2 Translating verbal expressions

Students practice translating algebraic expressions that are given verbally into their simplified form. Problems involve: - sum - difference - more than - less than - product, - quotient, as well as - area of a rectangle, and - perimeter of a rectangle. Example: What is the `5x^{2}` less than `2x^{2}+6x+1`? Questions are multiple choice, so if students can correctly translate the question above into `\left(2x^{2}+6x+1\right)-\left(5x^{2}\right)`, then they can match the graph or numerical value of that expression to one of the four answer choices. As a result, the focus of the activity is on the act of translating, not on the simplification process. Students who are ready may always perform the simplification by hand instead of using Desmos to match the graphs or numerical values. The activity also serves as a useful early introduction to using Desmos matching techniques on a multiple-choice test. Questions are randomized and self-checking, with feedback provided at the end.

By Kevin Hall