Factoring Trinomials Puzzle Activity FREEBIE

This activity helps students practice factoring trinomials: 5 problems have a leading coefficient of one and 4 problems have a leading coefficient greater than one.

It’s best if students work in small groups or in pairs. Even if you are having each student work on their own sheet individually, they can still sit together and work on coming up with the correct answers collaboratively.

Give each student the Puzzle Activity Sheet and the Puzzle Paste Sheet. Have them cut out all of the puzzle pieces in the Activity Sheet. Then they are to match them onto the Paste Sheet in numerical order by factoring each trinomial.

Watch out for that student who will sit there and cut out all of the pieces and have their partner do the actual math! I like to time my students. Depending on your class, this activity could take 20 to 45 minutes. Start by giving them 20 minutes and at the end, determine the majority of the class’s progress to give them additional time if needed. For this factoring activity I always ask them to show their work on a separate sheet of paper and attach it to their Paste Sheet.

At the end of the activity once they turn it in I pass out an index card and have the students whose first name ends in a vowel (and yes, you’ll have to explain a vowel is a, e, i, o, u) to do problem #5 and then have those whose first name ends in a consonant a different problem like #6. I give them six minutes to write their name, date, period, copy the problem down, and factor it. This way they will be inclined to stay on task and learn from the activity; i.e. make them accountable for their learning.

Materials needed:

Scissors

Glue, glue stick, or tape (be careful with glue because it can get pretty messy and if your students put too much then the paper will be wet and stick to everything. Tape or a glue stick are better choices).

Related products you may like to make your life easier when teaching factoring to your students:

• Factoring in a Nutshell: Notes and Problems with Solutions (VITAL to teach all six types of factoring and give your students practice PRIOR to quizzing them)
• Factoring Task Cards
• Factoring of Difference of Two Squares Task Cards
• Factoring I Have Who Has Activity
• Factoring Trinomials with a Leading Coefficient = 1 Boom Task Cards
• Factoring Polynomials Color by Number - Halloween-theme
• Valentine's Day Factoring Practice and Review

Visit my blog at teachingfroma-z.com for tips, resources, and simple ways to make your life easier. Work smarter, not harder!