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
Materials https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oersamplechapter/chapter/greece/
Note: the same lesson format can be used to explore the Mayan numeral system or Egyptian numeral system (See Chapter 1 – Numbers)