Teaching factoring quadratics may seem like a daunting task for many math teachers, but with the right strategies and a little creativity, you can make teaching this topic enjoyable for you and your students! In this blog post, I'll share some ideas to get your class excited about factoring quadratics - ranging from traditional learning activities to making creative use of technology. Whether you’re looking for tried-and-true methods or something fresh and innovative - there will be tips here that everyone can benefit from.
When I first started teaching, I thought it was so difficult to teach factoring. I could see how quadratics would factor by looking at the expression, so it was difficult for me to explain how to see that to my students. Over the years, I have composed a large toolkit of ideas that I've had and ideas from others. Now, I have a tried and true method that I use to teach factoring quadratics, which I have linked below. So, if you want ideas about teaching factoring quadratics, you're in the right place!
Ideas for Teaching Quadratics
Introduction to Factoring with Cereal - Make factoring less scary with this introduction! First, students practice their mental math, then they use cereal to factor, without realizing it.
How I Teach Factoring Quadratics - This post is a detailed explanation about how I teach factoring to my students. I've used this method with success with students in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and college Developmental Math classes.
Polynomials and Factoring Unit for Algebra 1 - Do you need help with a full unit for factoring? This unit is completely finished with all of the notes, worksheets, and activities you need.
Factoring Trinomials with Algebra Tiles - This is a great Geogebra activity that walks students through factoring while using algebra tiles. If you don't have physical algebra tiles, this is a great option for students that need and extra visual to understand.
Distributing and Factoring Monomials Notes - Are you looking for the perfect notes for students learning to factor? These distributing and factoring monomials notes can be used as stand alone guided notes or pages in an interactive notebook.
Factoring Expressions Stations Maze Activity - This activity is great for students that need a little more practice with the distribution property before starting factoring trinomials.
Beginning Factoring Interactive Notebook Pages - If you use interactive notebooks, these foldables are perfect for your classes!
Factoring Interactive Notebook Pages - More interactive notebook pages for your factoring quadratics unit!
Factoring with Symbols - I love using this practice with students to show them the pattern of factoring. It's not for students that are brand new to factoring, but is a great practice toward the end of the unit or for Algebra 2 students.
Factoring Polynomials Digital Escape Room Activity - In this digital escape room, your students have gotten lost in the ocean and they are running out of oxygen! To escape the escape room, students factor trinomials to make it home before their oxygen tanks are out of air.
Factoring Quadratics Color By Number - Get your students excited about math with this fun and engaging activity! They'll use their problem-solving skills to factor quadratic expressions, then get creative by coloring a picture based on the results. No prep needed—just print it out and they're ready to go!
Factoring Practice on Geogebra - This is another Geogebra activity for practicing factoring trinomials. It's no frills, but gets the job done!
Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring Triangle Puzzle - Working together, students will solve a series of quadratic equations by factoring. The best part? Once they piece the answers into place, it'll form an awesome triangle - perfect for any partner work or math center activity.
I hope that you found at least one new strategy in this blog post to try out in your classroom. If you’re still feeling stuck, definitely check out the links I’ve shared - there are some great resources out there to help make teaching factoring quadratics a breeze. And if you have any favorite methods that haven’t been mentioned here, please share them in the comments! We can all benefit from hearing about what works well in our classrooms.
