B2.2 Understand and recall commonly used square numbers and their square roots.
Activity 1: The Length of a Side (Perfect Square and Square Root)
Using grid sheets, have students construct squares with different areas. The squares will be the cards of the game.
Note: The squares should have areas of 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121, 144, 225, 400, 625. Label the center of each square with its area.
Group the students into teams of 3. Copy (photocopy) all the squares for each team.
One student is the game master (GM). The other two members will be the players.
The GM hides the cards and shuffles them. Then they place one card on the table. The players must, as quickly as possible, say the dimensions of the sides of the square. The GM gives 1 point to the player who gives the correct answer the fastest. Alternate roles once all the cards have been played.
Variations :
- On each square add the length of the sides, the students must give the area (square numbers).
- Double the cards, those with area and those with side length so that the student works on perfect squares along with the square root.