This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Want to check out my favorite Amazon items for the classroom? Check out my Amazon favorites page!
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 we started using the box method for factoring.
My students were frustrated. I was frustrated. And, it was the equivalent of throwing away a day of class time. I wouldn’t even classify it as a productive struggle.
So, the next day, I won their hearts back by showing them the box method. And, I made them this factoring quadratics question stack activity to practice factoring with the box method to prepare for their factoring quiz.
When I started to teach factoring four years ago, I had no clue what I was doing. I had learned to factor in high school using guess and check.
Because algebra is one of my strengths, this method worked well for me. My students that first year had a ton of trouble with the check step in “guess and check” which meant they would guess right, multiply wrong, keep guessing, and never arrive at a final answer.
This frustration led me to try a variety of other ways to teach factoring. I taught the airplane method. I taught students to factor by grouping and split the middle term. I taught students to slide, divide, bottoms up.
My students rocked these methods, but their overall retention level was terrible.
The box method isn’t just a fancy trick for my students to memorize and then forget. It relies on the same understanding of the area model that they have been building throughout the unit while multiplying and dividing polynomials.
I tweaked the box method slightly this year, and my students have responded really positively. That’s a post for another day, though.
Today, I want to share a factoring quadratics activity that you can use no matter what method you use to teach factoring.
Never used a question stack with your students? I have another post that shares a free downloadable set of instructions for question stacks.
Each group got one pre-cut sheet of cards. One side has the factored trinomial. The other side has an unfactored trinomial.
They are not flash cards. The two versions on one card do not match up. They are made so that the cards form a loop of question, answer, new question, answer, new question, etc.
I distributed the cards to each group in their stack of red/yellow/green cups.
They set out the questions on their desk with the answers facing up. Since we were using this activity to practice factoring, the answers were the factored version.
You could also use this same deck to practice multiplying binomials. For this, students would start out with the unfactored version facing up.
Students chose one card at random to turn upside down and begin a stack on top of their cups.
They factored them on their dry erase boards or in their notebooks. I let my students use their interactive notebooks on all of their quizzes, so many of my students choose to put their practice problems in their notebooks so they can reference them later.
I’m finding that many of my students take better notes when they know that they get to use their notebook on their quizzes.
Once they find the answer, they locate it on the desk in the answer bank. This card is turned upside down and placed on top of the cup to display the new question.
I was worried with this factoring quadratics activity that students might just look at the answer bank and not try the factoring on their own, but this was not an issue at all.
As the factoring quadratics activity continues, the answer bank gets smaller and smaller. My favorite part of this practice structure is that it is self-checking.
If a group gets an answer that isn’t in the answer bank, they can’t move on until they figure it out. Sometimes, there is a really similar answer in the bank, and they can figure out what they did wrong.
Other times, they have to ask for help. That’s what the red/yellow/green cups are for.
This was the perfect number of questions to give students practice for the first half of class and give them time to take their quiz during the last half of class.
We have 52 minute periods.
Free Download of Factoring Quadratics Question Stack Activity
Factoring Quadratics Question Stack (No GCF) (PDF) (2145 downloads)
Factoring Quadratics Question Stack (No GCF) (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (1035 downloads)
I created a new version of this factoring quadratics activity that includes some problems where students need to factor out the GCF first. You might also want to check out this factoring puzzle to give students some extra practice.
More Resources for Teaching Quadratics
- Factoring Activities
- Speedy Squares Activity for Quadratic Regression
- X Puzzles Factoring Review Game
- Quadratic Area Puzzles
- Factoring Puzzle for Quadratic Trinomials
- Shared Factors – A Quadratics Puzzle
- Factoring Quadratics Practice Activity (When a = 1)
- If the IRS had discovered the quadratic formula…
- Area Model Puzzles from Christie Bradshaw
- ZERO Game to Introduce Factoring Quadratics
- Vertex Form of a Quadratic Card Sort Activity
- Factoring Quadratics Foldable
Make Your Own Question Stacks
Want to make your own question stack activity? I have created an easy to use printable question stack template that works perfectly every time. All you have to do is add your own questions!
More Question Stack Activities
- Compound Inequalities Question Stack Activity
- Make Your Own Question Stack Template
- Order of Operations Question Stack Activity
- Evaluating Expressions Question Stack Activity – Advanced
- Distributive Property Question Stack Activity
- Question Stack Explanation Card
- Factoring Trinomials with GCFs Question Stack Activity
- Rationalizing the Denominator Question Stack Activity
- Adding and Subtracting Polynomials in Function Notation Question Stack Activity
- Operations with Radicals Question Stack Activity
- Evaluating Expressions Question Stack Activity – Basic
- Rational Expressions Question Stack Activity
More Activities for Teaching Polynomials
- X Puzzles Factoring Review Game
- Quadratic Area Puzzles
- Shared Factors – A Quadratics Puzzle
- Naming Polynomials Poster
- “Polly”nomial
- Naming Polynomials Speed Dating Activity
- Dividing Polynomials Using the Box Method Puzzles
- Area Model Puzzles from Christie Bradshaw
- Adding and Subtracting Polynomials Graphic Organizer
- Writing Polynomials in Standard Form Foldable
- Factoring Quadratics Foldable
- Multiplying Polynomials Foldable
- Naming Polynomials Practice Sheet
- Polynomial or Not Color Coding Activity
- Polynomial Frayer Model Template
- Roots Solutions Zeros X-Intercepts Posters
- Multiplying Polynomials Egg Hunt Activity
- Human Polynomials Activity
- Introducing Algebra Tiles to Students
- Building and Naming Polynomials Activity
- Factoring Trinomials with GCFs Question Stack Activity
- Factoring Polynomials Using the Box Method Directions
- Looking for Patterns in Factoring Quadratics
- Factoring Quadratics Question Stack Activity
- Dividing Polynomials Using the Box Method Activity
- Dividing Polynomials Using the Box Method Foldable
- Multiplying Polynomials Using the Box Method Foldable
- Adding and Subtracting Polynomials Notes
- Parts of a Polynomial Practice Book
- Standard Form of a Polynomial Interactive Notebook Page
- Factoring out the GCF of a Polynomial Foldable
- Factoring vs Distributing Card Sort Activity
- Factoring Quadratics Using the Box Method Foldable
- Naming Polynomials Graphic Organizer
- Factoring Quadratics Graphic Organizers
- Adding and Subtracting Polynomials Activity
sara
Wednesday 20th of October 2021
Can you email me this file it's not downloading for me. sarabailey790@gmail.com
Sarah Carter
Wednesday 20th of October 2021
I think I was just able to fix the website issue that was preventing downloads.
Could you try downloading it again from the website so I can see if it is working now. If it still isn't working, I will email it!
Unknown
Wednesday 1st of November 2017
I love love love the box method! You can also use it to divide polynomials!! Best thing ever!
Dawn
Monday 6th of February 2017
Thank you. :)
Unknown
Wednesday 13th of April 2016
Can you email me the file for this? I'm having trouble downloading it. Email snelson12@hazelwoodschools.org
Sarah Carter (@mathequalslove)
Friday 6th of May 2016
Email sent!
Cindi
Saturday 26th of March 2016
I don't understand what the different colored cups are for! Please explain...