Math lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes
Square numbers and the ² sign
Number sense
CCSS 6.EE.A.1England: Y5 Multiplication and division
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Square numbers and the ² sign.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Times tables to 12 × 12
Leads to: Cube numbers and the ³ sign
Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Times tables to 12 × 12). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- 4 × 8 = ? → 32Prompt: Is there a fact you already know that is close?
- __ × 10 = 90 → 9Prompt: Which number in the 10 times table gives 90?
- Which of these is 8 × 8? (56 / 16 / 72 / 64) → 64Prompt: Use a fact you know and adjust.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Square numbers and the ² sign. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which of these is a square number?
- Step 1: 3 × 3 = 9
- Step 2: 9
- Answer: 9
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which of these is a square number? (48 / 51 / 49 / 53) → 49Prompt: A square number is a number times itself.
- Yuki says 4² = 8. Spot the mistake. What is 4²? → 16Prompt: 8 is 4 × 2. Is that what the ² means?
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Lucia says 10² = 20. Spot the mistake. What is 10²? → 100Prompt: 20 is 10 × 2. Is that what the ² means?
- Which of these is a square number? (3 / 8 / 4 / 5) → 4Prompt: A square number is a number times itself.
Watch out for
- Reading 1,045 as one thousand four hundred five: point to each place and say its value.
- Thinking a longer number is always bigger, even with decimals (0.45 vs 0.5).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Times tables to 12 × 12.
- Use concrete materials: place value chart.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Cube numbers and the ³ sign.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder