I apologize for the chaotic nature of this free math video. I should have sent them out to run around first, apparently! Try to ignore all the random noises and I’m sure you’ll get something out of this!
This is just a brief introduction to the idea of “completing the square.” We will add more to this eventually, but I just want them to get the idea of dividing the coefficient of “x” in half and then squaring that number to complete the square. Obviously they need a few more times of this for it to really sink in!
Once you’ve gotten used to using the blocks, it becomes quicker to just draw pictures… and once you’ve drawn pictures enough, it becomes easier to just use symbols! The concrete-pictorial-abstract order of teaching has been proven to be the most effective. Here’s how you can do it with algebra concepts…
This free math video shows a fun game to play to give practice in making and then factoring polynomials. There is multiplication practice hidden inside this game and it only takes about five minutes!
I’m learning how to teach algebra this way from CrewtonRamonesHouseOfMath.com. It’s just amazing how simple it all is when you can see it as a picture!
