Practice with Roman Numerals for Math Class
Prior Learning
Before students do this lesson plan, they should be taught the rules for reading and writing Roman numerals. They should also understand what each of the Roman numerals stand for. In case they need a refresher, go over the list of Roman numerals below.
- I=1
- V=5
- X=10
- L=50
- C=100
- D=500
- M=1000
Remind students of the rules for reading and writing Roman numerals before moving on to the next section of the lesson plan.
Reading and Writing Roman Numerals
After reviewing the Roman numerals as well as the rules for reading and writing them, ask students to complete the following assignment.
Convert the following Roman numerals to standard numbers.
- XX (20)
- IX (9)
- VII (7)
- LV (55)
- CXXIII (123)
It’s not enough that students are able to read Roman numerals. They will need to know how to write Roman numerals for future book reports and essays. Use the list below and ask students to convert this into a list of Roman numerals.
- 52 (LII)
- 290 (CCXC)
- 4 (IV)
- 25 (XXV)
- 510 (DX)
Now students should be able to read and write Roman numerals. Now, they need to demonstrate that they understand the rules and symbols of Roman numerals by being able to spot it when they are written incorrectly. Once students have demonstrated they are able to convert and write Roman numerals, ask them to correct the following list of Roman numerals.
- IM (DCDXCIX)
- VCI (XCVI)
- VVVV (XX)
- DD (M)
- IIII (IV)
Be sure they understand how to read, write and correct Roman numerals by discussing the results of their attempts in the above exercises. Once students complete this lesson they should be very comfortable with their understanding of this way of writing number symbols. Further test their knowledge about Roman numerals by giving them a couple of math function assignments using Roman numerals instead of standard numbers! Since students may wonder why they have to learn this method of writing numbers, discuss places they may need to be able to read, write and understand this method of documenting numbers, such as reading clocks, writing reports and understanding written reports.
This post is part of the series: Roman Numerals Today
This series is dedicated to learning about Roman Numerals. They are more than just pretty markings on a clock!
