RIC-0563 Developing algebraic thinking
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PROBLEM-SOLVING AND NUMBER TILES<br />
Teachers notes<br />
<strong>Developing</strong> <strong>algebraic</strong> <strong>thinking</strong><br />
provides activities to meet some of the<br />
common threads cited in the Foreword. Using number tiles 0 through<br />
9, students are given opportunities to solve a variety of problems<br />
involving algebra ideas. The activities lend themselves to finding<br />
solutions by individuals or small groups, followed by class discussion<br />
of the observable patterns or relationships and the related algebra.<br />
With teacher direction, the emerging patterns in many of the activities<br />
provide an ideal opportunity for discussion of number sense, place<br />
value, basic number theory, variables, and simple <strong>algebraic</strong> expressions<br />
and equations.<br />
Most of the activities in the book have more than one correct solution.<br />
Sometimes, number tiles may be rearranged to give the same result.<br />
Here are two different examples illustrating this point.<br />
Example 1:<br />
Use any 6 tiles to create two 3-digit numbers whose difference<br />
is the least.<br />
–<br />
There are five solutions to this problem, all giving a difference of 3.<br />
3 0 1 4 0 1 5 0 1 6 0 1 7 0 1<br />
–<br />
2 9 8<br />
– 3 9 8 – 4 9 8 – 5 9 8 – 6 9 8<br />
3 3 3 3 3<br />
Example 2:<br />
Use any 6 tiles to create two 2-digit addends and a 2-digit<br />
sum.<br />
+<br />
With a sum of 98, four different solutions exist.<br />
4 2 4 6 4 1 4 7<br />
+<br />
5 6<br />
+ 5 2 + 5 7 + 5 1<br />
9 8 9 8 9 8 9 8<br />
4 DEVELOPING ALGEBRAIC THINKING www.ricgroup.com.au R.I.C. Publications ®<br />
ISBN 978-1-74126-088-5