Lesson Plan

4.4 Factoring common monomials

Objectives: Students will review the concept of factoring and then find a common monomial
factor.
Pre-requisite
information:
Factors
Common Factors
Greatest Common Factor
Prime Factors
Launch or
Anticipatory
et:
Questions:
What numbers divide evenly into the number !"
What do we call these numbers"
!nstructional
strategy:
#. $egin with review of finding factors of numbers such as %& #'& #!& '(
'. )ow have students find common factors among numbers& for e*ample:
+What are the common factors of % and #'"
+What are the common factors of #! and '("
. ,he ne*t step is to have students find the greatest common factor among the
numbers& for e*ample:
+What is the greatest common factor of % and #'"
+What is the greatest common factor of #! and '("
(. )ow factor monomials -*amples:

12x
3
= 2 2 3

16b
4
= 2 2 2 2

24m
3
n
2
= 2 2 2 3
.. Point out to students that this review wor/ has led up to this ne*t step which is
the purpose of this lesson.
!. Wor/ a few e*amples on the board with student input
"oar# $or%: -*amples for each of the instructional strategies listed above
#. Factors of %& #'& #!& '(& and !
0#& '& (& %1& 0#& '& & (& !& #'1& 0#& '& (& %& #!1& 0#& '& & (& !& %& #'& '(1&
0#& '& & (& !& 2& #'& #%& !1
'. Common factors of:
% and #' #! and '( #! and !
#& '& and ( #& '& (& and % #& '& and (
. Greatest Common Factor
% and #' #! and '( #! and !
( % (
(. Factoring monomials
12x
3
= 2 2 3
16x
4
= 2 2 2 2
16b
4
= 2 2 2 2
24m
3
n
2
= 2 2 2 3
.. Find the greatest common factors of
12x
3
and
16x
4

12x
3
= 2 2 3

16x
4
= 2 2 2 2
,he common factors are 2 2 so the greatest common factor is
4x
3
!. 3ore e*amples of factoring a common monomial
e*amples # 4 pages ( 4 (( of their noteboo/.
&iscussion: Question: +What are we loo/ing for when we as/ for the common monomial factor
of multiple polynomials"5
Practice: ! problems on page (( of noteboo/ can be wor/ed together in groups in class
Wor/sheet ( 4 ( 6ue ne*t time.
'losure: -*plain to students that we have been wor/ing with the properties of
multiplication and e*ponents in a new conte*t. ,hese properties continue to govern
our actions as we loo/ for the common monomial factor of polynomials. ,hey
should be loo/ing for those properties in their wor/.