Algebra Worksheets - Lesson 4

Lesson 4 is still Legal Moves, but this time it's for the red dices. Like in Lesson 3, what you do to one side of the balance (see that yellow board where they work on the jacks and dices? the picture is a balance scale.), you do the same to the other side. Take away one red dice on the left side, you take away one red dice on the right side - "take here, take there". Your control of error is that there is always a number value left on one side after taking away (subtraction) the same value from each side.




Let's say left side has a 2 red dice and the right side of the scale has a 1 red dice. that means 2 - 1 = 1, right? So, where do you think should this balance of 1 (red dice) be at? left side that is. After, taking away (subtracting) the dices, go ahead and do the same for the blue jacks - take away. Take note here that after all the taking away, all the red dices should be on one side at the end while the blue jacks are on the other side. If after taking away the same values from each side and STILL, there's a side in the scale that has both dice and jacks, continue taking away until there's only one kind to each side. Doesn't matter which side, as long as one side are all dices, the other all jacks.

Also, go slow here because while they learn legal moves for the dices, they also will be doing legal moves for the jacks. So make sure that they already get familiar of the rules for the jacks before you start with the dices. Should there be kids in class that you see has a little delay in solving the equations, it's time to talk to mom (or whoever is the person taking care of the child) so you could coordinate on extra work time for the kid. If your school has resource room or any form of special needs accommodation, it's time to have the kid be in it. For the latter, just do the standard assessment first before sending them to the service.

Always remember, to present the lesson first as group activity before you have the children worked on individual worksheets. Make it more like a game to encourage participation. Use techniques that they will be inter-acting with their classmates, material, and teacher.

Note: You also should try to solve the equations using the material before you present it to the class. So you get the hang of it.

 

   <= This one is the kit that you could use with the worksheets here (while my kits are still in production stage). The set using jack stones (the one referred here is my modification as I find it more playful and amusing)  will be out soon.