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Svager Lesson Plan Lower Level

Svager Lesson Plan Lower Level

Dr. Thyrsa Svager is one of the seven Black mathematicians to have earned a PhD in mathematics from The Ohio State University.

On her master’s thesis, she explored the problem of describing the numbers that can be represented as the sum of two, three or four squares. Here, the word “squares” refers to square numbers or perfect squares, that is, numbers that result from the product of an integer with itself. In this activity, students explore some of the concepts on Dr. Svager’s thesis through a board game.

Lesson Details

Grade level: 3rd to 7th

Estimated time: 90 minutes

Form of work: Small groups

Ohio Math Standard:

  • 3.MD.7 Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition. 
  • 4.OA.5 Generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule. Identify apparent features of the pattern that were not explicit in the rule itself.

Math concepts: area, mental arithmetic, squaring, sequences, patterns, divisor, divisibility, multiples

This activity is also available as lesson plan for upper grades (8th to 12th) and as ready-to-print worksheet.

Two girls playing the sum of squares game.
Two boys and a man playing the sum of squares game
Two girls and a woman playing the sum of squares game.

Filters: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, patterns, squaring, sequences, multiples, area, mental arithmetic, game, divisors, Between 60 and 90 minutes