Creating Equations with Dice

We placed many math tools out today including a hundreds chart, various kinds of dice and dice with addition or subtraction signs on it. 

The children immediately had a plan for how they wanted to use the tools. They rolled two number dice with an operation sign to create an equation. They then copied it into their papers to record their math. 

Some children wanted a challenge and used three number dice and two operation dice. 

 

This led to a really interesting conversation about the order the numbers should be placed in when creating the equation and if it's possible to subtract a big number from a small one. One of our friends shared what he knew about negative numbers!

 

We were so impressed with the great math thinking and reasoning observed during this activity. 

If you offer children open-ended math materials that they can explore on a regular basis they will rise to any challenge!