Prime Factorization Using The Birthday Cake Method

Before I became a teacher, I sometimes battled fears that pedagogy could hold out boring.  After all, 1 time you've mastered high schoolhouse math, there's not much novel to learn.  Well, at that topographic point mightiness non hold out whatever novel textile to learn, simply I am constantly learning novel ways to approach in addition to acquaint concepts.  And, it is anything simply boring. 

As a student, I learned to notice the prime factorization of a pose out yesteryear creating a component tree.  This e'er worked perfectly fine for me.  During my pupil pedagogy at the middle schoolhouse level, at that topographic point was an amazing math instructor adjacent door who invited me to sit down inwards her degree 1 24-hour interval to lookout a specific lesson.  The lesson was on simplifying foursquare roots. 

Different teachers approach simplifying foursquare roots inwards dissimilar ways.  Some teach their students to component out all of the perfect squares.  Other teachers inquire their students to write out the prime factorization.  Personally, I tend to use the outset method for minor numbers in addition to the latter method for larger numbers. 

Like I said earlier, I learned to write the prime factorization using a component tree.  I similar component trees.  But, I've noticed that sometimes branches of the factor tree tin acquire lost if students are non real careful.  And, I bring a lot of students who tend to rush in addition to lose things along the way.  Or, they write in addition to thus sloppily that it's near impossible to follow their work. 

So, when I saw this middle schoolhouse instructor instruct the students a dissimilar agency to organize their prime factorization, I got actually excited.  It's called the birthday cake method.  Instead of searching the sprawling branches for the prime factorization, the birthday cake method lines the prime factorization upward inwards the same exact spot every time. 

Students produce quest to hold out able to position numbers equally prime or composite before starting.  To review in addition to practise this, nosotros created a nautical chart inwards our interactive notebooks alongside the Definition for prime numbers in addition to composite numbers.  Looking back, I want I would bring created a graphic organizer for this.  Maybe adjacent year...

   
Prime in addition to Composite Numbers Chart - Interactive Notebook
Once students could position numbers equally prime or composite, I taught them the Birthday Cake Method to notice the prime factorization.

Step 1: Write your starting pose out equally the outset layer of the cake.

Step 2: On the exterior of the outset layer, write a PRIME NUMBER that volition carve upward evenly into the bottom layer.

Step 3: Divide in addition to write your respond equally a 2nd layer.

Step 4: On the exterior of the 2nd layer, write a PRIME NUMBER that volition carve upward evenly into the 2nd layer.

Step 5: Divide in addition to write your respond equally a 3rd layer.

Step 6: Repeat until you lot destination upward alongside a 1 on the exceed of your cake.  This is the candle of your birthday cake!

Step 7: Use the numbers on the outsides of the layers to write your prime factorization. 


Birthday Cake Method for Prime Factorization - Interactive Notebook


Prime Factorization Examples using the Birthday Cake Method - Interactive Notebook

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