June 15, 2022 //  by Sharayah Lynn Grattan

Are you having a hard time coming up with fun activities to get your middle schoolers excited about algebra? Well, we are here to help! From introducing the abstract concept of distributive property using helpful analogies, to interactive resources and cooperative learning activities. We have 20 math activities to inspire student understanding and appreciation for this fundamental skill and make your middle school classroom a zone of collaborative fun!

Distributive property can consist of multi-step equations involving breaking down units, multiplying, and adding. A visual representation can be useful so students can see and touch the numbers being used. This collaborative activity uses rows of foam squares to demonstrate how we break down and solve these types of equations.

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Having a mini whiteboard for students to use for partner practice activities brings a lot more organization than when you are having students share the main board. Here is a lesson idea for introducing distributive property concepts using colored blocks.

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Not only will your students love this activity because kids love to play pretend, but it also uses gummy bears! Help your middle school "doctors" operate on the gummy bears by cutting and redistributing them into different equations and groupings.

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This review activity is great for practicing distributive property concepts. You can make your own property matching card game by writing equations on paper then breaking them down into new equations, cutting the cards, and mixing them all up!

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Did you ever think you would be using french fries and burgers in your math class? Well, it's time to show your middle schoolers how understanding the distributive property can be useful in the real world. This lesson asks students to combine different food items in combo meals to see what option is the cheapest!

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Now you don't have to use cupcakes to get this point across to your students, just make sure whatever you choose, all your kids want it! Explain how if you only gave out treats to the first row of students (a) it would not be fair to the rest of the class (b). So to be fair we have to distribute the x (treats) to both the a (row 1) and b (rows 2-3) to get ax+bx.

When we teach distributive property in algebra class in-person or virtually, we can use the idea of a rainbow to help students remember how to multiply numbers in a parenthesis. Watch this useful teaching video to learn how to use the rainbow method in your next lesson!

Whether your students are in a digital classroom or just need some extra practice at home, here is a link to some online games designed to help students grasp the concepts of the distributive property.

This maze activity can be a fun partner or individual task once you've gone over the main concepts of breaking down and multiplying equations.

Time for some colorful and interactive practice games using dice and construction paper! Split your students into pairs and have teams take turns rolling the dice into squares on the paper and solving the equations in the squares the dice land.

Here is an activity sheet you can either purchase or use as a guide to making your own! The basic idea is to leave blank spaces in equations where students need to paste the correct number. Cut out the missing numbers for students to glue in the correct space.

Many learners love when art is incorporated into other subjects, it can bring difficult concepts to life! So here is a coloring page corresponding with various distributive property equations for your students to solve and color in the correct area using the suggested colors.

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This link is a free PDF of a puzzle with multi-step equations your students can work to solve, cut, and piece together to make an awesome puzzle!

Once your students have learned the concepts, it's time for them to practice making their own grids! Make sure everyone has grid paper and colored pencils, then write down some equations and see what color blocks they create.

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You can create your own spinning wheel with numbers or equations on it for a fun practice game with the whole class. This game can be useful to check student understanding and see what concepts they have mastered and which need more work.

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This pre-made digital activity is self-grading and convenient because it uses Google Sheets, which is an online tool most students are familiar with. The puzzle has equations that correlate with different dog images, what student isn't going to love that?!

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This Halloween-themed board game is a fun downloadable resource you can play with your students in class or have them try at home!

Use these bingo card templates as a reference for making your own! Middle schoolers love bingo, and will get excited to be the first to solve their equations and get five in a row!

A deck of cards can be your best friend as a math teacher. This website has various card options using distributive property principles and array of examples for practice and review.

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Make your own laminated cards with numbers, boxes, and equations on them for your kids to sort, match, and play other common card games like "go fish"!

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