Small Group Activity – Lesson Plan

POP Cycle Lesson Plan – Estrada

By now, my students have taken the pre-assessment quiz and have been taught both methods of simplifying
radicals. This lesson will mainly focus on the small group dynamic and how the students will work together to
collaborate and practice simplifying radicals.

Opening: We will be going over the homework from the previous night and working out questions with the students
if they require it. I usually get asked to complete 2-3 problems for my students on a daily basis.

Body: I will be placing the students in groups of 3. There will be a mathematically strong student, an average
student, and a struggling student making up each small group. I have noticed that this dynamic has resulted in
positive results for my students already this semester. Many of the more shy and reserved students have begun to
ask more questions and are being more involved in classroom activities and lessons. They will be asked thought
provoking questions and even some problems for them to complete as a group. This small-group activity should
emphasize the proper steps and reinforce the ideas of simplifying radicals to my students.

Closing: Once completed, some of the small groups will share their answers with the rest of the class. We will utilize
this time to answer any questions students may still have or to clear any confusion as well.
Small Group Activity – Lesson Plan

Group Member A: The Writer

Group Member B: The Calculator
Group Member C: The Presenter

1. What have we learned about square roots this week?

2. Simplify √𝟒 and explain your reasoning in detail. Then do the same for √𝟗, √𝟏𝟔, and √𝟐𝟓.

3. Group Member B and Group Member C will find the decimal equivalent of their expression and
compare it with their partner’s decimal. [Use the calculator on your Chromebook]

Group Member B Group Member C

√𝟑 ∙ 𝟓 √𝟑 ∙ √𝟓
√𝟔 ∙ 𝟒 √𝟔 ∙ √𝟒
√𝟕 ∙ √𝟓 √𝟕 ∙ 𝟓
√𝟏𝟖 𝟑√𝟐

4. What did you notice about each side of the table? What other observations can be made?
Small Group Activity – Lesson Plan

5. In mathematics, we often represent an expression in different ways but the different

representations do not change the value of the expression. Write the following expressions in
different, yet equal, ways.

a) √𝟒 ∙ 𝟐 b) √𝟏𝟐 c) √𝟏𝟓

6. Why were we able to represent √𝟏𝟐 with a whole number outside the radical but not √𝟏𝟓?

7. A square root in simplest form is one in which the radicand has no perfect square factors other
than one. Simplify the following radical expressions with your group.

a) √𝟐𝟎 b) √𝟒𝟓 c) √𝟕𝟐 d) √𝟏𝟐𝟎

8. What strategies did you use to simplify these square roots? Is there more than one way to simplify
radicals?

9. Discussion Questions: How do you know whether a square root is fully simplified?
Why do you think we simplify square roots into their simplest form?