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Combining Like Terms Guided Notes & Doodles | Simplify Expressions
$4.25
Overview
Have you ever wondered how to teach combining like terms for 6th or 7th grade?
Use this artistic, real-life lesson plan to teach your students about combining like terms. Students will learn about what like terms are, how to combine them, and how to simplify expressions in order to solve real-world problems. The lesson plan includes artistic, interactive guided notes, a check for understanding, and practice with doodle & color by number activity, along with a maze worksheet. The lesson concludes with a real-life application of combining like terms. It shows students how restaurants communicate phone orders under pressure, simplifying expressions to tally up orders quickly and accurately.
- Standards: CCSS 7.EE.A.1, CCSS 7.EE.A.2
- Grade: 7th Grade
- Unit: 7th Grade → Expressions
Get the Lesson Materials
Combining Like Terms Guided Notes & Doodles | Simplify Expressions
$4.25
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define like terms and explain how to combine them
- Simplify expressions using combining like terms
- Apply combining like terms to real-world situations, such as restaurant phone orders
Note: This lesson plan features positive numbers only, and doesn’t cover the distributive property. See my distributive property lesson plan for that!
Prerequisites
Before this lesson, students should be familiar with:
- Basic algebraic concepts, including variables and coefficients
- Basic arithmetic skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
- Understanding of terms and coefficients (know how to identify parts of an expression)
Materials
- Pencils
- Colored pencils or markers
- Combining Like Terms (Positive Numbers Only) Guided Notes
Key Vocabulary
- Like Terms
- Coefficient
- Variable
- Exponents (Powers)
- Simplify
- Expression
Procedure
Introduction
- As a hook, ask students why it is important for restaurants to be able to communicate phone orders quickly and accurately. Refer to the last page of the guided notes as well as the FAQs below for ideas.
- Use the guided notes to introduce the concept of combining like terms. Walk through what like terms are, how to combine them, and how to simplify expressions using combining like terms.
- Refer to the FAQ below for a walk through on this, as well as ideas on how to respond to common student questions.
Check for Understanding
- Have students work through the problems on the first practice page, either collaboratively or independently.
- Walk around and spot-check student answers on the check for understanding activity.
- Based on student responses, reteach concepts that students need extra help with. If your class has a wide range of proficiency levels, you can pull out students for reteaching, and have more advanced students begin work on the practice exercises.
Practice
- Have students practice combining like terms using the maze activity. Walk around to answer student questions.
- Fast finishers can dive into the Doodle Math activity for extra practice (included in the Combining Like Terms Magic Lesson). You can assign it as homework for the remainder of the class.
Real-Life Application
- Bring the class back together, and introduce the concept of using combining like terms for calculating expenses at a restaurant. Explain that restaurant orders can be represented as expressions, and that combining like terms can help tally up the orders quickly and accurately.
Extensions
Additional Self-Checking Digital Practice
If you’re looking for digital practice for combining like terms, try my Pixel Art activities in Google Sheets. Every answer is automatically checked, and correct answers unlock parts of a mystery picture. It’s incredibly fun, and a powerful tool for differentiation. There’s winter and spring versions perfect for additional practice.
Additional Print Practice
A fun, no-prep way to practice combining like terms is Doodle & Color by Number — it's a fresh take on color by number or color by code. It includes 2 levels of practice, and is available free.