A poster will explain the order of operations in a visible way, which will help students memorize the concept. Create a poster that displays the acronym "PEMDAS" followed by a sample equation, such as 7 + (6 × 5^2 + 3) = 18. This shows students how the order of operations works. Sharing the steps used to solve the equation adds effectiveness to the poster project. Showing that "P" is for parentheses first, "E" is for exponents like powers and square roots, "M" is for multiplication, "D" is for division, "A" is for addition and "S" is for subtraction helps students memorize the order of operations.
A mnemonic device is a formula or rhyme that is used as in aid to remembering a concept or topic. By creating a series of mnemonic devices for the order of operations and the PEMDAS acronym, students will memorize the concept. Some examples of PEMDAS mnemonic devices include: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, Pink Elephants Move During Avalanche Slides, Penguins Eat More Donuts After Summer, Purple Eggplants Make Delicious Afternoon Snacks, People Eat Meat During A Storm and Peanuts Ended My Donut Addiction Sunday. Have students create their own mnemonic devices.
A song or rhyme using the order of operation is another fun school project. List the key words related to PEMDAS and then find rhyming words from the topic words. For example, "divide" rhymes with guide, cried and sighed. A four-line rhyme usually has the second and fourth line rhyme with each other. Create a catchy refrain and repeat it throughout the song. Focus this line on the order of operations concept. An example of a song is: "Parenthesis then exponents, Multiply then divide, Next add and subtract, PEMDAS is the guide."
Tell a story to captivate the audience and teach them about PEMDAS. The story can relate the equation to a real-world situation, communicate the concept in writing and utilize student creativity. Through telling a story, students will begin to relate to the topic. For example, tell a story of when PEMDAS was used while calculating the sale price of multiple items at the grocery store. Or, tell a story of when PEMDAS was used while baking a double dose of cookies for a tripled amount of people.