General Information
Benchmark Instructional Guide
Connecting Benchmarks/Horizontal Alignment
Terms from the K-12 Glossary
- Expression
Vertical Alignment
Previous Benchmarks
Next Benchmarks
Purpose and Instructional Strategies
The purpose of this benchmark is for students to use the order of operations to evaluate numerical expressions. In grade 4, students had experience with numerical expressions involving all four operations (MA.4.AR.2.1, MA.4.AR.2.2), but the focus was not on order of operations. Students evaluate numerical expressions using whole-number computation skills, including multiplying and dividing multi-digit whole numbers (MA.5.NSO.2.1 and MA.5.NSO.2.2).In grade 6, students will be evaluating algebraic expressions using substitution and these expressions can include negative numbers (MA.6.AR.1.3).- Begin instruction by exposing student to expressions that have two operations without any grouping symbols, before introducing expressions with multiple operations. Use the same digits, with the operations in a different order, and have students evaluate the expressions, then discuss why the value of the expression is different.
- In grade 5, students should learn to first work to simplify within any parentheses, if present in the expression. Within the parentheses, the order of operations is followed. Next, while reading left to right, perform any multiplication and division in the order in which it appears. Finally, while reading from left to right, perform addition and subtraction in the order in which it appears.
- During instruction, students should be expected to explain how they used the order of operations to evaluate expressions and share with others. To address misconceptions around the order of operations, instruction should include reasoning and error analysis tasks for students to complete (MTR.3.1, MTR.4.1, MTR.5.1).
Common Misconceptions or Errors
- When students learn mnemonics like PEMDAS to perform the order of operations, they can confuse that multiplication must always be performed before division, and likewise addition before subtraction. Students should have experiences solving expressions with multiple instances of procedural operations and their inverse, such as addition and subtraction, so they learn how to solve them left to right.
- For example, when given the expression 6-(3×2)+4, guide students to follow the order of operations and simplify the parentheses first. Next, students should recognize that subtraction and addition are the remaining operations, and the expression should be solved reading left to right.
- Students may understand the order in which to perform operations, but they may have difficulty keeping track of the numbers they have already operated with.
Strategies to Support Tiered Instruction
- Instruction includes opportunities to solve expressions with multiple instances of procedural operations and their inverse, explicitly teaching the order of operations with an emphasis on the left to right order to solving multiplication and division, and addition and subtraction. Students use models or drawings as they solve.
- For example, the teacher displays the following problem: 62 − 8 × 4 + 3 − (18 ÷ 9). The teacher reviews the order of operations, reminding students that they must work to simplify within the parentheses first. The teacher then prompts students to multiply and divide from left to right next. Then, students are prompted to add and subtract from left to right and reminded that adding and subtracting fall within the same step. So, they will need to subtract 62 − 32 to get 30 and then add 30 + 3. The teacher repeats with additional expressions containing multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction in a variety of orders.

- Instruction includes manipulatives to practice solving expressions with multiple instances of procedural operations and their inverse, such as addition and subtraction, so they learn how to solve them left to right. Instruction also includes explicitly teaching the order of operations with an emphasis on the left to right order to solving multiplication and division, and addition and subtraction. Students use manipulatives as they solve.
- For example, display the following problem: 5 − 10 ÷ 5 + (2 × 3). The teacher reviews the order of operations, reminding students that they must work to simplify within the parentheses first. The teacher prompts students to multiply and divide from left to right next. Then, prompts students to add and subtract from left to right. Finally, the teacher reminds students that adding and subtracting falls within the same step, so they will need to subtract 5 − 2 before they add +6. This is repeated with additional expressions containing multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction in a variety of orders.
- Instruction includes students using highlighters to keep track of the order of operations and the steps they have completed as they evaluate an expression, as shown above in the table. Another way to keep track of the steps is to have students write the expression in a triangle as seen below and color code each step and its value. Students make sure they have completed all the calculations by tracking each part of the expression down to the solution.
Instructional Tasks
Instructional Task 1 (MTR.4.1)
The two equations below are very similar. Are both equations true? Why or why not?
Instructional Task 2 (MTR.5.1)
Part A. Insert one set of parentheses around two numbers in the expression below. Then evaluate the expression.
Part B. Now insert one set of parentheses around a different pair of numbers. Then evaluate this expression.
40 ÷ 5 × 2 + 6
Instructional Task 3
Solve the following expression.
(40.2+13.05)×6-175÷5
Instructional Task 4
Evaluate the following numerical expressions and determine if the parentheses can be removed without changing the value of the expression. Explain your thinking.
a. 3×6+2×4-5
b. 3×(6+2×4)-5
c. 3×(6+2)×4-5
d. (3×6)+2×(4-5)
e. 3×(6+2)×(4-5)
Instructional Items
Instructional Item 1
What is the value of the numerical expression below:
Instructional Item 2
A numerical expression is evaluated as shown.In which step does the first mistake appear
- a. Step 1: × (15 + 1) − 2
- b. Step 2: × 14
- c. Step 3:
- d. Step 4: 7
Instructional Item 3
Evaluate.
a. 235+472÷4-2×90
b. (235+472)÷4-2×90
*The strategies, tasks and items included in the B1G-M are examples and should not be considered comprehensive.