Pupils may be able to simplify expressions, but do they understand how to simplify an expression? A PowerPoint presentation gives several examples of Smarter Balanced Assessment items that test learners' understanding of the concept....

Put expressions, equations, and inequalities to work! Young scholars solve problems using various strategies. Meant as a snapshot of the Smarter Balanced Assessment, a set of seven questions includes topics from writing expressions to...

Pupils rewrite expressions in equivalent forms to identify key features. They use the vertex and factored forms of quadratic expressions to identify the extrema and intercepts. To finish the installment of the Claim 1 Item Slide Show...

Communication is the key. A presentation provides 25 sample items for Claim 3, Communicating Reasoning, for the Smarter Balanced High School Math assessment. Items require pupils to answer the question and provide logical reasoning to...

Develop a radical approach to covering the Smarter Balanced targets for 8th grade math with a presentation that helps further develop math skills. Seven sample items demonstrate the expectation for working with integer exponents,...

Build the model right out of the box. A few sample items show teachers how Smarter Balanced assessments may approach Claim 4, modeling and data analysis. Pupils use their skills to create equations or expressions to model the situation...

Multiplication can be expressed in many ways. This PowerPoint should help students decipher different algebraic expressions by including definitions, examples of word phrases, and placement rules of variables. The last four slides...

Don't get irrational about rational exponents. A PowerPoint presentation highlights the sample high school questions from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Claim 1 Target A item specifications. As one part of a larger...

When US citizens travel throughout the world, they often need to know how to convert temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Young mathematicians practice applying the formula as well as other algebraic equations as part of a...

To solve or not to solve that is the problem. A slide presentation of 17 items show different ways that Smarter Balanced assesses Claim 2, problem solving. The items span from sixth and seventh grade concepts to highlight the...

This presentation covers a lot of ground. Square numbers, metal math computations, commutative property, ordering positive and negative integers, factoring, and real world problem solving are all covered. Use over the course of several...

Just when a young mathematician starts to feel comfortable turning word problems into linear equations, shake things up and throw inequalities in the mix. This excellent, instructive presentation takes the steps for solving an...

Positioned inside the framework of linear and exponential functions, this lesson is more of an investigation into the effects of changing variables and constants inside an expression. The author takes familiar formulas, those for...

There is more to the eye than just a graph on paper. The presentation shows three different piecewise graphs and asks an assortment of questions. The resource includes topics such as domain and range, intervals of increasing and...

A cute zoo theme sets the tone for a problem-solving activity which primes early learners for division. They separate zoo animals into equal groups and then write an equation that expresses the action. 

A good estimator usually has a good number sense. Make good estimators out of your class with this fun estimation activity. They review words that express estimation, estimate the number of three different sets, and then estimate the...

Connect the size of a rolling cup to the size of circle it makes. Pupils view videos of cups of different sizes rolling in a circle. Using the videos and additional data, they attempt to determine a relationship between cup...

Second graders will love playing this math game. They will add their way to a gold, bronze, or silver medal. What a fun game to play as a wrap up to a basic addition unit.

What are terms, factors, and coefficients? This slideshow provides definitions and examples of various parts of algebraic expressions, and provides guided practice problems in writing and identifying parts of algebraic expressions for...

Play Jeopardy and review these concepts before that upcoming test. Make sure the class has a good grasp of: order of operations, solving equations, and understanding functions. There are a few miscellaneous related concepts for review also.

Similar to the popular game Jeopardy, pre-algebra students will play to win. This game focuses on solving and writing simple equations using subtraction, multiplication, or addition. A great way to review for the big test!

There is no substitute for checking the solution. A short introduction to the substitution method of solving systems of equations is an ideal resource for algebra classes. The slides present steps for the substitution method and...

This PowerPoint provides a step-by-step model for subtracting 3 digit numbers with zeroes. Each slide shows the problem expressed numerically and a simple age-appropriate description of the step illustrated. Two guided practice problems...

Intended for summer school, this unit review covers basic multiplication through doubling and halving, division, fraction to decimal conversion, and word problems involving decimal numbers. Use it to warm up the class, review concepts,...