Operating Polynomials

Names and
Emails Silvia Cervantes-Lopez, silvialopez2069@csu.fullerton.edu
[optional] Sandra Padilla, sandy.padilla@csu.fullerton.edu

Grade Level Algebra, 9th Grade

Concept Polynomials

Objective Students will be able to apply the four basic operations (addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division) to polynomials. Students will also
be able to apply the Remainder Theorem in order to calculate the
remainder without performing long division or synthetic division.

Standards CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.APR.A.1
Understand that polynomials form a system analogous to the integers,
namely, they are closed under the operations of addition, subtraction,
and multiplication; add, subtract, and multiply polynomials.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.APR.B.2
Know and apply the Remainder Theorem: For a polynomial p(x) and a
number a, the remainder on division by x - a is p(a), so p(a) = 0 if and
only if (x - a) is a factor of p(x).

Day 2: Activity
Launch:
At the beginning of class, the teacher will ask every student to grab a
popsicle stick. This will intrigue the students because they will know that
there will be an activity involved in today’s lecture. The teacher will then
announce to the students, that they will need to be working on an activity
that involves partner work.

Task:
Step 1: Now that students have chosen a popsicle stick with a polynomial,
students will need to define the leading coefficient, the degree and the
number of terms of their polynomial.
Step 2: Students will need to partner up with an opposite color student.
Once each student has a partner, students will need to work together and
use both polynomials to find the addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division of their polynomials.
Step 3: Once students are done with step 2, they will work with their
partner and they will need to come up with two questions based on
today’s lecture (This will help the teacher see how much the student
understood from the lecture).

Step 4: Students will need to answer the following questions. These

 reflection questions will also help the teacher see what the students
understood and what the students didn’t understand from the lecture.
1. What do you understand about today’s lecture?
2. What don’t you understand about today’s lecture?

Closure: Once the students are done with the activity, they will need to
turn in their work and they will be handed an exit slip. This exit slip
consists of two questions that relate to the lecture and to the activity. This
exit slip will be an informal assessment that will show how much the
student learned during the lecture and during the activity.

Anticipated [Here is where you will anticipate different solutions strategies for your
Student task. What do you think different students will come up with? Provide at
Solutions least two correct solutions. You may want to provide details so that others
can anticipate these common ways. Include diagrams/pictures when
possible.]

Predicted Student Solution #1:

For adding polynomials, students can line up all the like terms so it is
easier for them to add them.

Predicted Student Solution #2:

For multiplication, students can multiply each term at a time and then just
combine like terms.

Anticipated
Student Predicted Student (Mis)conception #1: When doing subtraction, several
(Mis)conceptio students forget to distribute the negative sign to all the terms. For
ns example,
(3𝑥 ! + 4𝑥 + 1) − 𝑥 ! − 5𝑥 + 6
3𝑥 ! + 4𝑥 + 1 − 𝑥 ! − 5𝑥 + 6
2𝑥 ! − 𝑥 + 7
 Since the student did not distribute the negative to all the terms, the
solution is incorrect.

Predicted Student (Mis)conception #2: In multiplication, there are

several ways in which answers can be affected, however one of the most
common mistakes students do is when they use distribution.Most of the
time students distribute the first and last terms, but they forget to distribute
the inner and the outer terms.

Teacher
Questioning & If a student gets stuck on the task in [this way], a teacher will: Ask the
Prompting student to take out his/ her notes and the teacher will go over an example
step by step until the student understands the material. If the students still
do not understand the material, the teacher can ask the class if someone
can explain the concept in a more clear way (Sometimes students learn
more by seeing someone else’s method).

If a student is working on something off task, a teacher will: Ask the

student to stop working on the other task and focus on the lesson, since
they will be tested on the material next class, and she will also mention
that there will be an informal assessment at the end of class to test their
understanding.

If a student finishes the task early, a teacher will ask: If a student

seems to understand the material very well and they were to finish early,
the teacher would ask the student to challenge himself by doing some
practice problems from the book. Also, the teacher can ask that student to
help other students that might have more difficulty understanding the
material, such as English learners, Struggling Students and Students with
Special Needs.

