- When multiplying polynomials, students need to follow the correct order of operations. The formula for order of operations, BEDMAS, stands for brackets, exponents, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction. In some polynomial multiplication exercises, no other operations will be required, in which case BEDMAS can be ignored. In other situations, however, BEDMAS will need to be used. To get your students to remember BEDMAS, you can use a visualization exercise called "walking on a trail." In this exercise, you ask the students to close their eyes and imagine polynomial multiplication as walking down a trail. Along the trail, they pick up the letters B, E, D, M, A and S. Only once they say what they letters stand for can they move further down the trail.
- There are many computer games circulating on the web that deal with the multiplication, addition and subtraction of polynomials. The game "Battleship," by Quia, deals primarily with adding and subtracting polynomials, but does involve multiplication for some questions. The game "Order of Operations," also by Quia, shows users a series of half completed factoring and multiplication problems, and asks them which operation comes next.
- When most people think of math, trivia is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. However, trivia quizzes can help students learn principles related to the multiplication of polynomials. In one game, Polynomial Jeopardy, students race against each other to be the first to correctly answer questions about polynomial equations, including those involving multiplication. Another polynomial multiplication game you can play is a game based on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" In this game, you ask individual students a series of questions in ascending order of difficulty, allowing them only a certain number of "lifelines," but no wrong answers, before they are kicked off the game.
- If you want your students to have a fun, engaging experience learning to multiply polynomials, you can make up a board game based on the premise. Such a game could take any number of formats. The most obvious format for a polynomial multiplication board game is one where you need to answer a problem correctly in order to advance to the next square, because this game format actually challenges students to do polynomial multiplication as they play. A more basic game could ask students to simply answer trivia questions about order of operations or polynomial expressions before they move on to the next question.
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