Teaching Algebra with Manipulatives

NAME ______________________________________________ DATE ____________ PERIOD ____
Mini-Project
(Use with Algebra 1, Lesson 9-6)
Factoring Trinomial Squares
Use x 2 , x , and 1 to represent x 2 , x, and 1, respectively.
x 2
Use the models to represent the trinomial Arrange the models to form a rectangle.
x 2 4x 4.
x 1 1
x 1 1
x x x x 1 1
1 1
x 2
x x
1. What do you notice about the length
and width of the final rectangle?
2. Give the dimensions of the final
rectangle. (The dimensions are the
factors of the trinomial.)
Factor each of the following polynomials by forming rectangular
regions with the models.
3. x 2 6x 9 4. 4x 2 4x 1 5. x 2 4x 3
6. x 2 2x 1 7. x 2 8x 16 8. 3x 2 4x 1
9. Which of the rectangles above are squares?
10. What do you call a trinomial whose representation is square?
11. How can you tell whether a trinomial is a perfect square trinomial?
12. Factor x 2 4 by forming a rectangular region from two trapezoids.
© Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 170 Teaching Algebra with Manipulatives