GEMDAS

Today while looking at PEMDAS with the 8th graders, we noticed that some students tried to solve parentheses which were being used as multiplication and weren't taking notice of the fraction bar as a grouping symbol. When I pointed out that we needed to take into consideration that PEMDAS is called BEDMAS and BODMAS in other countries because brackets and parentheses are both grouping symbols, one of the students (that's Nate) and I both came up with GEMDAS. The G stands for grouping symbols. Of course we need a new mnemonic device because Please, Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally doesn't work with the G.

Some thoughts: Gee, Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally; Goodness, Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally; Gracious, Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. I am taking a cue from some former students who came up with Please Excuse My Dog's Awful Slobbering a few years back. My suggestion: Gross, Excuse My Dog's Awful Slobbering. Of course, Great Education Makes Doing Algebra Simple is not a bad second (but not really catchy enough for the middle school crowd).

RIP PEMDAS. Long live GEMDAS!