Algebra Hither Nosotros Come!

After a amount iii months of focusing on generally numbers in addition to operations, nosotros are finally moving on to i of my favorites: ALGEBRA! It's funny how a lot of 6th graders acquire directly scared in addition to nervous when I nation nosotros are starting algebra. Most don't truly know just what it is earlier nosotros start in addition to chop-chop realize it isn't all that bad...in fact, it tin terminate endure sort of fun! In this post I conception to highlight roughly of my favorite activities, games, in addition to lessons that I purpose inwards my classroom during our algebra unit. There is hence much you lot tin terminate do amongst expressions in addition to equations. I seems similar every twelvemonth I honour roughly novel idea, from somewhere or someone, that my students goal upward enjoying!

On Mon nosotros started our algebra unit of measurement amongst a ii twenty-four hours review of the companionship of operations. On the foremost day, I taught my normal math workshop lesson from our textbook. Most students recollect PEMDAS correct away. However I chop-chop tell them my i biggest fearfulness of them using PEMDAS, which is that multiplication doesn't ever come upward earlier segmentation in addition to add-on doesn't ever come upward earlier subtraction! When I convey my students write their notes, I brand certain that multiplying/dividing are at the same bird in addition to adding/subtracting are at the same level!

On the minute twenty-four hours of our review I tried out a novel activity that I created. I truly works life the thought online somewhere, but don't recollect just where! I copied in addition to cutting out a develop of these companionship of performance cards for each of my students. For the activity, I gave students a target set out in addition to hence they had to stimulate to purpose their performance cards to do an appear that equaled the target number. Although it was real challenging for a lot of my students, they were real engaged in addition to truly enjoyed it. After nosotros did 5 or 6 of these expressions, I had students operate on this order of operations worksheet that I works life finally year. I don't laissez passer out a ton of worksheets inwards my class, but students seem to savour the mystery pattern aspect of this one!

After our ii days of companionship of operations, nosotros finally acquire to dive into our algebra units! On Midweek nosotros learned virtually variables: what they are, how in addition to why nosotros purpose them, in addition to how to substitute a set out for a variable to solve an expression. This is the lesson students come upward inwards nervous (when they listen nosotros are starting algebra) in addition to exit feeling similar it's a slice of cake (plugging inwards a set out in addition to hence but doing the math!). This alter inwards mental attitude in addition to confidence is fun to watch! Although, I brand certain to warn them that non all algebra volition endure this simple! Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few years agone I created this Algebra Top-it game for students to exercise using exchange to solve algebraic expressions. It is similar to the carte game War, but students must foremost solve an appear to acquire their number. Click on the pic if you lot are interested inwards a copy!

On Th in addition to Fri started writing our ain algebraic expressions to correspond a situation. This tin terminate endure tricky for students the foremost fourth dimension around. I tried to truly stress how of import it is to define the variable foremost (pick a variable to stand upward for the quantity you lot don't know), earlier trying to write the expression. This is a theme nosotros volition definitely convey to drib dead on working at equally nosotros brand our agency through the start of algebra!

Over the weekend I got inspired to start creating roughly to a greater extent than Top-it games similar to the i I described above. I went a petty equation crazy in addition to created split Equation Top-it games for solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, in addition to two-step equations. Each includes a beginner in addition to hard develop of equation cards. I expect forwards to using these when nosotros start solving equations adjacent week.

It's hard to believe in that place are exclusively ii to a greater extent than weeks of schoolhouse left earlier a amount ii weeks of wintertime break! If you lot haven't been able to tell, I am excited to pass those ii weeks introducing algebra to my 6th graders earlier nosotros acquire into roughly to a greater extent than depth later the break. Hope you lot all convey a nifty week!