Some of My Favorite Algebra Activities
These are examples of some of the types of activities I’ve used in my flipped Algebra class. I did not create any of these ideas, rather I learned about them from colleagues and from searching online. Because I needed many activities (2 to 5 per day), I used the ideas and created my own activities specific to the topic of each day. I switched around the type of activities throughout a unit or chapter to keep the routine varied and interesting for students. These large-group, small-group and partner activities are quickly checked for accuracy by the students or teacher. The immediate feedback is essential for learning and mastery, making these activities quite effective.
This Quiz Quiz Trade Activity is an excellent large group activity to use at the beginning of class. Students show their card to a partner. Since the answer is on the back, students can help each other. Then students trade cards and switch partners to continue the activity. You can read detailed instructions for this activity here.
The Sum It Up Activity is a great small group activity. Pages can be put on the walls so students can walk from station to station. Three students each have their own Algebra problem to do at each station. They then add together their three answers to find a “Sum” which is given on the back of the station. For detailed instructions for this activity, please click here.
The Placemat Activity is a good partner activity. I place placemats inside plastic page protectors so students can write on the placemat. Students work all four problems and then add the four answers together. I can easily check the “sum” in the middle of the page as I walk around the room. Click here for more details about this activity.
The Problem Pass Activity works well as practice in the middle of a lesson or as a review. My students work with a partner and the entire class participates at the same time. I pass the problems to students in order. After everyone has finished their problem, they pass their old problem in a specific direction to the next pair of students. Then I instruct everyone to turn over their NEW problem to find the answer to their OLD problem. This continues until students have worked and checked all of the problems in the set. You can read more information about this activity here.
The Relay Activity is good for small groups and is easy for the teacher to create. Groups of three or four students work together on one round at a time. Students discuss the problem as they work on it and agree on the correct answer before having it checked by the teacher. You can read detailed instructions for this activity here.
Here are other fun activities I have found and include in the rotation of my class activities. I will write more about these later.
-Puzzles
-Matching
-Card Sort
-Scavenger Hunt
-Hot Seat
-Round Robin
-Gallery Walk
-Crumple & Shoot
-Dry Erase Practice
-Jeopardy
