Algebra Tiles are a remarkable way to literally see what is going on with integer arithmetic and working with linear and quadratic polynomials. They make what can be just an abstract exercise of moving letters and numbers around into something tangible. I highly recommend that you get your hands on some and play with them.
MathBits has a very nice animated slide presentation. It’s written for teachers, but easy enough for students to follow. Some animations go by fast; replay them, especially to see what happens first. It’s important to check your understanding by replicating the procedures with your own tiles. Don’t underestimate how challenging it can be to do something on your own even when you understand well when you watch a demo!
Online retailers like Amazon and Nasco carry sets of durable plastic or foam algebra tiles (2-sided) and workbooks to guide you through using them. You can also find them in the manipulatives sections of brick and mortar school supply stores.
Printable Math Worksheets has a quick intro to using algebra tiles, worth reading for the discussion about creating two-sided tiles [positive (not red) and negative (red)] so that you can make the opposite of an expression just by turning over the tile(s). They also have a downloadable PDF you can print to make your tiles. They look nice, but are laid out with spaces between the tiles, so they require maximum cutting. Use card stock and or laminate them to make them more durable. Make sure to cut them carefully, since you’ll want to be able to line them up neatly. A short-cut to making double-sided ones is to print the page of positive tiles, color the back side red, and then cut them out.
If your browser has the right version of Java, you can use the free algebra tiles applets at The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. There’s a lot of other neat material there, too. You can purchase the library for offline use for about $30.
If you’re up for a steeper learning curve, try searching GeoGebra for algebra tiles activities. Tim Brzezinski makes some mind-blowing activities.
Copyright © 2019 Alie Benson