LIGHTS, CAMERA, PEMDAS!
ORDER OF OPERATIONS!
I always found order of operations to be really fun. It was a very concrete and simple way to remember how to solve algebraic expressions. After of course teaching the students the meaning of PEMDAS- or as the kids love to say, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, I thought it would be fun to have the students get creative and do some acting.
The students would first be taught the meaning and review all of the different operations. The students could then do a simple worksheet like the one below.
NOW FOR THE FUN!
The next step of this lesson is for students get in groups of 4 and they will be given a problem that they have to act out. Each student will be assigned to a letter/letters either 1. P 2. E 3. M/D 4. A/S the students will have to figure out the order in which that person will solve their part of the problem.
After this, students will be required to create their own problem and act it out in front of the class. Students who are watching the students act out, must try to solve the problem along with them to help the students performing check their work. The students can get creative as they want- someone can even play the role of Aunt Sally. I thought this would be a fun way for students to connect PEMDAS and a mathematical concept to their creative side. I feel that if students can create a skit around this subject, then they fully understand the meaning of it. The common core also emphasizes multi-disciplinary curriculum, which the second part of the lesson meets as well.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Order of Operations is usually a 5th grade math topic. I think with a nonmuonic device such as PEMDAS, it is pretty straight forward for students to remember. I still remember PEMDAS to this day, it is just one of those math topics that sticks with you. I think adding the creative aspect of creating a skit and solving a math problem at the same time allows students to think outside the box and think how would this problem look in the real world. I am excited to try this out with my students some day and see what creative ideas they might surprise me with!
I always found order of operations to be really fun. It was a very concrete and simple way to remember how to solve algebraic expressions. After of course teaching the students the meaning of PEMDAS- or as the kids love to say, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, I thought it would be fun to have the students get creative and do some acting.
The students would first be taught the meaning and review all of the different operations. The students could then do a simple worksheet like the one below.
NOW FOR THE FUN!
The next step of this lesson is for students get in groups of 4 and they will be given a problem that they have to act out. Each student will be assigned to a letter/letters either 1. P 2. E 3. M/D 4. A/S the students will have to figure out the order in which that person will solve their part of the problem.
After this, students will be required to create their own problem and act it out in front of the class. Students who are watching the students act out, must try to solve the problem along with them to help the students performing check their work. The students can get creative as they want- someone can even play the role of Aunt Sally. I thought this would be a fun way for students to connect PEMDAS and a mathematical concept to their creative side. I feel that if students can create a skit around this subject, then they fully understand the meaning of it. The common core also emphasizes multi-disciplinary curriculum, which the second part of the lesson meets as well.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Order of Operations is usually a 5th grade math topic. I think with a nonmuonic device such as PEMDAS, it is pretty straight forward for students to remember. I still remember PEMDAS to this day, it is just one of those math topics that sticks with you. I think adding the creative aspect of creating a skit and solving a math problem at the same time allows students to think outside the box and think how would this problem look in the real world. I am excited to try this out with my students some day and see what creative ideas they might surprise me with!
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