In this lesson, students are formally introduced to cube roots and cube root notation where is the length of the edge of a cube whose volume is cubic units. 

Students begin by ordering solutions to equations of the form and . Since they are already familiar with square roots and square root notation, this allows for a smooth transition to the parallel definition of cube roots. A Card Sort helps students make connections between square roots and cube roots as values, as solutions to equations, and as points on the number line. 

Then students are encouraged to transition from the geometric characterization of cube roots as edge lengths to an algebraic characterization of cube roots as solutions to equations of the form that can be understood as values on a number line.