Owl Helper: Use Math to Balance the Trees and Save the Owls

Discussion questions: (whole class,  small group, or individual)

1. What do you think you have to do? Why?

2. Get a few wrong. Try to make the tree tilt to the left. Try to make the tree tilt to the right. 

-Why does it tilt left sometimes and right other times?

-Why does the equal sign change when you get it wrong? What do you think the > and < signs mean?

3. The equation (number sentence) is shown in four different ways. Tell us everything you notice about that. 

Learning outcomes: 

Common Core math skills: 1.OA.A.1, 1.OA.4, 1.OA.D.7, 1.OA.D.8

Missing number addition problems are amazing for students beginning their math journey. This game will allow your student or child to practice the following concepts:

Number sense: The numbers are represented in four different ways, text, number, ten-frame, and in the form of owls. 

Equation Sense: Students will see that that the equal sign only remains if both sides of the equation are balanced. 

Challenging but enjoyable: Missing number addition is considered the hardest of four types of addition problems. In my experience as a teacher, the students also liked it the best because it felt like a puzzle.  I did an activity similar to this in the classroom and students loved it.

A precursor to subtraction, algebraic thinking, and word problems.