This animated Math Shorts video explains how the distributive
property can help students model and create equivalent expressions. In the
accompanying classroom activity, students play a quick game where they identify
common factors within an expression and work on a series of problems that stretch their
understanding of how to apply the distributive property. While the problems begin with
whole number expressions, they soon work towards algebraic notation, and eventually
develop the idea that ax + bx can be rewritten as x(a + b).

Two 30 minute lesson teaching the difference between situation and solution equations in Math. Worksheet with answer key included. Photo created by Abigail Slaugh

Open Middle tasks provide opportunities for student to approach a mathematical task using different strategies and representations. They can be used as a warm-up/closing activity, as a formative assessment, or to facilitate discourse and discussion and get insite into student thinking and problem solving. These tasks provide a great opportunity for student to engage with the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Open Middle tasks provide opportunities for student to approach a mathematical task using different strategies and representations. They can be used as a warm-up/closing activity, as a formative assessment, or to facilitate discourse and discussion and get insite into student thinking and problem solving. These tasks provide a great opportunity for student to engage with the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Open Middle tasks provide opportunities for student to approach a mathematical task using different strategies and representations. They can be used as a warm-up/closing activity, as a formative assessment, or to facilitate discourse and discussion and get insite into student thinking and problem solving. These tasks provide a great opportunity for student to engage with the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Open Middle tasks provide opportunities for student to approach a mathematical task using different strategies and representations. They can be used as a warm-up/closing activity, as a formative assessment, or to facilitate discourse and discussion and get insite into student thinking and problem solving. These tasks provide a great opportunity for student to engage with the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Open Middle tasks provide opportunities for student to approach a mathematical task using different strategies and representations. They can be used as a warm-up/closing activity, as a formative assessment, or to facilitate discourse and discussion and get insite into student thinking and problem solving. These tasks provide a great opportunity for student to engage with the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

This problem provides an opportunity to introduce the concept of representing operations on unknown numbers algebraically and leads to work on inverse operations. Students are asked to think of a number, follow a sequence of computational instructions and finally to enter the result into the "machine." Students explore how the "machine" works out the starting number. The Teachers' Notes page offers rationale, suggestions for implementation, discussion questions, ideas for extension and support.