Understanding algebra at year 7

The aims of this pack are to utilise year 7 students’ knowledge from primary school to build solid foundations for their understanding of algebra throughout KS3 and 4.

These are not whole lessons, instead 23 mix-and-match activity worksheets with a summative assessment at the end, giving teachers the flexibility they need to tailor this content to their students and teaching style. They are split into the following sections:

Sections

One: Short tasks. These can be used as starters, plenaries or stand-alone tasks.

Two: Developing concepts. Activities intended to be completed with the class, led by the teacher in order to advance students’ learning.

Three: Developing fluency. These activities comprise opportunities to practice concepts met in section two and some are there to challenge the most confident learners.

Four: Homework tasks. These can also be used as independent tasks within lessons.

Five: Assessment. A summative assessment covering all content.

Each section is further split into: teaching notes, activites and answers sections.

Objectives

The learning objectives for this pack are taken from the national curriculum for KS3. In the teaching notes, objectives for each activity are stated.

Students should be able to:

1. Use algebra with correct notation, such as not write multiplication signs, use indices, understand division as a fraction and use brackets. 

2. Use the correct order of operations in number and algebra.

3. Understand the difference between expressions, equations, terms, factors and coefficients.

4. Simplify expressions by collecting like terms.

5. Multiply out a single bracket and simplify.

6. Factorise into a single bracket by taking out a common factor.

7. Evaluate expressions and use standard formulae (substitution).

8. Model situations by converting them into algebraic expressions and formulae.