Working with Algebraic Expressions

These activities can provide a first encounter with positive and negative numbers, order of operations, and factoring polynomials. Ranging from games to full lesson plans, these resources could supplement your classwork in these areas of algebraic manipulation.

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Space Coupe to the Rescue http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/negativenumbers/index.html

In this online activity, students key in a positive or negative number to raise or lower their space coupe. The challenge is to line up the coupe with a virus pod on the screen; this destroys the pod, one of eight to be destroyed within a given time. The distance the ship needs to travel to destroy each pod is counted using a scale on the left side of the screen. An excellent first experience with integers! MSP full record

Late Delivery http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/mathsfile/shockwave/games/postie.html

In this game, the student helps the mail carrier deliver five letters to houses with numbers such as 3(a + 2). The value of a is held by the dog. This is a good exercise in substituting for variables. Three levels of difficulty are available. The game is part of the Maths File Game Show. MSP full record

Amby's Math Resources: Order of Operations http://amby.com/educate/ord-op/

This resource is a tutorial and practice on a topic that often frustrates the younger middle school student. Immediate feedback is given when an incorrect answer is chosen, plus a full explanation of the correct solution. MSP full record

Explaining Order of Operations http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57199.html

How would you explain the order of operations to a fifth or sixth grader who has not yet studied the subject? This is a question from a teacher. An answer from Dr. Math sets out how he would develop the accepted order of operations in much the same way that students might develop the rules for a game. MSP full record

Balance Pans-Expressions http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=10

This interactive pan balance allows students to enter numeric or algebraic expressions. They can "weigh" the expressions by entering them on either side of the balance and seeing if they are equivalent.

Understanding Algebraic Factoring http://mathforum.org/alejandre/algfac.html

An excellent set of lesson plans that introduce factoring through finding areas of rectangles! Each step in the procedure is well explained and illustrated. Questions for the class are included. This unit is meant to be worked with algebra tiles, either the usual plastic ones or cut-out paper shapes. MSP full record

Difference of Squares http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L276

Designed for two class periods, this lesson begins with computing the squares of any two consecutive integers and finding the difference of the squares. Students build on further arithmetic experiences as they are led to generalize to the algebraic rule on factoring the difference of two squares. Steps are carefully set out. As an extension of the lesson, a geometric interpretation of the rule is explained and illustrated.

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Copyright June 2006 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.