Order of Operations Dice Game Educational Resources K12 Learning, Arithmetic, Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Math Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally!

Senior woman skateboarding at the skatepark

Does this mean you have a crazy Aunt Sally who still likes skate board all over town?
Or is this a fun way to remember the proper order of operations when solving math problems?

What is order of operations?

It is a formula to ensure every mathematician (that's you) solves a problem the same way and, therefore, gets the same answer!

(Hint: the beginning letter of each word is the beginning letter of the math operation!)

PEMDAS

Imagine PEMDAS is like a superhero for math problems! It helps you solve formulas step by step. Here is the breakdown.

PEMDAS stands for parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. It's like a rulebook that tells you how to do things in math.

First, look for any parentheses, like ( ), and solve what's inside them first. That's your first step.

Then, check for exponents, which are like super-powered numbers. If you see any, solve those next.

After that, move on to multiplication and division. These are like teamwork operations, where you solve the equations from left to right.

Finally, finish up with addition and subtraction. Again, go from left to right, solving the equations as you go.

By following PEMDAS, you make sure you solve formulas in the right order, just like following steps in a recipe. It helps you get the right answer every time!

Watch the video below for a review and examples of PEMDAS in action!