Algebraic thinking can be hard - all the letters, numbers, and operations. Some students can look at an algebraic equation, be given the steps to solve it and are fine. For these students their brain can process what is written into doing. For other students, however, all those letters, numbers and operations just look like a confusing mess. It' hard to wrap their brains around it. For these students having hands on manipulatives helps their brains process what those algebraic equations mean. The manipulatives help them physically see what is happening in the steps.
The algebra tiles will be used with students in pairs or groups to learn to remove zero pairs, combine like terms, factor, expand, represent and solve equations. Students will use the algebra tiles before the introduction to the unit. By doing this, students can use their analytical skills to interpret, make connections and gain a deeper understanding of the content. Once they have used the manipulatives, they can apply that knowledge to the direct instruction that comes at the introduction of a unit. This will help fill any gaps and cement those skills for all students.
About my class
Algebraic thinking can be hard - all the letters, numbers, and operations. Some students can look at an algebraic equation, be given the steps to solve it and are fine. For these students their brain can process what is written into doing. For other students, however, all those letters, numbers and operations just look like a confusing mess. It' hard to wrap their brains around it. For these students having hands on manipulatives helps their brains process what those algebraic equations mean. The manipulatives help them physically see what is happening in the steps.
The algebra tiles will be used with students in pairs or groups to learn to remove zero pairs, combine like terms, factor, expand, represent and solve equations. Students will use the algebra tiles before the introduction to the unit. By doing this, students can use their analytical skills to interpret, make connections and gain a deeper understanding of the content. Once they have used the manipulatives, they can apply that knowledge to the direct instruction that comes at the introduction of a unit. This will help fill any gaps and cement those skills for all students.
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