The Equation Station

This is a fun activity for early finishers. Students try to come up with as many different equations as possible using the equation board.

Why is it differentiated?

I teach Title I math for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. In my classroom I have the board shown in the picture. All three grade levels are using the exact same board! My 3rd graders are only looking for addition and subtraction, because we haven’t gotten to multiplication yet. As the year progresses they will have the knowledge to look for multiplication and division equations. My 4th and 5th graders are creating a mixture of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division equations. These are perfect for students at different levels, because there are so many options!

Here is how it works!

Students find as many equations as possible.
Equations can be addition, subtraction, multiplication or division.
They can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.
Equations must include at least 3 numbers and no more than 6 numbers.
When an equation is created, hopping or skipping to a number on the board is not permitted.

Scoring (Completely Optional)

The more numbers you use, the higher the score.

3 number equations = 1 points
4 number equations = 2 points
5 number equations = 3 points
6 number equations = 5 points

Here’s an example of a few equations.

The Equation Station is set up like this in my room.

Under the equation board, I have the recording slips available for my students to access. They keep their recording sheets until they are filled up or when the board is changed.

For the point system, I use my classroom economy. Instead of points they get dollars.

Other options for implementation that is included in The Equation Station packet are:

Placing the equation boards on a loose leaf binder ring for students to choose the board they want to work on. They can take this to their seats to work on individually.