Candy Corn Fact Balancing!!

We are focusing on equivalent expressions using candy corn!!! 

I made this giant Candy Corn and laminated it along with some laminated construction paper that I drew plus and equal signs on. I made large number cards. Each student used a mini work mat (we slipped them into page protectors), dry erase markers, and candy corn to balance our equations. Had a blast doing it!

All my little friends loved it! The next day we took our Unit 1 district benchmark test, and 100% scored basic or above. Congrats kiddos!!!

As far as mini work mats, I recommend using Engage NY's A Story of Units suggestion for personal white boards. (See HERE and it's on page xii.) Basically you take a page protector, a piece of cardstock (or tagboard, as suggested), and a white sheet of paper. Slip the cardstock and paper in the protector, hand the child a dry erase marker, and a wipe of some sort (I use square cut pieces of felt or kleenex). We use this for everything MATH. I just passed out the Candy Corn Workmat and instructed the kids to slip it in their white board. Good to go!!!

Totally have to give credit to Nancy over at First Grade WOW!! Love her!! She had a balancing facts activity in her New Year's Unit using a party hat as the balance. Totally couldn't wait for New Years to do it, so I was inspired by a bag of candy corn on my kitchen table. 

I created a mini unit for you and included some number cards if you want to make a set for each child. 

Click here for your free work mat and recording sheet. 

Enjoy!!!

Jessica

Here are the Common Core State Standards associated with this activity: 

CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.B.3 Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract.2Examples: If 8 + 3 = 11 is known, then 3 + 8 = 11 is also known. (Commutative property of addition.) To add 2 + 6 + 4, the second two numbers can be added to make a ten, so 2 + 6 + 4 = 2 + 10 = 12. (Associative property of addition.)
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.C.6 Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.D.7 Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. For example, which of the following equations are true and which are false? 6 = 6, 7 = 8 – 1, 5 + 2 = 2 + 5, 4 + 1 = 5 + 2.
CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.D.8 Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 + ? = 11, 5 = _ – 3, 6 + 6 = _.