Informal &
Formal Question 1: What are “like terms”? Can I add two polynomials with
Assessment distinct number of terms?

Question 2: When subtracting polynomials, is the negative sign

distributed to all the terms or only to the first term? If distribution is not
done correctly, can this affect or change our answer? If yes, how would it
affect or change the answer?

Question 3: Does degree matter when we are multiplying or dividing? If

yes, how does it affect our answers?

Question 4: Can we use synthetic division if we have 4x+3 as our divisor?

Why or why not?

Question 5: In division, what can we do if the dividend is missing a term,

 for example x3+x+2?

Question 6: Can we have a negative remainder? What is the correct way

to write the remainder?

Materials • Paper
• Pencil
• Popsicle sticks
• Board
• Markers
• Projector
Sources The following links were utilized to provide the students with extra help.

• https://www.ixl.com/math/algebra-1/multiply-two-polynomials-
using-algebra-tiles
• https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/introduction-to-
polynomial-expressions/modal/e/add---subtract-polynomials-
challenge
• https://www.ixl.com/math/algebra-1
• https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/introduction-to-
polynomial-expressions
• http://www.mesacc.edu/~scotz47781/mat120/notes/divide_poly/syn
thetic/synthetic_division.html

Appendix 1
 Lecture Outline
Warm-Up (10 minutes): Students will be watching a video and they will need to answer the
following questions:
1. What is a Polynomial?
2. How many terms does a polynomial have?
3. Provide two examples of a polynomial.

Lesson (25 minutes): Teacher will be proving the students with a worksheet, where they will
need to be filling out the blank spaces as the teacher is going over the lesson. The teacher will
be using the projector to teach the students and to fill out the worksheet along with the
students. The teacher will also be using the board to show examples and to ask students to
come up and practice some examples.

Activity (20 minutes): At the beginning of class, the teacher will ask every student to grab a
Popsicle stick. This will intrigue the students because they will know that there will be an
activity involved in today’s lecture. The teacher will then announce to the students, that they
will need to be working on an activity that involves partner work.

Instructions for Activity:
Step 1: Now that students have chosen a Popsicle stick with a polynomial, students will need to
define the leading coefficient, the degree and the number of terms of their polynomial.
Step 2: Students will need to partner up with an opposite color student. Once each student has
a partner, students will need to work together and use both polynomials to find the addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division of their polynomials.
Step 3: Once students are done with step 2, they will work with their partner and they will need
to come up with two questions based on today’s lecture (This will help the teacher see how
much the student understood from the lecture).
Step 4: Students will need to answer the following questions. These reflection questions will
also help the teacher see what the students understood and what the students didn’t
understand from the lecture.
1. What do you understand about today’s lecture?
2. What don’t you understand about today’s lecture?

Exit Slip (5 minutes): This exit slip consists of two questions that relate to the lecture and to the
activity. This exit slip will be an informal assessment that will show how much the student
learned during the lecture and during the activity.

Appendix 2
 Activity: From Mono to Poly
Instructions: Complete the activity and turn in all your work and your
partner’s work before class ends.

Task #1-
Step 1: Students will need to choose a Popsicle stick with a
polynomial. Next, students will need to define the leading
coefficient, the degree and the number of terms of their
polynomial.
Step 2: Students will need to partner up with an opposite color
student. Once each student has a partner, students will need to
work together and use both polynomials to find the addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division of their polynomials.


Task #2- Students will work with their partner and they will
need to come up with two questions based on today’s lecture.


Task #3- Students will need to answer the following questions.
3. What do you understand about today’s lecture?
4. What don’t you understand about today’s lecture?

Appendix 3
 Homework Assignment

Name: ______________________________________
Date___________________

Simplify each expression. Show work on a separate sheet of paper.


