EDCP 342A Unit planning: Rationale and overview for planning a unit of work in secondary school mathematics

Your name: Xue(Snow) Wang
School, grade & course: Seaquam Secondary School, Grade 8, Mathematics

Topic of unit (NOTE: This should be a unit you will actually be teaching on practicum!):

Square and cube roots

Preplanning questions:

(1) Why do we teach this unit to secondary school students? Research and talk about the following: Why is this topic included in the curriculum? Why is it important that students learn it? What learning do you hope they will take with them from this? What is intrinsically interesting, useful, and beautiful about this topic? (150 words) Square and cubic roots are included in Math 8, a junior grade in secondary school, because they are the foundations of algebra, geometry, and measuring distances that cannot be measured directly. Also, it is a foundation for students to understand the area, volume, and the Pythagorean theorem afterwards. This topic is so crucial that learning square and cubic roots prepares them to build more and higher-level knowledge of radicals, quadratics, and exponent functions. I am looking forward to students learning how square and cubic relationships work through real-life examples, such as the architectural patterns that describe the world. Additionally, there is beauty in recognizing patterns like perfect squares and cubes, and usefulness in applying roots to real-world situations involving distance, area, and volume.

(2) A mathematics project connected to this unit: Plan and describe a student mathematics project that will form part of this unit. Describe the topic, aims, process and timing, and what the students will be asked to produce, and how you will assess the project. (250 words) The first one is called “Square Roots and Cube Roots Maze”. Students can try to finish this maze to better understand and remember square roots and cubic roots. They can find engagement with this project and, finally, design a maze for their classmates as well. Mazes for this particular topic are fast and easy. I use them at the beginning of class as bellwork. As I circulate the room, I can give students feedback and stamp their papers when they complete the maze accurately. This can provide students with more practice and build their fluency. With practice, they can gain much more confidence afterward. For the Pythagorean Theorem, students can work in groups of three to design a mini architectural model of a house or another architectural structure of their choice. They need to use the scaled measurements to design out the area and volume. Also, find out one of the unknown lengths by using the Pythagorean theorem. Students will produce a scaled diagram or physical model, a one-page explanation of where and why square/cube and square-root calculations were used, and a clear demonstration of the Pythagorean Theorem in their design.

(3) Assessment and evaluation: How will you build a fair and well-rounded assessment and evaluation plan for this unit? Include formative and summative, informal/ observational and more formal assessment modes. (100 words) Formative Assessment (Ongoing, Low-Stakes): Formative Assessment Exit Tickets: Short daily prompts (e.g., “Explain why √49 = 7,” “What does a² + b² = c² represent?”) to check conceptual understanding. Mini Whiteboard Checks: Students solve quick square-root or Pythagorean problems; the teacher scans for misconceptions. Practice Problems with Feedback: Not graded; feedback highlights accuracy, process, and mathematical communication. Summative Assessment (End-of-Unit): Quizzes after each part on square roots, cube roots, cubic roots, and the Pythagorean Theorem. Unit Test about some basic calculations with real-world problems involving the Pythagorean Theorem.

Elements of your unit plan:

a)  Give a numbered list of the topics of the 10-12 lessons in this unit in the order you would teach them. 

Lesson	Topic
1	Square
2	Cube
3	Square Roots
4	Cubic Roots
5	Review and Quiz
6	Pythagorean with relationships
7	Pythagorean Theorem
8	Pythagorean Theorem
9	Area and Diagonal with Pythagorean Theorem
10	Review
(11)	Unit Test
(12)