WSU LESSON PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL

DESIGN
Teaching Intern(s): Lucas Winkler
School in which the lesson is being taught: University Preparatory Academy
Grade level of students for whom the lesson was developed: High School
Subject/content area(s) for the lesson: Geometry
Title of the lesson: Simplifying Radicals
Time needed for lesson: 1 hour
1. LEARNERS & LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

a) Engaging and Supporting Diverse Learners: The students should be exposed to

simplifying radicals. They will use the skills that they have learned to play the game of
bingo. Prizes will be given out to the students who call for bingo with the correct
answers.

b) Materials & Digital Tools Needed (InTASC 7, 8):

• BINGO worksheet (1 per group of students)
• DO NOW – attached to lesson, display on projector
• Overhead projector or smart board
• Writing utensil or bingo dots
• Prizes (Candy)

2. OUTCOMES & ASSESSMENT

a) State Standards and Student Outcomes—Learning Goals (InTASC 4, 5, 6):

 Standards:
• CCLS - Math: G.SRT.4
• Similarity, Right Triangles, And Trigonometry
• Prove Theorems Involving Similarity
• Prove theorems about triangles. Theorems include: a line
parallel to one side of a triangle divides the other two
proportionally, and conversely; the Pythagorean Theorem
proved using triangle similarity.
 Outcomes:
• SWBAT multiply & divide expressions that contain radicals to simplify
their answers.
• SWBAT rationalize the denominator of a number expressed as a
fraction.
• SWBAT use the distributive property to simplify expressions that
 contain radicals.
• Objectives for Differentiated Instruction
• When a problem is too difficult for the students, complete the
1st, 2nd, 3rd, … etc. steps until they understand what is being
asked of them. Refer to previous problems introduced to the
class to allow for them to see if they break the problem down
in to pieces, it becomes much easier to solve. The goal is to
have them complete these problems correctly, and most
importantly quickly. This will aid them in their standardized
tests.

b) Assessment and Evaluation—Evidence of Student Learning (InTASC 1):

 Teacher will formatively assess student’s ability to simplify radicals through

questioning in the opening & closing and walking about the room during the
exercise.
 Teacher will use a summative assessment through the game of bingo.
 Hook – Ask the students what they like to do for fun. Steer the conversation to
sports or games. Ask them different games that they have or do play with their
families that are able to be played by their entire family. (i.e. old, young, and
middle aged alike) Why do we play games? (Answers will vary, but the idea that I
want to impart to them is that games are a great way to take their minds off the
monotony of life and make it more fun.) The side effect that games can have is that
they can access different parts of the brain while still doing everyday school tasks.
This can help them retain important information that they can utilize later. (i.e.
standardized tests, homework, and questions their teacher asks) Ask them who has
played bingo before.

3. INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE

a) Introduction—Engaging Students, Activating Prior Knowledge, and

Setting Lesson Goals (InTASC 7, 8):
 Connect prior knowledge with the DO NOW (5 minutes)
• Discuss with class the rules of simplifying radicals.
• No radical can be in the denominator
• When adding 2 numbers with the same radical, add
the numbers outside the radical while keeping the
radical the same.
b) Instructional Procedure:
 Bring the class together in discussion about the DO NOW and discuss the
steps needed to solve: (10 minutes)

• The square root of 32 can be broken down using perfect squares.

 • When dividing radicals, multiply the denominator and numerator
by the same radical in the denominator

• When adding radicals, add the number outside the radicals while
keeping the radicals the same

• Ask the class what are similar and different in these 3 examples.
(They start out different, however they get to the same answer)
• Differentiate by simplifying the problem using a
smaller number under the radicand or harder by using
a larger number requiring more steps.

• Activity: (35 minutes)

• Pass out the game cards to each student or groups of students.
Make sure they all have a writing utensil to do their work and
mark their answers.
• Explain the rules of bingo. Once you write a problem on the
board, tell them they have 30 seconds to solve and mark their
answer before you will introduce the second problem.
• Differentiate the lesson easier by giving them 1
minute before moving on to the next question.
• Even if they are not done with the first problem, continue to the
next while keeping the original problem on the board. Attached to
 the end of this lesson plan are the problems you can introduce.
The 1st column can be used if there is need of differentiation to
make the problems simpler. The 2nd column introduces them to
newer material and is more difficult. The 3rd column is the
answers that they have on their bingo sheets. Keep these hidden.
• Once someone calls for bingo, have them read off their answers.
Give them a prize and continue with the same sheets until 3
students or groups call for bingo.
• Hand out fresh bingo sheets and have everyone start from scratch.

c) Technology as a Tool for Effective Teaching & Learning (InTASC 7, 8):

 Diana Gillams (Algebra4All) bingo sheets
 I will be using a smart board to write out the equations the students must
solve to complete their worksheet

d) Closure: (10 minutes)

 Once class gets close to the end of the period tell the class that this bingo
sheet & their work are their exit tickets for the day. Have them place their
names on both for credit. Then have the following questions asked:
• What are some of the basic facts & rules related to square roots?
(Answers will vary, but should encompass these two points)
• No radical can be in the denominator
• When adding 2 numbers with the same radical, add
the numbers outside the radical while keeping the
radical the same.

4. REFERENCES & RESOURCES

• Diana Gillams (Algebra4All) bingo sheets
• Dante Vogel’s previous lessons.
 DO NOW

1. Simplify the following radicals

What do these three problems have in common? Why?

5. PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY: Teacher Reflection

 Describe the portions/aspects of the lesson that worked well and why.

o This lesson was a derivation from a lesson I had written about the
Pythagorean theorem. The day called for it to be a little lighter due to a
horrible loss that the school body had experienced. The game of BINGO tied
together their previous knowledge while adding to it by now
adding/subtracting problems with radicals in them. This seemed to engage the
entire class and provided them with problems to help not only in solving
radicals, but also solving them quickly. This is a necessary and often forgot
skill that students of all ages need. Standardized tests have a definitive start
and end time. This means that not only do the students need to answer the
questions correctly, but also in the allotted time.

 Describe the portions/aspects of the lesson that did not go as planned and why.

o I did not write the problems out. I drew them from a hat and wrote them on
the board. This made it so that I was writing on the board more often than I
expected. Some of the students could fly through the problems and were ready
for new ones while I was off helping a student in need.

 Discuss what you would do differently next time to better support your students’
learning.

o I would have the problems either written out on flash cards that I could place
on the board, or set up a computer program that did the same. This would
allow for me to spend more time with my eyes on the classroom. In this lesson
most of my students understood how to do each problem, however, sometimes
they just needed a nudge to get the ball rolling. With my focus solely on them,
I could have been a better facilitator of knowledge during that time.

 Provide evidence from the lesson that allows you to determine whether or not
each of the outcomes for the lesson were met.

o These pictures provide evidence that, for the most part, the students
understood what was expected of them.