Make teaching algebraic expressions easier, more engaging, and more organized with this ready-to-teach PowerPoint lesson and guided student notes! This lesson is designed to help 6th grade math students build algebraic fluency as they learn to write, identify, simplify, and evaluate algebraic expressions.

This resource walks students through key algebraic expression concepts using clear explanations, visual examples, guided practice, and student-friendly notes. It is perfect for whole group instruction, small group support, intervention, reteaching, absent student support, or math review.

Students will practice translating written phrases into algebraic expressions, identifying parts of an expression, combining like terms, using the distributive property, factoring with the greatest common factor, checking for equivalent expressions, and evaluating expressions using substitution and order of operations.

This resource is designed to save teachers planning time while keeping students engaged and supported throughout the lesson.

What’s Included:

• Ready-to-teach PowerPoint lesson
• Guided student notes
• Completed student notes/answer key
• Bell ringer/warm-up
• Vocabulary instruction
• Writing expressions practice
• Equivalent expressions practice
• Combining like terms
• Distributive property practice
• Factoring with GCF
• Evaluating expressions with substitution
• PEMDAS/order of operations review
• Exit ticket

Skills Covered:

• Identify terms, variables, coefficients, and constants
• Translate verbal expressions into algebraic expressions
• Write algebraic expressions from real-world and mathematical situations
• Identify and write equivalent expressions
• Use the distributive property
• Combine like terms
• Factor expressions using the greatest common factor
• Evaluate expressions by substituting values for variables
• Apply the order of operations

Perfect For:

• 6th grade math
• Middle school math intervention
• Whole group instruction
• Guided notes
• Math notebooks
• Small group instruction
• Reteaching and remediation
• Test review
• Substitute plans
• Absent student support

This lesson is structured, student-friendly, and easy to follow. The PowerPoint helps guide instruction step by step, while the notes give students a place to organize vocabulary, examples, and practice problems. The completed notes make it easy to support absent students, provide accommodations, or review answers quickly.

Standards Alignment:

This resource supports instruction related to algebraic expressions, including translating expressions, evaluating expressions, and generating equivalent expressions using properties of operations.

Great for Florida B.E.S.T. standards-aligned instruction, including skills connected to:
• MA.6.AR.1.1
• MA.6.AR.1.3
• MA.6.AR.1.4

Please Note:

This resource was created to support classroom instruction and help students build confidence with algebraic expressions through clear explanations, guided practice, and organized notes.