Combining like terms is such an important topic in 7th and 8th grade math. As teachers it often seems so intuitive to us that terms have to be alike in order to be combined. For some reason, though, many students need a lot of repetitions to really get this concept down pat. Even though we may teach combining like terms in isolation for a day or 2, it shows up again and again, incorporated into so many other middle school math concepts we study. So, I want to make sure that my students get the practice they need, dispersed throughout the year. Here’s 12 activities I use throughout the year to get students lots of practice combining like terms. [Read more…] about 12 Combining Like Terms Activities That Rock
combining like terms
Quick Guide: Combining Like Terms Foldable
Using a Combining Like Terms Foldable
Combining like terms is a skill that students start using in middle school and that keeps on coming back year after year. I use this foldable with my 7th and 8th graders. It works as an introduction to the topic, as well as a review. It gives students a way to see 3 different types of terms in an equation: x, y, and integers. Also, they see positive and negative numbers as part of the terms. More often than not, the biggest problem students have with combining like terms is dealing with negative numbers. So, to set the stage, I make sure that we practice adding positive and negative integers before we use this foldable and tackle combining like terms. [Read more…] about Quick Guide: Combining Like Terms Foldable
Combining Like Terms with Distributive Property: Task Cards in Action
Task Cards helped my students rock their test on combining like terms. Let me explain- In my school we have a set aside time for reteach- giving students more time to show mastery on a concept that they don’t quite have when they take the first class formative assessment. I was working with a group of 7th grade students who were close to mastery, but not quite there yet. None of them had passed the Combining Like Terms test on the first go around. This group of students weren’t in my regular class, and this was the only time that I would work with this particular group. So, I had to make sure that the learning activities we did wouldn’t require a lot of explanation or routines needing to be set up. [Read more…] about Combining Like Terms with Distributive Property: Task Cards in Action
