This is an activity that could be used to improve students understanding of evaluating expressions when substituting integers in expressions.
Using a class set of mini whiteboards, ask each student to
• Write the numbers 1 to 6 in a column on the left hand side
• Write a different algebraic expression in terms of x next to each of these numbers
• Evaluate the expressions using the allocated number as the value for x
• Calculate the total of these six values
Now ask the students to rearrange the number 1 to 6 to get
• The maximum total
• The minimum total
This allows differentiation as students can make the expressions as complicated as they wish.
They could write each of their expressions on cards, which you could collect and use in another lessons allocating appropriate expressions to individual students.
Sue Briggs
Previously a Maths Advisor in Somerset
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