Have you noticed the collective moan that echoes through your Algebra 2 classroom as soon as you say “word problems”? This no-prep solving quadratic equations activity is designed to engage your students while challenging them to think outside of the box.

Real life applications are an essential part of any curriculum, but can often intimidate students. This activity offers scaffolding to support students as they learn to solve word problems and navigate the problem solving process.

This real world math application is perfect for group work and collaboration. It can also be used as a stand-alone formative assessment for factoring trinomials and solving quadratic equations!

This factoring trinomials activity includes:

✅ writing equations in standard form and vertex form

✅ graphing quadratic functions

✅ calculating the vertex of a quadratic equation

✅ performing polynomial operations (add, subtract, multiply)

✅ finding solutions by factoring, using the quadratic formula, graphing

✅ apply the vertical motion model

✅ Critical thinking questions and reasoning prompts

☆Answer key included☆

How is this real life application different from regular word problems?

Most word problems have one question that needs to be answered and little follow up or detail. My real world math activities stretch one idea or scenario into a meaningful performance task that can be used as a full assessment of student learning.

This application is more than interpreting the question and quickly getting to the answer. Your students will be challenged to think critically about each scenario and defend their solutions.

The best part? All of the topics are relevant and modernized (because kids don’t care about calculating CD sales or cell phone minutes anymore).

How I have used this real world algebra application:

⭐Whole Group: This real world math activity is perfect for guided notes and introducing the relationship between Algebra 1 and middle school geometry.

⭐Small Group: Your students can work together to complete this activity and have discussions about different strategies for writing expressions from diagrams.

⭐ Individual: I have used this activity as a formative assessment for my Algebra 1 students. It usually takes them about one class period to complete on their own.