Proving the Pythagorean Theorem

Schedule: This is a 1-hour class.

Format: Lecture with some class participation. We will learn concepts and practice them to attain the mastery we can in a short time. No grading; homework is optional.

Cost: $20 per person for a group class of 4 or more students; $70 for one-on-one tutoring.

Payment options: Payments can be made via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, cash, or check.

Materials: Pencil and paper. We’ll use free worksheets on the Internet for homework and supplements, if need be.

For more details or to schedule a class, contact Michael by email at michaelgold@goldams.com or by phone at 281-770-2276.

Class Description.

Memorizing is not, alone, knowledge of anything. “It’s from an authority” or “my teacher said” is not a validation. And neither of those things teach us how to think, how to know truth, how to learn on our own — which we each need so we can live well, grow and develop and improve, help our friends, do well at work, help others (and ourselves!) with mistakes, and make a better society.

We need to know how to know. We need to know why things are true, we need to know some logic, and we need to make logic and that “why” a habit in our minds. And we do that one step at a time. This class is one of those steps.

So we’ll do that with the Pythagorean Theorem. We’ll learn why it’s true, so we know for sure, by doing some proofs of it. How much we do depends on the class and their rate of retention and learning. We’ll do one proof at minimum, but maybe three or four if we can.

This class will of necessity be lots of lecture on my part, and lots of note-taking and thinking on yours. Learning proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem and learning how logical proof works is endeavor worth pursuing, and an accomplishment worth achieving — and an accomplishment that helps us do better in other areas of life and thought.

Learning Goals.
To be able to prove the Pythagorean Theorem.
To know why proofs are important.
To know how to do a logical validation.

“Never before was my son as motivated and interested in a course. It was a delight to see and fun to hear him share about the lessons without prodding 😄”
–Paula L., parent, about the Outschool class “High School Geometry, Semester 1,” 2 Jan 2022

“This class helped my son prepare for 9th grade Geometry Honors. He felt the teacher was very prepared, extremely knowledgeable, worked at a good pace for understanding and was thorough. There was time for questions and help if needed. He enjoyed taking this class.”
–Laura S., parent, about the Outschool class “Summer Geometry Preview/Review, Session 1,” 22 Aug 2021

“Great overview of what geometry class will be like in the upcoming school year. It teaches you how to think about geometry, and the importance of logic and systematic thinking in general.”
–Gita S., parent, about the Outschool class “Summer Geometry Preview/Review, Session 1,” 28 Jun 2020