Equal Sign

By: Hallie Benson and Grace Miller

Introduction
-For this project, we interviewed two different students of different
ages.
-Max was the first student and he was in 5th grade.
-Wyatt was the second student and he was in 3rd grade.
-We used two different students in hopes of seeing how different
ages are able to understand equal signs.
Max Initial Question
-When we asked Max the first question of 8 + 4 = [] + 5, he was
able to give us the answer of 7.
-When following up with asking him what the equal sign means, he
responded with “I do not know, they are equal I guess.”
-This showed us that he has some understanding of what the equal
sign means.
Wyatt Initial Question
-When we asked Wyatt the first question of 8 + 4 = [] + 5, he
answered with the number 12.
-While this was the wrong answer, it shows an operational
understanding of the equal sign because 8 + 4 = 12.
-When we asked him what the equal sign means, he looked at us
blankly and had no idea.
Max Intervention
-For Max’s intervention, we wanted to further evaluate his
understanding.
-We asked him 43 + 28 = [] + 42 and asked if he could do it without
scratch paper.
-After some time of thought, he was able to come up with the
correct answer of 29.
Wyatt Intervention
-For Wyatt, we realized we needed to test his understanding.
-We started by asking him if 7 = 3 + 4 is true or false.
-He answered TRUE, showing that he understands that equal signs
can be on either side of an equation.
-We then tried two more questions after this.
Wyatt Intervention Cont.
-We tried asking the -We asked him the -“There are already a 13
initial question again but question, 13 + 14 = 13 + []. on each side and one side
using circles instead of -He took a minute and has a 14, so the other side
numbers. responded with 14. needed one too.”
-This example confused -We asked him how he got -We followed this up with
him so we decided to try that answer and he replied the first question again,
something different. with: and he got it right.
Comparison of Understanding
Max
-We concluded that Max has a
relational- structural
understanding.
-He understood from the start
that both sides of the equation
had to be equal.
Wyatt
-We concluded that Wyatt has a
relational-computational
understanding.
-We started as operational but
became relational with help.
Max Future Interventions
-For Max, we would focus on growing his understanding of the
equal sign.
-One way is to introduce him to variables and complicated
equations.
-The other way is to work with increasingly larger numbers.
Wyatt Future Interventions
-For Wyatt, we want to help him work toward a full relational
understanding of the equal sign without help.
-One way for this is working with changing the position of the
equal sign and using repetition to practice small equations.
-Another way is to have him work with manipulatives to give him a
tactile practice.
Conclusions
Max
-Growing relational-structural
understanding.
-Understood the first problem
right away.
-Intervention focused on
furthering understanding.
Wyatt
-Relational-computational
understanding.
-Did not understand first
problem.
-Intervention focused on
developing understanding.
OUR THOUGHTS