What Is the Order of Operations?

Order of operations, also known as PEMDAS or GEMDAS (Parentheses/Groupings, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, and Addition and Subtraction), is a set of rules that determine the sequence in which arithmetic operations are performed. The rules dictate that operations inside parentheses should be performed first, followed by exponents, then multiplication and division (performed from left to right), and finally addition and subtraction (also performed from left to right).

For example, in the expression “2 + 3 x 4”, the correct answer is 14, not 20, because according to the order of operations, multiplication must be performed before addition. The expression is evaluated as (2 + (3 x 4)) = (2 + 12) = 14.

If you are looking for a ready-to-go slide deck to teach your students how to evaluate numerical expressions using the order of operations, you have come to the right place! Teach Starter has put together a 23-slide presentation to use in your class.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your math lessons. 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

Help students who need help understanding the concepts by 

• For students who need extra support, allow them to reference the instructional slides as a resource when solving the practice problems.
• Provide students with a printout of the slides to refer to during the lesson.

Make sure to check out additional resources that cover order of operations!

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the Download button to access this resource’s editable Google Slides version.

This resource was created by Madison Evans, a teacher in North Carolina and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

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Order of Operations Math Maze

Evaluate numerical expressions using the order of operations with this math maze!

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Order of Operations – Google Slides Interactive Activity

Simplify expressions by using the order of operations with this Google Slides interactive activity.

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Order of Operations – Mini Book

Learn how to solve equations using order of operations with this mini book.