Order of Operations – 5 Real-Life BEDMAS Scenarios
- Grades
- Grades 5–7, Elementary, Middle School
- Pages
- 3
- File type
- Answer key
- Included
- Subject
- Math, Order Of Operations
- Topic
- Order of Operations, Word Problems
- Resource types
- Worksheets & Printables, Word Problems, Worksheets
- Answer key
- Included
- Standards
- 5.OA.A.1
About this resource
What's inside this resource
Order of Operations in Action: 5 Real-life Scenarios that use BEDMAS
This teaching resource blends everyday real world situations with math knowledge, allowing students to solve word problems using simple mathematical equations and order of operations. It strives to show basic situations when we instinctively use order of operations to solve a multiple-step math problem: from making pancakes for a crowd to splitting the cost of pizzas with some friends. NOTE: Exponents are not used in this product.
How to Use:
Go through the sample problem with your class. Talk about how to turn the word problem into a simple equation. Then have your students solve the equation without order of operations and with order of operations. They should start to see why using order of operations helps get the correct answer.
Then, allow students to work in pairs or small groups on the remaining four problems. For each one, students have to write their own equation and solve it with and without BEDMAS.
Finally, early finishers can try to write their own sample problem to trade with a friend.
What's included:
A three-page PDF file containing two worksheets and an answer key: all visually-appealing and ready to print!
Grades to Use With:
This lesson is designed to be used in grades 5-7: when first introducing order of operations to your students, or as a real-world review of this important concept.
Educational Goals:
The primary objective is enriching students' comprehension and mastery surrounding the BEDMAS order of operations, minus exponents. The worksheets align well with key mathematical standards like CCSS5.OA.A.1 and CCSS5.OA.A.2.
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In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Apply the BEDMAS order of operations (Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction) to solve multi-step real-life equations.
Compare incorrect (left-to-right) and correct (order-of-operations) solutions to see how the sequence of operations changes the result.
Insert brackets to isolate a sub-calculation within a larger real-life word problem.
Write an original real-life scenario that requires applying the order of operations to solve.
Teaching tips
Have students solve each problem the 'wrong' way first (ignoring order of operations) before the correct way, since the worksheet's side-by-side format is built around that contrast.
Use the shopping example ($219 vs. $19) as an anchor discussion for why order of operations produces such different, practically meaningful results.
Let students trade the final open-ended scenario (problem 6) with a partner to solve each other's original problems, as the prompt instructs.
Skills covered
Order-of-operations application — students solve equations like 100 minus 27 times 3 both without and with BEDMAS to see the differing results ($219 vs. $19).
Bracket insertion — students add brackets to isolate a sub-total, such as grouping pizza cost before dividing it three ways.
Real-world equation writing — students author an original word problem that requires order of operations to solve.
Good to know
Questions teachers ask about this resource
The 'without order of operations' answer to the retail sales problem comes out to $1,240,200 — is that dramatic gap intentional?
Yes, it's intentional: solving left-to-right instead of applying order of operations compounds the error across three multiplications, producing a wildly inflated total ($1,240,200) versus the correct $840, which makes the stakes of BEDMAS vivid for students.
None of the six scenarios include an exponent, even though BEDMAS is named in the header — is exponent skill required to complete the worksheet?
No — all six real-life scenarios use only brackets, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction; exponents are named in the BEDMAS header but not tested in any problem.
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Curriculum
Standards, concepts & topics
Standards
Standards
- 5.OA.A.1 — Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.
Core concepts
Core concepts
order of operations
BEDMAS
brackets in equations
Topics
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