My Algebra 1 students are currently working their way through our unit on polynomials. We have new math standards in Oklahoma this year which has required me to change things up a bit. In the past, my students needed to know how to add, subtract, multiply, and factor polynomials. The new standards STILL have them …
Polynomials Activities
Today I want to share with you a factoring quadratics question stack activity that I created for my Algebra 2 students. This year, we got off to a very rough start with factoring polynomials in Algebra 2. I had the brilliant idea that I would show my students how to factor using algebra tiles before …
I could tell my Algebra 2 students still needed a lot of practice dividing polynomials using the box method, so I put together this activity. We did this activity the day after we completed our dividing polynomials using the box method foldable. I decided to devise some dividing polynomial jigsaw puzzles for my students to …
I want to share this dividing polynomials using the box method foldable that I created for my Algebra 2 students to work through and glue in their interactive notebooks. I’m excited to talk about one of my favorite things in the world with you here on my blog: dividing polynomials. I used to dread teaching …
I created this set of notes for my Algebra 2 students over multiplying polynomials using the box method. In later years, I turned it into a multiplying polynomials using the box method foldable. I’ve been impatiently waiting since August to introduce my Algebra 2 students to the box method. I used the box method last …
Here are my adding and subtracting polynomial notes from Algebra 2. Nothing super exciting here. I mainly did this to emphasize the importance of always using parentheses and what it means to distribute a negative. Kids always seem to make mistakes with both. This is a specific skill that is tested in Algebra 1 …
I created this parts of a polynomial practice book for my students to work through at the beginning of our unit on polynomials. In the past, I’ve always jumped straight from definition of a polynomial to naming polynomials. And, my kids have always struggled. This year, I decided to add in two intermediate steps. This …
On the same day as the polynomial frayer model + parts of a polynomial, we also did standard form. All of a sudden, the phrase “leading term” made sense. Yay! I used this to fit in distributive property and combining like terms practice. My Algebra 2 students are still struggling a bit with combining like …
I’ve always taught factoring out the GCF of a polynomial the way I was taught to do it. And, historically, my students have always struggled with this. I think they usually get the gist of what we’re doing, but they usually struggle with the GREATEST part of GCF. Last year, I saw Jan Lichtenberger’s post …
I created this factoring vs distributing card sort activity to show my Algebra 2 students that factoring isn’t something to be afraid of. By the time they get to Algebra 2, the distributive property is something they should hopefully be able to do in their sleep. So, I wanted them to see that factoring …
I created this factoring quadratics using the box method foldable for my Algebra 2 students to glue in their interactive notebooks. My students (and I) seemed to appreciate the visual nature of this approach. Alternate Version of Factoring Quadratics Using the Box Method Foldable I updated this foldable in 2017 when I used it with …
If you spend much time in my classroom at all, you will quickly realize that I use lots of weird analogies. Some analogies I use once and forget about. Other times I start analogies without really thinking about them and end up regretting my decision. And, sometimes, my analogies actually work and I end up …
I want to highlight this factoring polynomials square puzzle shared by Public Schools of North Carolina in their Resources for Algebra Blackline Masters collection (page 2 of PDF). The file no longer exists online, but an archived version still exists due to the Internet Archive. These square puzzles are often known as “Tarsia puzzles.” Make …
Today I want to share a naming polynomials graphic organizer I created for my students to glue in their algebra interactive notebooks. I want to start by sharing how my philosophy regarding teaching vocabulary has changed recently. Last year, I had a conversation with a student that changed my outlook on vocabulary. This was not …
Today I want to share some graphic organizers I created to remind students the steps for factoring quadratics. We filled these out and glued them in our algebra interactive notebooks. This year, I am taking a big risk with my Algebra 1 kiddos. I taught them to factor quadratic trinomials with a leading coefficient greater …
Today I want to share an Adding and Subtracting Polynomials Activity I created for my Algebra 1 students. One of our objectives in Algebra 1 is that students will be able to add and subtract polynomials. My students are usually pretty good about remembering to distribute the negative when the second polynomial is written in …