6th Grade Math on Exponents, Properties, Expressions, Substitution

FOUR (Editable) Algebra Activities exposing students to exponents, properties, expressions, and substitution for algebraic expressions. These activities are student driven and designed for your students to investigate a concept on their own. Your students will be able to figure out components of a concept before you actually teach the concept.

#1 Exponents: Students will visually investigate the beginnings of adding variables and what an exponent looks like mathematically. There is a teaching part in this activity that demonstrates exponents in a fun manner that students will remember for years to come.

#2 Properties of Commutative, Associative, Distributive, Zero, Identity: This task card is student driven and allows students to investigate these properties using a guide. Practice and multiple choice is used to allow students to practice what they determine these properties are.

#3 Expressions (Easel Activity Included): Students will identify what operation (+, -, x, ÷) and what various words mean before trying their hand at writing expressions. Color coordination is used to identify the various words (increased by, less than…) and the introduction of ( ) for expressions. Since writing expressions is difficult for students, they are given puzzle pieces to complete this activity.

#4 Substituting for Algebraic Expressions (Easel Activity Included): This task card focuses on students exploring why 2x (when x = 4) is not 24 but 2 • 4 = 8. Using puzzle pieces, where all pieces must be used, the students will learn how to expand their expression and then substitute. This task card also focuses on how to expand exponents such as 2x to the second power as 2(x)(x).

Each Activity is designed for the length of a class period (about 45 minutes) and is designed to allow students to investigate a concept before you teach the concept.

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