1. 𝟒𝐱 𝟐 + 𝟐 − (𝟔 + 𝟐𝐱 𝟐 )

2. 𝟐𝐰 𝟐 + 𝟑𝐰 − 𝟕 + (𝟑𝐰 𝟐 − 𝟒𝐰)

3. (𝒑𝟒 − 𝟖) − (𝟐𝒑 + 𝟖) − (𝟕𝒑 + 𝟑)

4. (𝟔𝒉 + 𝟗) − (𝟔𝒉 + 𝟗)

5. (𝟔 − 𝟖𝒎 − 𝟕𝒎𝟐 ) + (𝒎 + 𝟓𝒎𝟐 − 𝟖) − (𝟐𝒎 − 𝟕𝒎𝟐 + 𝟑)

6. −𝟐𝒙 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟑𝒙 − 𝟖

7. (𝟐𝒅𝟐 − 𝟏𝟕𝒅 − 𝟑𝟖) ÷ (𝟐𝒅 + 𝟑)

8. 𝟔𝒙 + 𝟓 𝟐

9. 𝟒𝒙 − 𝟓 − (𝟑𝒙 − 𝟓)

10. −𝟐𝒙𝟑 𝒚 𝟓𝒙𝒚𝟕

11. 𝟓𝟎𝒌𝟑 + 𝟏𝟎𝒌𝟐 − 𝟑𝟓𝒌 − 𝟕 ÷ 𝟓𝒌 − 𝟒

12. (𝟖𝒙𝟐 − 𝟓𝟏𝒙 − 𝟐𝟔) ÷ (𝟖𝒙 + 𝟓)

13. 𝟑𝒃(𝟒𝒃 − 𝟓𝒃 + 𝟏𝟎)

14. (𝟗𝒙𝟑 − 𝒙 + 𝟑) ÷ (𝟑𝒙 − 𝟐)

𝟐 𝟐
15. 𝟖𝒏 − 𝟓 + 𝟓𝒏 + 𝟑 − (𝟑𝒏 − 𝟖)

Appendix 4
 Exit Slip

Name _______________________________ Date___________________


1. Simplify the expression

𝒙𝟐 + 𝟖𝒙 − 𝟔 − (𝟕 − 𝟏𝟎𝒙 − 𝟐𝒙𝟐 )















2. Use the Remainder Theorem to find the remainder of the follwing 𝟐𝒙𝟒 + 𝟑𝒙𝟐 − 𝟓𝒙 +
𝟕 is divided by 𝒙 − 𝟏. Check by using synthetic division

















Appendix 5
Name: Date:

Quiz (A): Polynomials

1. Solve
a. 5𝑥 ! + 3𝑥 + 7 + 3𝑥 ! + 4𝑥 + 8
b. 12𝑥 ! − 2𝑥 + 9 − 7𝑥 ! + 6

2. Use distribution and the Galley Method to multiply the

following polynomials.
a. 3𝑥 + 1 (4𝑥 − 3)
b. 𝑥 ! + 2𝑥 + 6 𝑥 + 6
 3. Use Long Division and Synthetic Division to solve the the
following:
𝑥 ! + 11𝑥 + 10 ÷ 𝑥 + 2

4. Use the Galley Method to solve.

(𝑥 ! + 7𝑥 + 12) ÷ (𝑥 + 3)

5. Use the Remainder Theorem to find the remainder of the

following:
(3𝑥 ! − 4𝑥 + 1) ÷ (𝑥 − 2)

Appendix 6
Name: Date:

Quiz (B): Polynomials

1. Solve
a. 3𝑥 ! + 4𝑥 + 1 + (8𝑥 ! + 2𝑥 + 3)
b. (11𝑥 ! + 7𝑥 + 2) − (9𝑥 ! + 8𝑥 − 4)

2. Use distribution and the Galley Method to multiply the

following polynomials.
a. 𝑥 ! + 3𝑥 + 2 (𝑥 + 1)
b. 3𝑥 + 5 (𝑥 + 7)

3. Use Long Division and Synthetic Division to solve the

following:
(𝑥 ! + 11𝑥 + 29) ÷ (𝑥 + 3)
4. Use the Galley Method to solve the following:
𝑥 ! + 5𝑥 + 4 ÷ (𝑥 + 1)

5. Use the Remainder Theorem to find the remainder of the

following:
2𝑥 ! + 4𝑥 + 8 ÷ (𝑥 − 3)