Objective: Students will
be able to use the Pythagorean theorem to solve for the value of the third side
of a right triangle.
This internet site
provides 40 different proofs of the Pythagorean theorem:
www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/index.shtml
Proof #5 was discovered by President James Garfield in 1876. Proof #16 is ascribed to Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). Some proofs may be difficult to understand, but proof #36 is recommended for solving by middle and high school students.