Expanding Single Brackets
This lesson covers the fundamental algebraic skill of expanding single brackets. Students will progress from simple integer coefficients to expressions involving multiple variables, negative terms, and basic powers.
Learning objectives
- Apply the distributive law to multiply a single term over a bracket.
- Simplify expressions involving the expansion of single brackets.
- Expand brackets involving negative terms and squared variables.
Lesson plan (60 minutes)
Starter · 10 min
Starter: Quick-fire mental maths multiplying integers and directed numbers.
Introduction · 10 min
Teacher Explainer: Direct instruction using the area model and distributive law.
Guided Practice · 10 min
Guided Practice: Completing two examples on mini-whiteboards together.
Main Activity · 20 min
Independent Practice: Differentiated worksheets (Support, Core, Stretch).
Plenary · 10 min
Plenary: Multiple-choice quiz to check for misconceptions.
Key vocabulary
- Expand
- To multiply out the parts of an expression to remove the parentheses.
- Expression
- A mathematical statement where all parts are connected by plus or minus signs.
- Coefficient
- The number that multiplies a variable (e.g., the 4 in 4x).
- Constant
- A number or variable that is not attached to a variable (e.g., the 5 in x + 5).
- Distributive Law
- The rule that states a(b + c) = ab + ac.
Core worksheet (first questions)
- 1. Expand 4(x + 7)
- 2. Expand 7(y - 3)
- 3. Expand 2(3a + 4b)
- 4. Expand 5(3m - 2n)
Quiz (sample)
1. Expand 3(x + 5)
- A. 3x + 5
- B. 3x + 15
- C. 8x
- D. x + 15
2. Expand 4(y - 2)
- A. 4y - 2
- B. 4y - 4
- C. 4y - 8
- D. 12y
3. Expand x(x + 3)
- A. 2x + 3x
- B. x² + 3x
- C. 3x²
- D. x + 3x
The full pack is waiting
Support and Stretch worksheets, every answer and model answer, the teaching explainer and common misconceptions, editable and ready to print as PDF or Word.
Start your 14-day trial