Since students were in kindergarten they’ve been taught about numbers being a certain way. Then they hit middle school, and BOOM! in walks irrational numbers. Everything was concrete, but in that moment that certainty goes by the wayside. As students start to wrap their heads around these new classes of numbers, we start simply. At first, we just want students to see two categories of numbers: rational and irrational. That’s where these nine activities come in.
When it comes to irrational numbers, junior high students really only work with pi and imperfect roots. We can help students distinguish between rational and irrational by keeping it that simple. We can help them see some of the characteristics of irrational numbers, but in all honesty they’re not going to work with a lot of different irrational numbers at this point.
Let’s look at some activities that help students understand and practice putting numbers into the categories of rational and irrational. In this post we’ll dig into activities for independent practice, partners, and whole class review.
Rational vs. Irrational Numbers Mazes
Mazes work well to help students to practice or review a concept. Students work on mazes independently and get a lot of repetitions in a short amount of time. Also, they get to see a variety of rational and irrational numbers.
These 3 mazes work great as bell work or homework. My students love them and I can even get students that don’t typically want to work to complete these mazes.
If you want to try out a FREE middle school math maze today, plus one delivered to your inbox each month, join the exclusive Maze of the Month club and get FREE mazes you won’t find anywhere else! You’ll get a free integers maze right when you sign up, and then you can brag to all your friends and family that you’re part of the coolest middle school math teacher club around!
Knockout Game
This rational vs irrational numbers knockout game is one of the first knockout games that I ever made. My students have been playing this particular game for years. When you need to review with the whole class, this game is fun and give students a lot practice. All you need to play is a projector and some scratch paper!
Jeopardy
This Jeopardy game works well to review and this game has a variety of different questions for a simple topic. Your class will love playing this, and you’ll quickly see what misconceptions they still have. When I do this with my class I have everyone play individually or in partners. I find that when you get teams then there are many students who get off task.
Sorting Pocket
I use this rational and irrational numbers sorting pocket as an anticipatory set. Students put it together once, but then use it again and again. I have them keep it in their folders so we can quickly use it later for cyclical review.
Students have a stack of numbers and sort them into the rational or irrational space. You can have them complete this alone or with a partner. Also, I like to have them see how long it takes them and then try to get faster. It just adds a little fun to the practice.
Tic Tac Toe
Students work more when they think the work is a game. Tic tac toe can easily turn some mundane practice into an engaging activity. Students love to play tic tac toe and they can get a lot of practice with this topic in a short amount of time.
This tic tac toe game requires students to get 6 in a row (so, for the purists out there, maybe this is more of a Connect 6 situation than a tic tac toe game 😉 ) Working in partners students get a lot of good math talk practice as they explain their thinking throughout the game.
Cake Walk
When I saw this activity from A Sea of Math on Pinterest it grabbed my attention. To do this rational & irrational numbers cake walk you put the rational and irrational numbers on paper plates. Students walk around the room and when the music stops, they stand on a plate. Then, they have to explain why their number is rational or irrational. You randomly choose students to do the explaining and they win a small prize.
One thing I love about this activity is that students get to walk around the room. It makes for a great brain break. Also, adding some music to class is a great way to get students engaged. You can play popular music or throw it back to music from your junior high years.
Texting Activity
If you’re looking for an activity where students have to explain and show their understanding or numbers, then this one is for you. Students use a texting conversation to explain rational and irrational numbers. This definitely gets students thinking in a different way.
It’s fun to have them share their creations and you get a glimpse into their understanding. You can use the template I’ve created for this activity or just have them create their own on a sheet of paper.
Put the Numbers in the Bins
Honestly, this online game challenges students to be fast thinking. (note: it does require Adobe Flash to play) You might want to try this one after students have a good grasp on this concept. They’ll be bombarded with numbers and sort them into rational and irrational buckets.
This game provides a fast paced and a fun way to practice. Students will get into it and want to improve their scores, meaning even more math practice gets done!
Target Game with Mini Task Cards
No matter if you’re using task cards or a worksheet, you can liven up your practice by playing the target game. To play, you simply draw a target on the board or on the floor. After students finish a problem you give them a chance to throw at the target for points.
Playing the target game gives students a chance to do math and have a little brain break. With rational and irrational numbers, I would have students complete a few problems at a time due to the quickness of each problem. Just giving them a little added gamification can go a long way.
I use these mini task cards to have a go-to set of problems to use in this game. These 18 cards help students review all they’ve learned about identifying rational and irrational numbers.
Try one thing
Here’s the thing about teaching rational and irrational numbers- you don’t have to overwhelm yourself. Just try one new activity in your classroom for this topic. Students will love that they get to play a little and you will smile because of the engagement in the room. The engagement that you create through activities and games will then lead to better understanding for students. Give it a try!
