Resources for Factoring Trinomials

Well this post was supposed to just be a quick post to link my factoring puzzles activity but it has turned into a longer blog to share all the resources I have used this semester (Spring 2017) for teaching factoring. So here are my activities that I feel really helped students with factoring this year. I am so happy with the way these activity turned out. 

I learned all about the box method for factoring last summer while scrolling through twitter one night. It was life changing and I'll never go back!! If you haven't heard about this method you should check out this blog (Polynomials and Box Method) I did recently. 

This semester I had two different preps Math 1 and Math 2, I started teaching quadratics early in Math 2 and hadn't made these resources at that point so it didn't go as smoothly. When I started quadratics in Math 1 I did these things that helped lead up to the factoring process. (We have previously covered Multiplying Polynomials & Factoring Polynomials by GCF)

1) Area Model Puzzles

2) Factoring Puzzles

3) Factoring X Puzzles (Diamond Puzzles)

4) Notes on Factoring Trinomials

5) Practice on Dry Erase Template Factoring Trinomials

Here are some student photos of the activities being used:

If you would like to download these files you can find them below:

Area Model Puzzles & Answer Key

Factoring Puzzles

Factoring X Puzzles

Notes on Factoring Trinomials

Dry Erase Template on Factoring Trinomials

Area Model Puzzles

I'm so excited to share this activity with you!! I've been working on it with the answer key for several hours now and I think I'm starting to go cross eyed LOL. So please check and re-check the answer key before you use just to be safe. If you do find a typo please let me know so I can fix my copy and repost new worksheet.

This resource came from an idea that Anna over at TypeAMathLand gave me on twitter after I posted my blog on how I use the box method for multiplying & factoring polynomials.

So after reading her tweet I pulled up my notes and started thinking about what she said and it made so much sense. I esspecially like how it made the connection of "area model" way more concrete for me. I had heard other teachers around the MTBOS use that terminology before but didn't quite make that connection until after Anna mentioned only finding the gcf of the first row in my box method while factoring trinomials. I was always telling them to take the gcf in both rows which would have been fine but they also had to remember to take out the same sign of the term in the bottom left row as in the gcf of the bottom row but I didn't really know why we did that. So now when we do it her way it won't be a trick to remember anymore it will just be what multiples to equal the inside. 

As I kept thinking about our conversation I remembered Sarah sharing a photo of the trinomial x puzzles she uses which help prepare students for factoring trinomials. So I used that idea and created a puzzle that will help students understand the box method "area model" for multiplying polynomials. 

If you are interested in the trinomial x puzzles I tracked down the original blog post I think by Mr. K here. The link to the worksheet is at the bottom. I'll definitely be using that worksheet to prepare for factoring trinomials. 

I also found an electronic version which I love more!! You should check out DeltaMath and search for the X game. There are 3 different levels which is awesome. You will need to create an account but I promise it is totally worth it!! Blog coming soon about this website as it is a go too practice place for my students and I love that they can even do most of the topics from their phone. 

The best part about this website is there are explainations for every problem. One of the hardest parts of my job is having enough time in a period to help every single student. I really appreciate this website because the explainations show students where they messed up and that helps avoid tons of questions that I would be asked. Now I'm able to focus on the students who really struggle or the more complex mistakes in problems. 

So if your looking for a new addition to these types of puzzles for your students here is my area model puzzle worksheets that I will be using before I teach multiplying polynomials. I can't wait to update this blog with actual photos of student work. 

If you would like to download the files you can click below:

Area Model Puzzle

Area Model Puzzle Answer Key

Blank Area Model Puzzle

Polynomials & Box Method Spring 2017

This summer I learned about the box method used for factoring from Sarah over at mathequalslove. I found this method extremely helpful because it was consistent across many different topics and simple to understand. I really appreciate how it helps keep my problems organized. Here are the topics I have used this method with:

* Multiplying Polynomials
* Factoring GCF out of Polynomials
* Factoring Trinomials
* Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring

***I have also seen this method done with Long Division of Polynomials (don't teach currently)***
You can check out Sarah's post here.

I have made notes using this process as well as dry erase templates for my students to use as they are practicing this skill in the beginning. I have found that lower level students who struggle to keep up with all the different steps try much harder if given a dry erase template as a guide. Also this really helps teach them to keep all their work nice and organized.

As you can see the template is already set up to handle up to a trinomial times a trinomial but students also do not need to use the extra rows and columns if they have smaller polynomials to multiply. 

The template for factoring out the greatest common factor from any polynomial is designed to handle up to four terms as I usually don't do examples greater than that anyways. I did notice that you also might want to limit it to about three variables so that students have enough room to write their letters in the blocks. I'm really glad that I decided to do gcf with the box method also because it makes transitioning into box with factoring trinomials much easier. 

I love this factoring trinomials template. It was not my original idea as most of my ideas are sparked from great resources around the MTBOS. Unfortantly I can't remember exactly who designed this model but if it is yours please let me know so I can tag your blog here as another resource for those interested in this method. 

More recent document shown below. Can't remember who I saw post on twitter that they had students always say what the gcf was even when it was 1 and I loved that because then they won't forget to look for it. So I had to include it in the new file. 

I love to check out the latest posts and blogs with tons of photos of how other teachers present their content. So hopefully these notes and pictures can inspire someone else out there. If you modify any of these I would love to see your idea as it my be better and make me want to steal your brilliance :)

Here are the files found in this document:

Multiplying Polynomials - Notes & Dry Erase Template

Factoring Polynomials GCF - Notes & Dry Erase Template

Factoring Trinomials - Notes & Dry Erase Template

Solving Quadratic Equations using Factoring - Notes & Dry Erase Template

Do you want to find more resources like this???

Check out my virtual filing cabinet page