Perfect Squares and Square Roots

Strand: Number
Outcomes: 1 and 2

Step 2: Determine Evidence of Student Learning

Guiding Questions

What evidence will I look for to know that learning has occurred?
What should students demonstrate to show their understanding of the mathematical concepts, skills and Big Ideas?

Using Achievement Indicators

As you begin planning lessons and learning activities, keep in mind ongoing ways to monitor and assess student learning. One starting point for this planning is to consider the achievement indicators listed in the Mathematics Kindergarten to Grade 9 Program of Studies with Achievement Indicators. You may also generate your own indicators and use them to guide your observation of the students.

The following indicators may be used to determine whether or not students have met the specific outcome for demonstrating and understanding perfect squares and square roots. Can students:

represent a given perfect square as a square region, using materials, such as grid paper or square shapes?
determine the factors of a given perfect square and explain why one of the factors is the square root and the others are not?
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?
determine the square root of a given perfect square and record it symbolically?
determine the square of a given number?

The following indicators may be used to determine whether or not students have met the specific outcome for approximating square roots. Can students:

estimate the square root of a given number that is not a perfect square, using the roots of perfect squares as benchmarks?
approximate the square root of a given number that is not a perfect square, using technology; e.g., calculator, computer?
explain why the square root of a number shown on a calculator may be an approximation?
identify a number with a square root that is between two given numbers?

Sample behaviours to look for related to these indicators are suggested for some of the activities found in Step 3, Section C, Choosing Learning Activities.