Unit Plan for MYP Mathematics 4&5 Standard

UNIT 4
Topics Unit title MYP year Unit duration

5.1
4
Simplifying is a
change for the 20 hours
better
10.3

Key concept Related concepts Global context Exploration

Form Simplification, Globalization Exploring

Change and sustainability the inter­
connectedness
of human-made
systems through
consumption and
conservation

Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the unit

Conceptual understanding:
Forms can be changed through simplification.

Statement of inquiry:
Changing to simplified forms can help with analyzing the effects of
consumption and conservation.
In this unit students will explore the concepts of form, simplification and change by
looking at different forms of irrational numerical expressions. Topic 5.1 on radicals
has the conceptual understanding statement: “Forms can be changed through
simplification”, and this allows the students to explore the concepts of form and
change before studying proportionality and linking to real-life examples and thus
making a transferable, synthesized statement of inquiry. In addition, students
will look at describing patterns as general rules to find links between the related
concepts and application to real-life situations.

ATL Skills

Category Cluster Skill indicator Page references

Communication Communication Draw reasonable 162, 164, 166, 169, 172

conclusions and
generalizations

Thinking Transfer Combine knowledge, 385, 389, 393

understanding and
skills to create products
or solutions

Unit Inquiry questions

F Factual – How can you simplify?
Students will look at the differences between rational and irrational
numbers and investigate techniques into simplifying radicals; they will
learn the rules associated with radicals and how to simplify for different
mathematical operations.

Content based Inquiry questions

• What is the difference between a rational number and an irrational number?
• What is a radical (surd)?
• How do you approximate a radical?
• How do you find a constant of proportionality?
• What does a proportional relationship look like?
 C Conceptual – Do all changed forms imply a simplification?
By looking at changing variables in a proportional relationship the
students will investigate a variety of changes and how this can lead to
expressing generalizations in a simpler form.
They can find a link between simplifying mathematical expressions and
the implications of this change.

Content based Inquiry questions

• How are the rules of radicals related to the rules for combining terms
in algebra?
• How is simplifying radicals similar to simplifying fractions?
• What does it mean to be proportional?
• How does changing one variable in a proportional relationship affect
the other?
D Debatable – Is simpler always better? To what extent do global changes
impact humankind and the environment?
The students will incorporate their knowledge of simplification and
change with respect to proportionality to determine the advantages
of simplifying, specifically with a focus on impacting others and the
environment.

Content based Inquiry questions

• Can irrational numbers be combined to form rational numbers?
• Can situations seem proportional when they are not?

Action: Teaching and learning through inquiry

Content based objectives
• Simplifying irrational numerical expressions
• Approximating radicals
• Applying rules of radicals to simplify them
• Performing operations on radicals to simplify expressions that contain radicals
• Finding a constant of proportionality
• Setting up direct and indirect proportion equations to model a situation
• Graphing direct and indirect relationships
• Recognizing direct and inverse proportion from graphs
• Identifying direct and inverse proportion from tables of values
Objectives with reference to the textbook

B – Investigating patterns

i. 
select and apply problem-solving p169: Exploration 7
techniques to discover complex
patterns

ii. 
describe patterns as general rules p174: Exploration 9
consistent with findings
p389: Exploration 2

iii. prove, or verify and justify general p393: Exploration3

rules

Mathematics skills framework

Number MACC/MAFS
Topic Skill Related concept Standard Standard code

Number systems: Simplification Simplification Explain why the MAFS.912.N-RN.2.3

set of positive of numerical sum or product
integers and zero expressions with of two rational
(N), integers (Z), rational numbers numbers is
rational numbers rational; that the
(Q), irrational sum of a rational
numbers (Q’), number and an
and real numbers irrational number
(R) is irrational; and
that the product of
a nonzero rational
number and an
irrational number
is irrational.
Ratio, percentage; Finding a constant Change n/a
direct and inverse of proportionality,
proportion setting up
equations and
graphing direct
and inverse
relationships