Mathematics · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Order of Operations (BIDMAS/BODMAS)

Active learning works for Order of Operations because students must physically manipulate symbols and justify each step aloud, turning abstract rules into visible logic. When students correct errors or build expressions themselves, they internalize priorities rather than memorize steps. Immediate peer feedback turns mistakes into teachable moments that no worksheet can replicate.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: Mathematics - Number

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Escape Room
• 30 min · Pairs

Error Hunt: Spot the BIDMAS Mistakes

Provide worksheets with 10 expressions solved incorrectly. In pairs, students identify the error, explain the correct BIDMAS application, and rewrite the solution. Pairs then swap sheets with another pair for verification.

Justify the need for a specific order of operations in complex calculations.

Facilitation Tip

During Error Hunt, circulate with a red pen and mark only the first error students find, then challenge them to locate the next one to deepen scrutiny.

What to look for

Present students with three expressions: one simple, one with brackets, and one that requires careful application of BIDMAS/BODMAS. Ask them to calculate the value of each and show their working steps clearly, highlighting where they applied the order of operations.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Escape Room
• 45 min · Small Groups

Card Sort: Build and Solve Expressions

Distribute cards with numbers, operations, and brackets. Small groups assemble expressions following BIDMAS rules, solve them, and justify their order to the class. Extend by creating challenging ones for others.

Analyze how brackets alter the priority of operations within an expression.

Facilitation Tip

For Card Sort, give each pair a timer and ask them to justify their final expression’s order aloud before solving it.

What to look for

Write a calculation on the board that has been solved incorrectly due to a BIDMAS/BODMAS error, e.g., 5 + 3 x 2 = 16. Ask students to identify the mistake, explain why it is wrong using the BIDMAS/BODMAS rule, and then demonstrate the correct calculation and answer.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Escape Room
• 35 min · Small Groups

Relay Critique: Team Calculation Race

Divide class into teams. Each student solves one step of a long expression on a board, passing a baton. If a BIDMAS error occurs, the team discusses and corrects before continuing.

Critique a calculation that has been performed incorrectly due to misapplication of BIDMAS.

Facilitation Tip

In Relay Critique, stand at the end of the line so you see every team’s calculation and can stop play instantly when priorities are ignored.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a numerical expression. Ask them to write down the first operation they would perform according to BIDMAS/BODMAS and why. They should also write the final answer to the expression.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Escape Room
• 25 min · Individual

Bracket Builder: Individual Challenges

Students receive expressions without brackets and add them to achieve target answers. They test solutions using BIDMAS and share strategies in a whole-class debrief.

Justify the need for a specific order of operations in complex calculations.

Facilitation Tip

Use Bracket Builder as a silent 5-minute task where students cannot speak, forcing them to rely on written notation to clarify their thinking.

What to look for

Present students with three expressions: one simple, one with brackets, and one that requires careful application of BIDMAS/BODMAS. Ask them to calculate the value of each and show their working steps clearly, highlighting where they applied the order of operations.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach Order of Operations by starting with simple expressions where students predict answers before learning the rule, then reveal the discrepancy to create cognitive need. Use color-coding on the board: brackets in red, indices in blue, division/multiplication in green, addition/subtraction in black. Research shows that pairing verbal explanations with written steps strengthens retention more than silent practice alone.

Successful learning looks like students applying BIDMAS/BODMAS automatically, explaining choices in their own words, and spotting errors in others’ work without prompting. They should justify their order with the rules and adjust calculations when peers challenge their steps. Confidence grows when students can defend their answers with clear, step-by-step reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Error Hunt, watch for students who mark all errors but cannot explain why one priority overrides another in their corrections.

  After they identify the first error, hand them a mini whiteboard and ask them to write the correct order using BIDMAS acronym before solving the expression step by step.

• During Card Sort, watch for students who group multiplication before division regardless of their position in the expression.

  Have them lay out the cards in a line and use two different colored highlighters to mark division and multiplication steps, then defend their left-to-right order to a peer.

• During Bracket Builder, watch for students who treat brackets as purely for addition and subtraction, ignoring divisions or multiplications inside them.

  Give them a fresh expression where brackets contain a division, then ask them to recalculate and explain why brackets must be resolved first, no matter what operation is inside.

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Methods used in this brief

• Escape Room