Grade 6 Math Flashcards: Algebraic Expressions

About This Resource

7 pages of printable cut-out cards (vocabulary cards; bag model cards; word cards) for matching, sorting and word-wall display.

Overview

Students learn that a variable is a letter that stands for a number that can change, so one expression can describe a whole pattern ("the cost is 3n + 2 dollars for n tickets"). They translate words into expressions, evaluate expressions by substituting values (with the order of operations), combine like terms, and use the distributive property to write equivalent expressions. Bags-and-cubes balance pictures and area models show WHY 3x + 5x = 8x and 3(x + 2) = 3x + 6, so students understand rather than memorize rules.

Resource Details

Subject: Math
Topic: Algebraic Expressions
Category: Problem Solving
File Type: PDF
File Size: 122.2 KB
Published: 25 Oct 2026
Downloads: 0

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How to Present

Print on card if possible, cut along the dashed lines.
Use for matching, sorting, snap and memory games (see the Teacher Resources).
Display on the word wall during the unit.

Games & Speaking Activities

Bags and Cubes (12 minutes, Pairs): Student A secretly puts the same number of cubes in each bag. They show some bags and loose cubes, e.g. 2 bags + 3 cubes.
Expression Bingo (12 minutes, Whole class): Students write 9 numbers from 1 to 30 in a 3 × 3 grid. The teacher says an expression and a value, e.g. "3n + 2 when n = 4".
Equivalent or Not? (10 minutes, Small groups): Each group gets a pair, e.g. 3(x + 1) and 3x + 1. They test with 3 different numbers.

Teacher Tips

Support: Use real bags and cubes for every expression. Challenge: Write an expression for the perimeter of a rectangle with sides (x + 3) and 2x, and simplify. English language learners: Teach operation words with a table and gestures.

Learning Objectives

Explain what a variable is and read expressions such as 3n + 2 (3n means 3 × n).
Write expressions from words, including "more than", "less than", "times" and "divided by".
Evaluate expressions by substituting values, using the order of operations.
Simplify expressions by combining like terms.
Use the distributive property to write equivalent expressions, and check them with numbers.

Differentiation

Assessment

Exit tickets in each lesson. Worksheet Parts A–E with the answer key. Quick Quiz (9 marks) after lesson 2. Unit Test (28 marks) at the end. Homework after each lesson. Performance task (rubric): "Price Plans" — write, evaluate and compare expressions for two real price plans.