x-coordinates
to form one side of a right triangle and the distance between both y-coordinates to form
another side of a right triangle. The Pythagorean Theorem is then used to find the
hypotenuse or distance between the two points.

*Answers are bolded

Distances on coordinate plane

1. Distance:___________________________

2. Distance:___________________________

3. Distance:___________________________

4. Distance:__________________________
 5. Distances between two coordinate pairs

1. (2,3) and (1,2)

Distance: ___________________________

2. (4,9) and (7,4)

Distance: ___________________________

3. (5,3) and (2,4)

Distance: ___________________________

4. (8,5) and (3,9)

Distance: ___________________________
Accommodations: Distances between two coordinate
pairs
5. (2,3) and (1,2)

Distance: ___________________________
6. (4,9) and (7,4)

Distance: ___________________________
7. (5,3) and (2,4)

Distance: ___________________________
8. (8,5) and (3,9)

Distance: ___________________________
Extensions:

Peter and Amelio go to the same school, which is located at (0, 0) on a grid. Peter walks
9 blocks west and 2 blocks north to get home from school. Amelio walks 6 blocks north and 2
blocks west to get to his house from school. What is the distance between Peter and Amelios
house?

Distance: _____________________
Figures to project:

Figure 1. Figure 2.

Figure 3. Figure 4.
Salmon Derby Question:

Salmon Derby

The Sitka Salmon Derby kicks off May 28 and runs through June 5. The person who

catches the largest salmon wins $7,500. Right now, there is great salmon fishing out near

Biorka Island. If a fisherman's boat is in the harbor at (11, 15) and Biorka is at (2, 3) how far of a

boat ride will it be to get out to the island in miles?

Distance: ______________________