Lesson Plan – Babylonian Numeral System

Curriculum Expectations

Grade 9

Development and Use of Numbers

B1.1 research a number concept to tell a story about its development and use in a specific culture, and describe its relevance in a current context

Learning Goals of the Lesson

Students will

• Get familiar with different ways people record numbers
• Learn how to write numbers in the Babylonian numeral systems

Getting Started

• Open Chapter 1 – Numbers and project it on the big screen.
• Explain to students what “numeral system” means by reading, Number Systems paragraph
• Tell students that today they will learn to write numbers as Babylonians  did
• Find Babylon on the Map and Timeline
• Let students listen to Why and how did humans start writing?

Working on It

• Assign 1.2
• Let students work in pairs or groups.
• If your students are familiar in the Thinking Classroom let them work on vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS)
• When students are done let them share their answers on the boards or chart paper or VNPS

Consolidating and Connecting (After)

• Ask students to describe how they got their answers.
• Ask them what they think about the Babylonian system? Is it more effective than the one we use? What are the differences, what are the similarities (it is a place value system but with a different base, not 10, but 60)?
• Ask students whether we still use Babylonian numbers (1 hour=60 minutes, 1 minute=60 seconds)
• Assign 1.3 and 1.4 problems and tell students to express their answers in Babylonian numerals

Assessment tools

Exit ticket: Assign students to write 126 in Babylonian numbers