Stable Scales

A Maths Starter of The Day

Balance Puzzle
Balance Puzzle
Balance Puzzle
Balance Puzzle

Find the weight of a pineapple, an apple, a lemon and an orange

[Teacher: For more randomly generated balance puzzles see Stable Scales Quiz]


Topics: Starter | Algebra

  • Transum,
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  • Solving problems like this has been an activity used for many years to introduce students to the methods used for solving simple linear equations. It is a good analogy for developing the notion of ‘doing the same to both sides’ to keep the equation balanced.
  • Sycamore Class, Buckfastleigh Primary, Devon
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  • This challenge helped our class to use our brains first thing in the morning and we even managed to solve the problem. Year 5.
  • Mrs Clay's Maths Set, St Helens ,, Pontefract
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  • We really enjoyed this starter. It was a good introduction to algebra.
  • Mrs Leslie, Cults Academy
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  • The graphics are (as usual) very high quality. It would be amazing to have an interactive version of this (showing one balance at a time) that pupils could select what to remove from each side, then click a button to see those items go, maintaining the balance (or tip, if they've got it wrong), leading them to a step by step approach to solving / showing working, rather than just 'here's the answer' approach. Would be a brilliant teaching aid!

    [Transum: Good idea, I'll put it on the 'To do' list. Thanks]

How did you use this starter? Can you suggest how teachers could present or develop this resource? Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for Maths teachers anywhere in the world.
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Previous Day | This starter is for 21 November | Next Day

 

Answers



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Laptops In Lessons

Teacher, do your students have access to computers such as tablets, iPads or Laptops?  This page was really designed for projection on a whiteboard but if you really want the students to have access to it here is a concise URL for a version of this page without the comments:

Transum.org/go/?Start=November21

However it would be better to assign one of the student interactive activities below.

Laptops In Lessons

Here is the URL which will take them to a related student activity.

Transum.org/go/?to=scales

Student Activity

 


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