Mathematics / Year 7 / Number and Algebra / Number and place value

Curriculum content descriptions

Apply the associative, commutative and distributive laws to aid mental and written computation (ACMNA151)

Elaborations
  • understanding that arithmetic laws are powerful ways of describing and simplifying calculations
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Mental arithmetic,  Distributivity,  Associativity,  Commutativity,  Written calculations

Interactive

Squirt: three containers

Examine the relationships between capacities of various containers. Look at three containers that may have different diameters, heights and shapes. Fill a container and squirt liquids between the containers to establish the proportional relationship. Work out the third 'unlinked' relationship from two known relationships. ...

Online

Formulating algebraic expressions

This lesson encompasses students’ introduction to formal algebraic concepts. Students will be introduced to the concept of variables and will explore the construction of algebraic expressions using concrete materials. Students explore a range of authentic contexts and hands-on materials in this lesson to ensure their initial ...

Video

Algebra basics video

Use this video as a springboard to introduce algebraic thinking, and to apply that thinking to a financial context, drawing on reasoning.

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Formulate and manipulate expressions: Year 7 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 7 is for the topic of Formulate and manipulate expressions. Students find unknown quantities in numerical equations involving a combination of operations.

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Expressions, formulas and substitution

In the lesson ‘Formulating algebraic expressions’, students were introduced to variables and forming algebraic expressions. In this lesson, students continue to develop these skills and will explore substituting values into familiar and unfamiliar formulas to determine an unknown. Students explore substitution in a range ...

Online

TIMES Module 9: Number and Algebra: multiplication of whole numbers - teacher guide

This is a 23-page guide for teachers. This module contains a description of suitable models for multiplication, a discussion of the types of problems that require multiplication for their solution, and mental and written strategies for multiplication. The use of the commutative, associative and distributive laws is described. ...

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Mental computation

This is a website designed for both teachers and students that discusses methods of mental computation. In particular, applying the associative, commutative and distributive laws to aid mental and written computation is discussed. These are important ideas for the introduction of algebra. There are pages for both teachers ...

Online

The laws of arithmetic and their use in algebra

This is a website designed for both teachers and students that refers to algebraic notation, the laws of arithmetic and the use of these laws in algebra from the Australian Curriculum for year 7 students. It contains material on algebraic notation, the commutative and associative laws, the use of brackets and the orders ...

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TIMES Module 7: Number and Algebra: addition of whole numbers - teacher guide

This is a 16-page guide for teachers. This module introduces addition of whole numbers.

Video

MathXplosion, Ep 1: Magic 9s

Follow these simple calculations to illustrate the special properties of the number 9. Pick your favourite number between 1 and 9 and multiply that number by 3. Add 3 to your answer. Multiply the result by 3. Treat your two-digit answer as two separate numbers and add them together. No matter what number you pick to start ...

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MathXplosion, Ep 17: Develop mathematical mind-reading skills

Amaze your friends with your super mind-reading skills. Here’s a brain game you can play by asking a few questions and substituting letters for numbers! Learn to follow a specific sequence of arithmetical steps to always arrive at the same answer.

Interactive

The divider: with or without remainders

Solve divisions such as 147/7 or 157/6 (some have remainders). Use a partitioning tool to help solve randomly generated divisions. Learn strategies to do complex arithmetic in your head. Split a division into parts that are easy to work with, use times tables, then solve the original calculation.

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MathXplosion, Ep 11: Fun facts about the number seven

Did you know that the digits on opposite faces of dice will always add up to seven? Use dice as fun tools to reinforce fact families of seven, multiples of seven and subtraction skills.

Interactive

The foul food maker: go figure

This tutorial is suitable for use with a screen reader. It explains how the use of simple words can describe the likelihood of everyday events. How likely is an event: certain, likely, equal chance, unlikely or certainly not? Answer some questions using these words and then build your own examples. Learn how to describe ...

Online

Literacy and numeracy improvement: a whole-school approach

This teacher resource describes how 74 public schools in metropolitan, regional and rural Western Australia used three major components of the school improvement cycle to achieve significant improvement in the literacy and numeracy learning outcomes of their students. The resource is organised in nine sections: Summary, ...

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MathXplosion, Ep 40: Kaprekar's operation

Did you know that 6,174 is a very mysterious number? In 1949, the mathematician Dr Kaprekar from India devised a process now known as Kaprekar's operation. First, choose a four-digit number where the digits are all different. Then rearrange the digits to get the largest and smallest numbers these digits can make. Finally, ...

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Catalyst: Graham's number

If you were asked what the biggest number you can think of is, what would you say? Infinity? Well, what about the biggest finite number you can think of? Mathematician Ron Graham came across such a gigantic number in his research that, to capture its massive size, he and his colleagues needed to come up with new methods ...

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TIMES Module 10: Number and Algebra: division of whole numbers - teacher guide

This is a 26-page guide for teachers. This module contains a description of suitable models for division, a discussion of the types of problems that require division for their solution, and mental and written strategies for division.