Home›Lesson Plans›Mathematics›Operations & Algebraic Thinking · Grade 5

Order of Operations

Fifth graders learn the agreed order for working through an expression, so that everyone who evaluates it gets the same answer, and practice applying each step.

Grade 5Order of Operations50 minutes1 class periodGradual ReleaseExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Assign or share this lesson
Share to Google Classroom Share to Microsoft Teams

Copy link works with Canvas, Schoology, Moodle and any other LMS — paste it in as a resource or assignment.

Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓State the order of operations.
  • ✓Work parentheses first.
  • ✓Do × and ÷ before + and −.
  • ✓Evaluate expressions.
Essential Question

The same string of numbers and symbols can give wildly different answers depending on what you do first. What order keeps everyone's answer the same?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Model · Interactive Tool

Order Check

Project this and answer each question about the order of operations — read the explanation after each one.

🧮 Check what you know about the orderTry it
Answer each question about the order of operations.
The Lesson · Gradual Release (I Do · We Do · You Do)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Two Answers?

5 min

Two students solve 2 + 3 × 4 and get 20 and 14. Who is right, and why?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show the expression.
  • Collect both answers.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Order Check

12 min

Students answer questions about the order.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Order Check.
  • Answer each question.
  • Read the why.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Check.
  • Read it.
3

Modify — Step by Step

13 min

Students evaluate expressions in order.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Circle what comes first.
  • Work left to right.
  • Write each step.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Circle.
  • Work.
  • Write.
4

Create — Write an Expression

15 min

Students build an expression with a twist.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write a 3-step expression.
  • Add parentheses to change it.
  • Solve both versions.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write.
  • Add.
  • Solve.
5

Reflect — One Agreed Order

5 min

Students reflect on why order matters.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What comes first?
  • Why do we need one order?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

CCSS
5.OA.A.1

Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.

CCSS
5.OA.A.2

Write simple expressions that record calculations with numbers and interpret them without evaluating.

CCSS
6.EE.A.2

Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers.

CCSS
MP.6

Attend to precision.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Operation-order step cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Do ___ before ___ .”
  • Work one step at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with two-step expressions.
  • Underline multiply/divide first.
  • Add parentheses only after mastering the base order.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add exponents and nested parentheses.
  • Insert grouping symbols to hit a target.
  • Explain why × and ÷ outrank + and −.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🧮Operation / number cards
  • 💻Order Check
  • 🔤Parentheses tiles
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

order of operationsthe agreed order for evaluating an expressionoperationa math action like adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividingparenthesesgrouping symbols ( ) that are worked firstexponenta small number showing repeated multiplicationexpressionnumbers and operations grouped together, like 2 + 3 × 4evaluateto find the value of an expressionleft to rightthe direction you work same-level operationsgrouping symbolparentheses, brackets, or braces that bundle part of an expression
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is the first step in the order of operations?
Do whatever is inside parentheses (grouping symbols) first.
QUESTION 2
Evaluate 2 + 3 × 4 and explain your steps.
14: multiply 3 × 4 = 12 first, then add 2.
QUESTION 3
Why do we need an agreed order of operations?
So that everyone who evaluates the same expression gets the same answer.

Create: write an expression.

Have students write a three-step expression, then add parentheses that change the result, and evaluate both versions to see the difference. A printable order-of-operations worksheet is in the Mathematics library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Order of OperationsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Order of OperationsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Order of OperationsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: evaluate, exponent, expression, grouping symbol, left to right, operation, order of operations, parentheses
  1. a small number showing repeated multiplication
  2. numbers and operations grouped together, like 2 + 3 × 4
  3. the direction you work same-level operations
  4. parentheses, brackets, or braces that bundle part of an expression
  5. grouping symbols ( ) that are worked first
  6. to find the value of an expression
  7. the agreed order for evaluating an expression
  8. a math action like adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the first step in the order of operations?
  2. Evaluate 2 + 3 × 4 and explain your steps.
  3. Why do we need an agreed order of operations?
Answer key — Part A: 1) exponent · 2) expression · 3) left to right · 4) grouping symbol · 5) parentheses · 6) evaluate · 7) order of operations · 8) operation
Part B: 1) Do whatever is inside parentheses (grouping symbols) first. 2) 14: multiply 3 × 4 = 12 first, then add 2. 3) So that everyone who evaluates the same expression gets the same answer.