Algebra Activities & Resources

I created this set of 12 basic functions posters to accompany the 12 Basic Functions Challenge Activity for my Pre-Calculus Classes. I decided the posters deserve a page of their own so they can be more easily found and downloaded. Each one of these posters represented one of the 12 basic functions identified in our …

I’m really pushing the box method this year in my Algebra 2 classes, so Christie Bradshaw’s area model puzzles were a perfect introduction to the box method before we jumped into factoring using the box method!

I first experienced the All Tied Up in Knots activity for exploring systems of equations at a Common Core workshop I attended in the summer of 2013. I finally tried the activity in my classroom with my Algebra 2 students, and it was an awesome introduction to solving systems of equations. All Tied Up in …

I used Shaun Carter’s ZERO! Game with great success to motivate factored form of quadratics. I presented this as a “game day” after we had talked about vertex form of quadratics and standard form of quadratics and BEFORE we started factoring quadratics the next day. It was PERFECT for an Early Release Friday with shortened, …

I decided that a card sort was the perfect method to introduce my Algebra 2 students to the vertex form of a quadratic. My sweet husband even offered to create the card sort for me. He’s currently in grad school, and I think he misses creating classroom activities. Students are given cards featuring six graphs …

I created this simplifying radicals foldable for my Algebra 1 students to glue in their interactive notebooks. Free Download of Simplifying Radicals Foldable

This prime factorization foldable is one of my Algebra 1 students’ most-used resources throughout our radicals unit. I was inspired to create this foldable after one of my eighth graders commented that it would be cool to have something in our notes that gave us every single prime factorization. I took this idea and ran …

I created this prime factorization graphic organizer for my Algebra 1 students to summarize two different methods for finding prime factorization: the factor tree method and the birthday cake method. I teach my Algebra 1 students to simplify radicals through prime factorization because it works no matter what the index of the radical is. This …

Before I teach my algebra students to rationalize the denominator, I try to answer the looming question: why do we rationalize the denominator? I realize that rationalizing the denominator has gone out of fashion as a result of the Common Core State Standards, but the topic is still required by the Oklahoma math standards. I …

I created this adding and subtracting polynomials graphic organizer for my Algebra 1 students to glue in their interactive notebooks. Free Download of Adding and Subtracting Polynomials Graphic Organizer

This year I created a new writing polynomials in standard form graphic organizer and foldable for my Algebra 1 students to glue in their interactive notebooks. Then, we practiced taking polynomial expressions and writing them in standard form. I was a bit overambitious about how many examples we were going to get through. We ended …

I created this factoring quadratics foldable for my Algebra 1 students to glue in their interactive notebooks. I had to make a lot of compromises with this topic that made me sad. But, I just didn’t have the time I usually have for this topic. This was mainly due to losing a large amount of …

I created this multiplying polynomials foldable for my Algebra 1 students to complete and glue in their interactive notebooks. I’m experimenting this year with the “grid method” for multiplying polynomials. It’s exactly the same as the box method, but it just seemed to tie better to what we had been doing with multiplying polynomials with …

I created this naming polynomials practice sheet to give my students some much-needed practice naming polynomials. We glued the finished practice sheet in our interactive notebooks. We completed this practice sheet directly after our naming polynomials graphic organizer. I like this practice sheet because after I make up the first few polynomials to name, students …

After reviewing the definition of a polynomial, we completed this polynomial or not color coding activity. We glued the final results in our algebra interactive notebooks. If the expression was a polynomial, students colored it. If it was not a polynomial, they had to explain why. Free Download of Polynomial or Not Color Coding Activity

We began our polynomials unit in Algebra 1 with a frayer model. We wrote in the definition of a polynomial and the three characteristics polynomials cannot have. Students created 3 examples and non-examples of their own. Free Download of Polynomial Frayer Model Template

I’m here today to share some Roots Solutions Zeros X-Intercepts Posters. Yes, that is a mouthful. Yesterday, I started doing some serious planning for teaching Algebra 2 in less than a month! I’m at a new school that has adopted new textbooks, and I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the chosen Algebra 2 book. …

I created this solving systems by graphing foldable for my Algebra 1 students to glue in their interactive notebooks. This was our first topic in our systems of equations unit. In the future, I think I would want to modify these notes to have a specific box for students to write the ordered pair of …

I created this solving systems by elimination graphic organizer for my Algebra 1 students to use and glue in their interactive notebooks. These are very similar to the graphic organizer I made for solving systems by substitution. We did substitution first and elimination afterwards. My students, like usual, much preferred the elimination method. When I …

I created this solving systems by substitution graphic organizer for my Algebra 1 students to use in their interactive notebooks. This graphic organizer walks students through the steps of solving a system of equations by substitution. Here’s a closer look at the word problems we tackled for substitution. We ended up solving four different word …

I created this systems of inequalities foldable for my Algebra 1 students to glue in their interactive notebooks. This foldable gave us some quality coloring time! I found that having my students use two different colors (one for each inequality) helped them find the overlapping area. Free Download of Systems of Inequalities Foldable

I love this graphing linear equations activity that uses transparencies. Students are given a coordinate plane template and a small strip of transparency paper with a straight line printed or drawn on it. Students have to use the transparent line to graph each of the following linear functions. For each function, they must then record …

Earlier this year, I blogged about using the Acrobats Grandmas and Ivan task from Marilyn Burns to kick-off systems of equations. Someone asked if I could share some student responses, so I took a bunch of photos. Then, I kinda forgot about the photos and even forgot about who asked for the photos. Oops.. Anywho, …

It’s quite a bit past Easter now, but you could still use this multiplying polynomials egg hunt activity if you don’t care about being relevant to a current holiday. 🙂 A few years ago, I picked up a bag of Easter eggs at a garage sale. I didn’t know exactly what I planned on using …

Last month, I shared a building polynomials activity that I created. Since then, numerous teachers have shared photos with me of their students completing the puzzle. This makes me super happy! Since that activity has proved to be so popular, I thought it was time to share another activity I created to go along with …