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Shodor Interactivate: Order of Operations
Details
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Activity Website:
Activity Description
This activity allows two users to play a game of order of operations where each player tries to connect four game pieces in a row before his or her opponent does. The players can choose to answer problems that use addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, exponents, and parentheses. They can also choose the difficulty level. This activity would work well in groups of 2 for about 15-20 minutes.
Preparation
- Prepare to explain the Order of Operations.
- If you would like to provide some practice for your students prior to assigning the game, use the "Order of Operations Worksheet Maker"
at the Teachers Corner to create and print some problems for them to work. - Preview the site activity so you can demo it for your students before pairing them up. Be sure you have a Java-enabled browser, or the activities will not work.
How-To
- Explain how to apply the order of operations.
- Encourage students to try more difficult problems and decrease the allowed time.
- Explain why an exponent takes higher precedence than a negation.
- Explain why negation is considered to be an operator.
- Explain to the students that this activity is designed for two players. When students provide the correct answer, they get to place a piece in a game board similar to "Connect Four." The goal is to have four pieces of the same color connected either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. One player uses red pieces, while the other player uses black pieces.
- Before students start the game, they can set several options. They can choose how much time each player will have to answer the questions, the problem difficulty (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3), and select the types of arithmetic problems they want to see. Once all of the choices have been made, select the Start Game button.
Teacher Tips
Prevent any disputes and taunting between winners and losers.
More Ways
Check the related resources under the instructor's tab. Here is the list:
- Activity: Order of Operations Quiz
- Discussion about: Distributive Property
- Discussion about: Order of Operations
- Worksheet: Order of Operations Four
- Worksheet: Order of Operations Four (doc)
- Worksheet: Order of Operations Quiz (doc)
Program Areas
- ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
Lesson Plan
Warm-up
- Objective: Prepare students for the lesson on the Order of Operations.
- Activities:
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- Quick Review: Begin with a brief review of basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
- Engage with Questions: Ask students simple problems to solve, reinforcing the basic concepts and warming up their problem-solving skills.
Introduction
- Objective: Introduce the concept and importance of the Order of Operations.
- Activities:
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- Explanation: Introduce the acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division (left to right), Addition and Subtraction (left to right)).
- Interactive Discussion: Discuss why the Order of Operations is essential to ensure consistency in solving mathematical expressions.
- Demonstration: Use a few example problems to demonstrate how different operations are prioritized and solved step-by-step.
Presentation
- Objective: Explain the detailed application of the Order of Operations.
- Activities:
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- Detailed Explanation: Explain how to apply the Order of Operations using PEMDAS. Include explanations on why exponents take higher precedence than negation and why negation is considered an operator.
- Worksheet Practice: Hand out worksheets created using the "Order of Operations Worksheet Maker" for students to practice.
- Site Activity Demo: Preview the game activity site for students, showing them how to navigate and set up the game.
Practice
- Objective: Provide students with opportunities to practice applying the Order of Operations.
- Activities:
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- Paired Practice: Pair up students to play the Order of Operations game. Ensure each pair has access to a Java-enabled browser.
- Set Up Options: Have students set the game options, including time per question, problem difficulty, and types of arithmetic problems.
- Game Play: Students play the game, solving problems to place pieces on a game board. The objective is to connect four pieces of the same color horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Evaluation
- Objective: Assess students' understanding and application of the Order of Operations.
- Activities:
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- Order of Operations Quiz: Administer a quiz on the Order of Operations to evaluate individual understanding.
- Class Discussion: Discuss the quiz answers and clarify any misconceptions.
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Application
- Objective: Extend learning and apply the Order of Operations in various contexts.
- Activities:
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- Discussion: Discuss the Distributive Property and its relationship with the Order of Operations.
- Worksheet Practice: Provide additional worksheets, such as "Order of Operations Four" and "Order of Operations Quiz" for further practice.
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Documents
- Shodor Interactivate Order of Operations Four Game.png - Screenshot of Shodor Interactivate's Order of Operations Four Game
Subjects
- Math
- Algebra
Standards
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- 1.OA.2 - Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
- 1.OA.3-4 - Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction.
- 2.OA.1 - Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
- 3.OA.1-3 - Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division.
- 3.OA.9 - Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic.
- 4.OA.1-3 - Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems.
- Expressions and Equations
- 7.EE.1 - Use properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions.
Tags
basic math, division, exponent, formulas, multiplication, operation, order, order of operations, shodor, shodor interactivate, subtraction, addition