Operations and Algebraic Thinking: PEMDAS CCSS 5.OA.1

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The order in which you solve operations is an important skill and foundation in Algebra. Knowing which operations go first, and which operations go last, is one of the most important skills in elementary algebra.

See the fact file below for more information on the Operations and Algebraic Thinking: PEMDAS or alternatively, you can download our 28-page Operations and Algebraic Thinking: PEMDAS CCSS 5.OA.1 worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to evaluate expressions using PEMDAS and the proper order of operations.

A NOTE FOR THE TEACHER

When teaching PEMDAS, keep in mind the following:
- Remind the student every now and then of the meaning of PEMDAS
- When dealing with Multiplication and Division, it’s best to evaluate from left to right
- When dealing with Addition and Subtraction, it doesn’t matter which operation you solve first. However, it’s sometimes best to evaluate from left to right to avoid confusion.

THEORY:

The order in which you solve operations is an important skill and foundation in Algebra. Knowing which operations go first, and which operations go last, is one of the most important skills in elementary algebra.
When solving an algebraic expression, we always solve anything inside brackets or parentheses first. In the instance where we have a parenthesis in a parenthesis, we always evaluate the innermost parentheses first, followed by the outer Following this, we solve anything that involves exponents (e.g. 22, 52, 34). After this, we solve anything that involves multiplication (x) and/or division (÷), from left to right of the expression. Lastly, we solve the remaining operations, which are addition (+) and subtraction (-).
To help remember this, the PEMDAS acronym was made to make it easier for students to recall the proper order of operations. This acronym lists the order in which operations are to be solved.
- P – Parenthesis
- E – Exponents
- M – Multiplication
- D – Division
- A – Addition
- S – Subtraction
Take for example the expression 6 + (9 -1) + 8 ÷ 4 x 3
This might seem overwhelming, since it involves almost all of the operations, but let’s break down each segment by using PEMDAS.
First, we solve the Parenthesis:
- 6 + 8 + 8 ÷ 4 x 3
Since there are no exponents, we can move on to the next operations
We then solve Multiplication/Division from left to right:
- 6 + 8 + 2 x 3
- 6 + 8 + 6
Lastly, we solve Addition/Subtraction:
- 14 + 6
- 20