Scribd
Upload
17 views2 pages

Balancing With Balloons Overview-5

The document describes an activity where students use a virtual pan balance to solve equations with positive and negative numbers. Students manipulate weights and balloons on the pans to balance equations, learning that negative terms can be removed by adding the same value to both sides. The model helps students visualize balancing equations before solving them independently.

Uploaded by

Prieyankka
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
17 views2 pages

Balancing With Balloons Overview-5

The document describes an activity where students use a virtual pan balance to solve equations with positive and negative numbers. Students manipulate weights and balloons on the pans to balance equations, learning that negative terms can be removed by adding the same value to both sides. The model helps students visualize balancing equations before solving them independently.

Uploaded by

Prieyankka
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

!alancing with !

alloons: Solving 12uations with 4egatives

!esc%ipti)n: Students use a Sketchpad pan balance model to solve a se3uence of e3uations with positive
numbers and variables, represented by weights, and negative numbers and variables, represented by balloons.
As the problems increase in difficulty, students transfer the manipulation of the pan balance to solving e3uations
independent of the balance.

Techn).)g0 St%ength: =ositive numbers and variables are represented by weights> negative numbers and
variables are represented by balloons. Both weights and balloons can be dragged to and from the pans of a
balance, and balloons pull up on the pans as much as weights push down on them. The pan balance tilts when
the weight on the two sides is une3ual, reinforcing the idea of keeping an e3uation balanced by adding or
removing the same values from both sides. The value of ! can be be reset. An example page presents a
stepBbyBstep animation, and a practice page provides an infinite number of randomly generated linear e3uations
to solve.

345ecti6es: Cearn how to solve linear e3uations with negative numbers and negative variables by balancing

7%e%e89isites: Experience with solving e3uations with positive numbers and variables> familiarity with operations
on integers

S9ggeste: ;%<:e =e6e.: E to F

Sketchp<: =e6e.: Beginning

S9ggeste: !9%<ti)n: GH minutes. The time can be extended for students to use the page “=ractice.”

S9ggeste: ?.<ss%))@ Setting: Khole Llass, Student =airs. This activity, designed for use by student pairs, can
be easily modified for wholeBclass use.

7%ep<%<ti)n: Meview the Activity Notes. =review the student sketch. Kork through the steps on the worksheet
and make a copy of the worksheet for each student.

A<te%i<.s: None

St9:ent B)%ksheetCsD: Balancing with Balloons

St9:ent Sketch: Balancing with Balloons.gsp

7%esent<ti)n Sketch: None

E)c<49.<%0: Balance, e3uation, solution to e3uation, positive, negative

Sketchp<: Ee%si)n: OS=5

©2009 Key Curriculum Press 1


!"#$%&'()&*+)',(-

!he model displays a pan balance and a storage bin with weights
that represent positive numbers and variables and balloons that
represent negative numbers and variables. !he teacher first
introduces the idea of building an e9uation. Page ;<alance= has a
default value of ! > ?@ which can be represented visually by
dragging weights from the storage bin and symbolically by using the
.)/' tool. After adding a –1Dballoon to both sides@ students see
that a –1Dballoon and a 1Dweight add to Eero. Removing them
together keeps the balance level@ as shown in the first illustration.

Students then work through a se9uence of problems@ such as the


one shown in the second illustration@ using the pan balance to solve
each e9uation. Students add or remove the same number of
identical weights or balloons on both sides@ remove pairs that add to
Eero@ and divide both sides into an e9ual number of groups@ with the
goal of achieving a balance with a single ! isolated in one pan.

As students manipulate the model@ they record the intermediate


e9uations on their worksheet. !he third illustration shows the page
;IJample@= which can be used to provide additional guidance either
to the entire class or to individual pairs that need more support. In
addition@ page ;Practice= provides randomly generated e9uations in
symbolic form for students to solve using the the idea of balancing
independent of the model.

*+)',(&.#0"-
Sketch !ips show skills needed in this activity@ and the step at which the skill is first used.

Sketch Tip Tip Sheet or Tip Video


Step &' Change to a different page using page tabs 5oving Between Pages
Step :' Select, deselect, and drag ob>ects with the !rrow tool ?sing the Arrow Tool

©2009 Key Curriculum Press 2

You might also like