VThompson

This is a double set of task cards designed to support the Common Core standard 6.EE.A.3 and 6.EE.A.4, which focus on having students generate equivalent expressions (both by evaluating coefficients, and by factoring them out). The first set is slightly easier than the second, with smaller numbers used for factoring. Many of the distractor answer choices are intended to catch the problem of multiplying the coefficient by only the first term and not the second (a common problem my students hav

This is a set of task cards (48) designed to be used with students learning how to combine like terms to solve for variables. It contains 2 sets of 24 cards at the beginner level. One set is created with the shapes to represent the variables and boxes with numbers in them to represent the other terms. The second set contains the same equations, but they are represented numerically. This allow differentiation for kids who are more comfortable with the numeric equations. I designed these card

This is a double set of task cards designed to support Common Core 6.EE.2. These cards include practice writing algebraic expressions, finding equivalent algebraic expressions (basic, 1-variable), and evaluating expressions using substitution. Exponents are used on some cards, but all expressions use positive whole numbers (no fractions, no negatives). In both sets of cards, some questions have multiple answers which increases the difficulty. The format for division includes the fractional rep

This is a 10 page PDF document that consists of 32 task cards (4 per page), an answer key, and a recording sheet for students. It is designed to give students practice with simplifying equations to solve for an unknown variable. Each equation has a positive, whole-number solution, but the students must handle terms that are added and subtracted on either side of the equation. I teach above level fifth grade students and I find that they need more practice with this skill as they learn to pa

This is a 12-page pdf that contains additional practice designed to be used with students learning how to combine like terms to solve for a variable. I have used these to support a method of teaching children to build equations and physically remove pieces to simplify equations. Some of the sheets use a symbol to represent an unknown, and others use a letter. Each equation has a positive, whole number solution. There are problems included in which the terms in the equations are added and su

This is a set of cards I designed to use with Common Core 6 math. My students are working on evaluating algebraic expressions with coefficients, and then factoring out a coefficient from expressions. We have been building equations with a hands-on kit and the students are familiar with using a shape to represent an unknown. I wanted them to be able to build and visualize that the two forms of the expressions are simply different ways of grouping the terms, but the total value is identical. I c

This is a 16 page file that contains two sets of 24 task cards, the answer key and a recording sheet. Each card contains one equation that is designed for students who are learning how to handle variables. Each equation can be simplified by combining like terms. The two sets are duplicate of each other, but in one version, each equation is given using a symbol in place of the unknown. The second set is the duplicate using the same equations, but all equations are written with variables. Th

This is a set of 48 task cards designed to be used with manipulatives for children to build equations. This set emphasizes how coefficients work in basic algebraic equations including a single variable. There are 2 sets (24 cards in each), using identical equations. Using the first set of cards, the kids are solving equations with variables represented as shapes, and blocks with numbers representing the other terms. The coefficients are shown as either 2 times a quantity or 3 times a quantit