Creating an Engaging Order of Operations Lesson in Google Slides

Order of Operations is a cornerstone concept in elementary and middle‑school math, ensuring that students interpret expressions correctly. Using Google Slides to build an interactive lesson can make this abstract rule concrete and memorable. In this guide, we’ll walk through a two‑step approach to designing a slide deck, share key notes for video delivery, and give a quick walkthrough of a popular Order of Operations Maze activity (G6M4) that can be embedded directly into your presentation.

Step 1: Planning Your Slide Structure

Before you open the editor, outline the flow of your lesson. A clear structure helps keep students focused and allows you to incorporate interactive elements smoothly.

  1. Define Learning Objectives. For example: “Students will be able to apply the PEMDAS rule to solve expressions with parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.”
  2. Segment the Content. Break the lesson into three main blocks:
    • Concept Overview
    • Guided Practice (Two‑Step Problems)
    • Assessment & Extension (Maze Activity)
  3. Choose Visual Themes. Use colors that align with your school’s palette and ensure high contrast for readability.

Step 2: Building the Slides

With your outline in hand, open Google Slides and start adding slides that match each block. Below are key tips for each section.

Concept Overview

Begin with a title slide that states the topic: “Order of Operations: The PEMDAS Rule”. Follow with a slide that lists each component of PEMDAS in a clear, bullet‑point format.

Use icons or simple illustrations to represent each operation. For example, a pair of parentheses next to a small “( )” icon, an exponent symbol “^” next to a tiny “2”, and so on.

Guided Practice: Two‑Step Problems

Introduce the idea of two‑