Dividing Into Squares Activity
Click on the picture for a video describing
a great activity to kick of the unit.
A thinking task that promotes
precision, and perseverance.
Handout
Unit One Warm-up Sampler
I love starting class with a quick review,
interesting discussion, game, or challenge.
While these change based on the interests, strengths, and needs of students, here are a few that I have returned to with many classes.
Lesson 1: Discovering Squares
This lesson plan includes an intro video to kick off an investigation, link to square dot paper to draw and label the perfect squares discovered, a worksheet for guided note taking, and closing video to help consolidate learning. It aligns well with the first indicator of the unit which is students can represent a given perfect square as a square region, using materials such as grid paper or square shapes.
Learning Goal
Students will discover and model
the first 12 perfect squares.
They may also notice some patterns!
Lesson 2: Speaking Math
This lesson plan has students working first in groups to generate a list of perfect squares, then uses a video to begin conversations about the new terms and symbols that we use to describe these new ideas. Frayer Model templates, and other support materials are provided so that students can use symbols and terms to communicate their knew and developing knowledge about perfect squares and their square roots.
Learning Goal:
Students will be able to generate a list of perfect squares. They can define perfect square and square root. Students will be able to read and use a radical sign and power notation to descirbe perfect squares and find square roots.
Lesson 3: Finding Factors
This lesson plan has students using square tiles (and any other methods they have) to find the factors of numbers. We connect factors to side lengths of rectangles and notice how the factor lists of perfect squares differ from factor lists of other numbers. There is an intro video, sets of numbers that groups can choose between in order to have an appropriate level of challenge, and a wrap up video.
Learning Goal:
Students will be able to use strategies to generate a complete list of factors for a number.
Students will discover that perfect squares have an odd number of factors, the factor in the middle of the list is the square root. Non perfect squares have an even number of factors.
Lesson 4: Prime Factorization
In this lesson students will be writing the prime factorization of lots of numbers. Hopefully they will notice how the prime factorization of a perfect square differs from other numbers. This lesson plan includes a intro video, a wrap up video and handouts for consolidation.
Learning Goal:
Students will be able to write the prime facatorization of a number.
They will be able to idenitfy a perfect square
from a number’s prime factorization.
Square or Not Assignment
This assessment piece serves to consolidate the learning up to this point. Students are asked to choose a perfect square and a non perfect square from a given list, then use the methods discussed so far to prove their labels are valid. This aligns well with the third indicator for this outcome: Determine whether or not a given number is a perfect square, using materials and strategies such as square shapes, grid paper or prime factorization, and explain the reasoning.
Perfect Squares Scavenger Hunt
Want to reinforce concepts so far? Connect new learning to concepts like area and perimeter? Have pictorial and symbolic representations in the mix? Try this scavenger hunt. This file includes questions to post and an answer sheet for students.
Learning Goal:
Students will be able to find squares and square roots of numbers, find squares from their prime factorization, and answer related perimeter and area problems while reviewing
new terms and symbols.
Perfect Squares Group Presentation
Discussing and presenting solutions in groups can really help students support each other in solidifying concepts. Try this activity if your students need a little more time consolidating learning to date.
Learning Goal
Students will be able to find the square root of large perfect squares, use square roots to answer questions on area and perimeter, and use the prime factorization of a number to determine whether or not it is a square.
JoAnn Sandford Math 