Math – Order of Operations

GRADE:

MATERIALS/TIME REQUIRED:

8 ½ x 11 inch paper (one side only, so use from the recycle box?!)

PROVIDE FOR INCLUSION – A You Question, Energizer, or Linking Strategy:

Ask: What is the phrase to help you remember PEMDAS? [Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally, for one]. See if, in pairs, students can come up with another catchy phrase to remember the order of operations. Review the math terms: parentheses, exponent, multiply, divide, add, subtract

IDENTIFY THE OBJECTIVES:

Content Standard: Solve problems manually by using the correct order of operations

Collaborative: Participate fully, Work on tasks together, Solve problems, Assess improvement

Personal: Experience a way to share and assess information with respect.

IDENTIFY THE STRATEGY: Snowball

Give each student a piece of paper (8 ½ x 11). Have students divide the blank side of the paper into four quadrants, and then number each one. Have each student write his/her name in the first quadrant. The teacher writes a problem on the board, using at least four of the order of operations. Then using specific cues for crumpling the paper and tossing and retrieving, have students write the next step for each time he/she retrieves a paper. This way, each student is responsible for assessing correctness as well as the next step, and practices the order of operations. It is VERY helpful to have a target (empty waste basket) for tossing. After the third toss, the teacher can retrieve and give credit/points/appreciations to those who both made the target and have the correct answer.

EXAMPLE (after the third toss):

2(4×7)-2+8=

1 Mary

2×28-2+8=

2 Diane

56-2+8=

3 Dave

56-10=46

4 Jose

REFLECTION:

Content: How did checking someone else work help you? How was it confusing? Which box was easiest to solve? What did you learn?

Collaborative/Social: How was mutual respect a neccesary part of this strategy?

Personal: What was your level of participation? What would you change to make this more challenging?

PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR APPRECIATION:

Invite statements

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT:

Collect papers and then grade random boxes with studetns’ names for accountability.

LEARNING

COMPONENTS

· Group Development Process

· Cognitive Theory

· Cooperative Learning

· Reflective Practice

· Authentic Assessment