• Open the spreadsheet to be seen by the entire class, or have individual students open it at their own computers.
• Explain to the student that equivalent expressions are different ways of writing the same number.
• Ask them how many different ways they can make the number 12.
• Have them fill in numbers in the tables to try to add, subtract, multiply, and divide to equal 12.
• When they fill in two numbers the answer will be automatically calculated and displayed.
• This activity is great for discussing and illustrating the idea of equivalence.

Standards (Ohio Academic Content Standards):

• Math - Grade 2 - Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
  • #5 - Understand equivalence and extend the concept to situations involving symbols; e.g., 4+5=9 and 9=4+5, and 4+5 = 3+6 = ?+? ...
• Math - Grade 3 - Number, Number Sense and Operations
  • #1 - Identify and generate equivalent forms of whole numbers; e.g., 36, 30+6, 9x4, 46-10, number of inches in a yard.