Algebra and Algetiles

We are getting pretty good at simplifying expressions and adding polynomials.  

We are using algetiles to help us visualize algebra.  The most important idea we have used is that a positive something and negative something cancel each other out to create zero.  So a small red square and small blue square cancel each other out.  A red rectangle and blue rectangle make 0. A big red square and big blue square cancel each other out as well.  

We made some pictures today and then took turns cancelling out red and blue tiles and then telling what the finished polynomial is.  This face is 2x^2 +3x-2

Some of the pictures were pretty cool!