The Pythagoras Dragon

The Pythagoras Dragon builds math learning skills in algebra and geometry for middle school students.

Using the chess grid to teach a twelfth-century proof of the Pythagorean theorem by the Indian mathematician Bhaskara II, the math lesson is communicated in simple, clear, and plain English through a cartoon fairytale about the ancient Chinese emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty.

Information for Parents and Teachers

Written and edited by professional math teachers, the educational content gives middle school students in U.S. grade 8 and higher (about 12 years old and up) a carefully designed math lesson on geometry through “think alouds” in the cartoon story, covering important strategic areas of geometry education associated with squares and triangles.

The Pythagoras Dragon enables middle school students to benefit from a fuller understanding of what the statement a^2 + b^2 = c^2 actually means as a practical application and why the Pythagorean theorem works, and explores the underlying logic of why Pythagoras’s theorem makes sense.

The math content is aligned with the U.S. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum Focal Points.

The integrated chess pattern is adapted from the Dragon Variation of the Sicilian defense game played between Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov and Richard Webb at the Lloyds Bank Chess Tournament in 1977.