1. Lesson
Monomials and Multiplying
Monomials
Topic: Algebra 1
Unit of Study:
Multiplying Polynomials

2. The Students
Understanding
• Standards Selection: Algebra Strand
8.A.6 Multiply and divide monomials
8.A.7 Add and subtract polynomials (integer coefficients)
8.A.8 Multiply a binomial by a monomial or a binomial (integer coefficients)
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/math/standards/revisedg8.htm
• Content Specific Skills: numbers, integers, fractions, properties of
operation(PEMDAS), equality, equation writing, . . . Etc.
• Objectives:
– Students can add, subtract, multiply, and divide monomials
– Students can identify the coefficient of a monomial, variables, and exponents
– Students can multiply binomials (by end of unit)
– Students are capable of working on the problems independently after a day
of practice

3. The First Day
• First: Engage the Students in the material!
– Lesson on Monomials
– Introducing the monomials by writing out 6 different monomials on
overhead/smartboard ((5y), (x2), (52), (3xy2), (2xy^2), and (xy)2 ))
– The first three I would attend to and ask students to answer aloud what the parts
of the monomial are, if they recognize the parts
• Ex: 5y, the five is the monomial, the y is the_____, exponent is hidden but is 1…
– Independent attempts-students will try the final three, labeling the parts and
getting comfortable with the monomial, how they look, what they contain. Once
they are finished, students will volunteer to give the answers, explain the pieces of
the monomial

4. Day Two
• Learning the terminology
(Mini Word-Webs)
– By using a form of vocabulary word-web, each part of the
monomial will be broken down into its own word web where
the term will get identified, defined, and a visual of an example.
– The terms include variable, factors, exponent and coefficient.
These terms will then lead to the major concept as a whole by
putting all of these pieces together and creating “monomial”
– As a class, we will discuss its importance and what this will lead
us to understand and evaluate
– The word webs will be independently completed by using an
online resource.

5. After the Word Webs are completed
• Students will go to
http://www.studyzone.org/mtestprep/math8/g/
8multmonol.cfm
• They must record 5 facts that stood out as
important to them from this webpage. They must
then either give an example that relates to what
they record, or further explain in their own
words.
• Once finished they will take the practice quiz at
the bottom of the page.

6. The Practice
• They must do out each problem independently, on
their own piece of paper, and then check their answer
afterwards.
• What is nice about this, is it gives the students the right
answer as well as showing them some appropriate
steps to go about the problem.
• If students originally got it wrong, they must simply say
in one or two sentences what they did wrong, and then
must fix the problem.
• If students did it right on the first try, they must simply
put a star next to the problem number, and then move
on.

7. Assessment/Closure
• QUIZ!!
• This tests students true understanding by a
simple quiz. Because of such a short unit of study,
the purpose of all the practice is getting the
students to master the concept, the pieces of a
monomial, so when we get to bigger pieces, its
not so overwhelming, but fun to solve.
• Students want to master! Want to understand
and do well!

8. The next lesson
• Students need to understand monomials
(Algebraic expression containing one term)
before they are capable of expanding to
binomials, and trinomials, etc.
• Next is a (monomial)(polynomial)
– Distributive property (new term)
– Ex. (9)(4x2 + 6xy + 3x)
• Then (binomial)(binomial)
– FOIL (first, outside, inside, last)