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Equivalent Rational Expressions

Why we can cancel or cross-multiply
Activity: Simplifying Rational Expressions using Equivalent Fractions


If you have taught Middle and High school, you will have no doubt witnessed students cancelling parts of expressions without understanding what they are doing. (I often accused them of "cancellitis"!)  Also, they cross-multiply even when there is no equation.

This is likely a result of learning procedures that never made sense to them. At the very least, they don't know when to apply the proper procedure.

This activity can help to remediate the tendency to cancel or cross-multiply by returning students back to the basic idea of simplifying fractions.

baron_-_simplifying_rational_expressions.pdf
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File Type: pdf
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baron_-_simplifying_rational_expressions_-_key.pdf
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  • Home
  • Basics
    • Building Blocks 1 - Factoring
    • Building Blocks 2 - Factors & Multiples
    • Building Blocks 3 - Fractions, Decimals, Percents
    • Building Blocks 4 - Why Exponent Laws?
    • Building Blocks 5 - Perfect Squares and Square Roots
    • Building Blocks 6 - Multiplying and Dividing Fractions using Area Model
    • Building Blocks 7 - Adding Fractions
  • Algebra Basics
    • Multiples of x
    • Equivalent Rational Expressions
    • FOIL with and without Algebra
    • Linear Relationships
  • High School Curriculum
    • Basics - Proportional Reasoning
    • Arithmetic Sequences and Linear Functions
    • BC Teaching Notes
  • Applets and Video
    • Arithmetic Sequences
    • Introduction to Polynomial Functions
    • Intro to Graphing Quadratics
    • Translations of Quadratic Functions
    • Expansions and Compressions of Quadratic Functions
    • General and Vertex Forms & Algebra Tiles
    • Applications of Quadratic Functions
    • Review of Quadratics
  • Manipulatives
    • Sourcing Algebra Tiles
    • Alternative to Hands-On
  • About me
    • Videos and Songs
    • Publications and Teaching Notes
  • Blog
  • MY FAVE WEBSITES