Equivalent expressions?
This task addresses a commmon misconception when students take allowable moves to solve equations and apply them to expressions.
Category Archives: Grade 8 / Course 3
Understanding Expressions
Instead of asking students to write expressions that represent real life situations, this task defines the variables, presents expressions, and asks …
What does it mean to multiply by a fraction?
Help students understand multiplication by a fraction with this activity, where two students discuss different models of fraction multiplication and …
Comparing a number and a product
Build rational number sense with this activity that asks students to consider which number is greater without performing the multiplication.
Frac-tangles
Click here for a great activity that promotes understanding of fractions, ratio, equivalence, and proportion.
Understanding the Equal Sign
Researchers have found that students in the United States often view the equal sign as a “do something” signal. What …
Borrowing vs. Decomposing
Here’s a great example of how language can affect conceptual understanding. The following is from a third grade teacher in China, quoted in Liping …
Managing Middle School Classrooms
Click here for great advice from the Association for Middle Level Education.
Common Core Math: From Standards to Instruction
Click here to see the slides from a great ASCD webinar that explain how to design units of instruction by examining …
Rational Numbers in Middle School Math
Middle school students should be developing a sound grasp of rational number concepts. They often need support when their whole …
The Math SPOT 