Simplifying Radicals Involving Students Up & Moving

First give each student an index card with a square root that needs to be simplified

Each student will tape the index card to their chest

Have each student write an empty square root symbol on each hand, like the following

Now pair up students and have them face each other  like so

Each student must simplify the others radical by writing the answers in each hand.

The final simplified form should be written under each picture 

Simplifying Radical via Hangman

Goal:
To simplify the radical by choosing the perfect square and the non perfect square before the radical is hung


The Bonus Question could be to write the two square roots in  final form where the perfect square is written without the radical 

A Variation Of B-Day Cards: Teaching Perfect Squares

Learning Perfect Squares With Birthday Cards

So, what's this perfect square stuff all about and how do we remember it? Time to create some square root birthday cards

1) Think of five people who you normally write birthday cards and write what age they will be this coming birthday (including yourself)

2) Let's figure out what their birthday is in "square root years" 

     Since we know that a square root undoes something squared, all we need to do is square their age.

Example: If your 10 years old, then your also Square root of 100 years old (10^2 or 10 x 10 = 100)

Therefore, square each age to get their age in "square root years". 

3) Now, create them a happy birthday card but replace their age with their square root