Lesson Title: Rewriting Rational Exponent and Radical Expressions Course: Algebra II Unit 6

Date: _____________ Teacher(s): ____________________ Start/end times:

_________________________

Lesson Standards/Objective(s): What mathematical skill(s) and understanding(s) will be developed? Which
Mathematical Practices do you expect students to engage in during the lesson?

N.RN.A.1 Explain how the definition of the meaning of rational exponents follows from extending the properties of
integer exponents to those values, allowing for a notation for radicals in terms of rational exponents.
N.RN.A.2 Rewrite expressions involving radicals and rational exponents.

MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
MP6: Attend to precision.
MP7: Look for and make use of structure.
MP8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Algebra II, Unit 6

Lesson Launch Notes: Exactly how will you use the
first five minutes of the lesson?
Have students complete the “Laws of Exponents
Review Warm Up” and discuss their answers either in
small groups or as a class. (MP1 and MP7.)
Lesson Closure Notes: Exactly what summary activity,
questions, and discussion will close the lesson and connect
big ideas? List the questions. Provide a foreshadowing of
tomorrow.
As an exit ticket, have the students list as many ways as
5
they can to represent 4n . 3

This information will give insight into their understanding

of rational exponents and how they relate to previous
exponent knowledge.

Lesson Tasks, Problems, and Activities (attach resource sheets): What specific activities, investigations,
problems, questions, or tasks will students be working on during the lesson? Be sure to indicate strategic
connections to appropriate mathematical practices.

1. Divide students into groups to complete the “Who’s Right?” Activity. Have groups complete question 1 then
discuss as a class. Be sure to review the relationship between radical form and rational exponent form. (MP1 and
MP2).

2. Have groups complete questions 2 and 3. Have groups explain their reasoning in determining the correct
expression for each. (MP1, MP2, MP3 and MP7)

3. Students can complete question 4 independently. Check answers. Then complete the challenge question (MP6,
MP7 and MP8)

Evidence of Success: What exactly do I expect students to be able to do by the end of the lesson, and how will I
measure student success? That is, deliberate consideration of what performances will convince you (and any outside
observer) that your students have developed a deepened and conceptual understanding.

Students will be able to convert between radical expressions and expressions with rational exponents.
Students will be able to identify common misconceptions when converting.

HCPSS Secondary Mathematics Office (v2.1); adapted from: Leinwand, S. (2009). Accessible mathematics: 10 instructional shifts that raise student
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Lesson Title: Rewriting Rational Exponent and Radical Expressions Course: Algebra II Unit 6
Date: _____________ Teacher(s): ____________________ Start/end times:
_________________________
Notes and Nuances: Vocabulary, connections, anticipated misconceptions (and how they will be addressed), etc.

Laws of Exponents: were originally taught in Math 8 and Algebra 1. They are reviewed at the beginning of the
lesson.

Students may have the following misconceptions:

Including/not including the constant in the base
Reversing the numerator and denominator of the rational exponent when writing the radical expression.

Resources: What materials or resources are essential Homework: Exactly what follow-up homework tasks,
for students to successfully complete the lesson tasks or problems, and/or exercises will be assigned upon the
activities? completion of the lesson?

Law of Exponents Review Warm Up To be determined by the teacher.

“Who’s Right?” Activity
Calculators

Lesson Reflections: How do you know that you were effective? What questions, connected to the lesson
standards/objectives and evidence of success, will you use to reflect on the effectiveness of this lesson?

How are radicals related to rational exponents?

How can problems involving rational exponents be solved?
When is it useful to use one format instead of the other?

Howard County Public Schools Office of Secondary Mathematics Curricular Projects has licensed this
product under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

HCPSS Secondary Mathematics Office (v2.1); adapted from: Leinwand, S. (2009). Accessible mathematics: 10 instructional shifts that raise student
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.