In my 7th grade math class, we are in full swing of our equations unit – one of my personal favorites! I consider integers and equations to be the most important units in all of 7th-grade math, and want to give my students tons of practice to cement their skills. If you’re looking to refresh your equations unit, are looking for supplemental resources, or are planning for some tutoring and summer school activities, don’t worry – I’ve done the legwork for you! Here are some equations practice activities that my students and I have loved!
Self-Correcting Digital Mazes
At the start of my equations unit, I want all of my students to know if they are solving the equations correctly right away during independent practice, without having to hover around every student all the time. Self-correcting activities, like these mazes, tell students if they are correct or not based on color-changing answers. In fact, students can’t move on until they are correct! Activities, like this distributing expressions maze, are a game changer at the beginning of any new skill!
Pixel Art Mystery Pictures
Pixel art activities are one of my favorite digital review activities! They are super engaging and easy to assign! Students solve problems on a preprogrammed Google Sheet. If they are right, the answer box turns green and part of a mystery picture is revealed. It’s so easy as a teacher to see if students are getting answers right or wrong, and this no-prep activity is a great last-minute sub plan! My students love this cartoon-themed activity that you can snag by clicking here!
Digital Task Cards
Digital task cards, like these equation ones, have a ton of uses, making them a staple in all of my units! I can print them for a quick exit ticket, use them to model in whole group practice, assign them as homework, or even hide them around the room to get my students up and moving! Because digital task cards have one problem per slide, they are a great fit for students who struggle with feeling overwhelmed or distracted when completing a lot of practice problems. For more details about how I love to use digital task cards in my classroom, check out my blog post here!
Quick Printables
Even though I’m known around my school as the queen of technology, I still think there’s a place for printable activities and fun worksheets! I love using these “Find the Problem” Maze Worksheets or Corny Joke Pages to give my students some tech-free equations practice! The corny joke page can help students check their answers because it has to make a word, while the maze worksheets are just plain fun for kids!
Escape Rooms
At the end of our unit, I love using math escape rooms to help students apply all they’ve learned! I love using this equation escape room to help review and remind students of a variety of equation skills It’s also a nice independent activity for most students, which gives me time to catch up on what I need to do at the end of a unit! The unique challenges require students to solve challenging equations to get a code, and it’s easily used in low-tech or only-tech classrooms! Grab this escape room activity here!
What are your favorite strategies or tips for making solving equations stick? Let me know in the comments below!
