Tuesday, August 14, 2012

4 Tips On Pedagogy The Distributive Property


1) Make Sense of Multiplication
Students ask to brand feel of the pregnant of multiplication inwards price of groups.  Students may accept previously learned multiplication every bit repeated addition, though this is accurate, extend their agreement to multiplication every bit pregnant groups of.  For example, 2(x + 3)  means 2 groups of x plus 3.  Another example, 3(y - 1) means 3 groups of y minus 1.

2) Model the Expression alongside Manipulatives
Algebra tiles are slap-up for modeling expressions, however, if you lot do non accept Algebra tiles you lot tin either brand them alongside paper, or piece of job objects to stand upwardly for the variables as well as constants.  Have your students model the expression.  For example, they know that 2(x + 3) means  2 groups of x plus 3.  So right away model the human face alongside manipulatives.  See photograph for example.



Model alongside manipulatives for 3(y - 1)




After students model the human face accept them write downwards what they run into alongside combining similar terms.


If your students run into the connectedness betwixt the initial human face as well as the simplified human face at this point, that is great.  If they don't, that is ok.  Your finish for this footstep is that they conceptually empathize multiplying expressions. 

3) Model the Expression alongside Symbols
Now, instead of using manipulatives accept your students write out the variables as well as the constants.  In the photograph the human face 2(x+3) is modeled yesteryear writing out the groups. 



Here is the model for 3(y -1)


Again, accept your students write the simplified version later modeling.  At this point, if your students accept non already noticed the "shortcut" direct them through questioning. Ideally you lot desire your students to brand the connectedness as well as hence they retain the information.  


4) Multiply using the Distributive Property
Once your students accept a potent conceptual agreement of the distributive belongings movement on to truly using the belongings when multiplying.  Students should empathize that every term from ane human face needs to hold upwardly multiplied yesteryear every term of the other expression.  Understanding this concept volition greatly assistance them when multiplying binomials.  One strategy I piece of job alongside my students are circling the price including the signs. This helps students non girlfriend the negative signs.  

Another strategy is drawing lines.  Lines acquire extremely helpful when multiplying binomials as well as beyond.  


If you lot don't accept fourth dimension to brand your ain notes nearly the distributive property, YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO USE MINE.  I've included 2 pages of notes to direct students inwards discovering the distributive belongings also every bit FUN as well as ENGAGING stations as well as hence they tin utilisation what they accept learned. 

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