Last Updated on October 3, 2023 by Editorial Team
As students transition from elementary school to middle school, a lot of new math concepts are introduced which sets the foundation for the more advanced topics in high school. It is crucial to present these concepts in such a way that the basics are clear and strong enough for further learning.
Inequalities is one such concept that is introduced at this age and can be a little complex to grasp at first. These inequalities are like puzzles that involve numbers, letters, and symbols which are used to compare quantities and find solutions. However, these puzzles can be a little tricky to understand and solve and that’s where creative and fun alternatives like activities come into play.
These activities not only help comprehend the subject matter completely but also promote active participation, relieve stress, and create an effective learning environment. In the following section of the article, you’ll discover some of the potential challenges and their causes students face while learning inequalities along with a list of interactive activities to include to alleviate the difficulties.
Why is the concept of Inequalities challenging for students?
Besides geometry and number theory, algebra also constitutes the main part of the middle school math curriculum. When the students reach a certain level of knowing and understanding algebra, they’re introduced to the concept of inequalities. Being a little advanced concept, it can sometimes become a challenge to comprehend it well and practice.
In view of this, a study[1] was carried out with the students of the first year of Bachillerato (pre-university or high school) in Spain to examine the errors and difficulties associated with the concept and propose viable solutions in order to improve the teaching methods and improve the overall learning experience for students.
It was observed that the main problems were due to weak fundamentals and inadequate knowledge of algebra and arithmetic. Inefficiency to handle distributive property, use of parentheses, sign rule, and the values attributed to the equal sign were also reported which makes it even more challenging for students to grasp the concept.
As a viable solution, it was proposed that this concept and the techniques to solve a problem should not be introduced too rapidly, instead it should be built on previous knowledge ensuring connectivity and relatability. Also, it encourages teachers to make sure that the signs are clearly differentiated and have semantic value for the students.
Other than this, the study aims to search for alternative teaching methods to create an effective learning environment. The use of classroom activities can ease the process by igniting curiosity and promoting deeper comprehension. Hence, discover below a series of creative activities for solving and practicing “inequalities” in a fun and engaging manner.
Inequality challenges: Engaging activities for middle school students to master solving Inequalities
1. Inequality Sort
In this activity, you will become expert sorters and detectives of true and false inequalities. By analyzing inequality cards and determining their validity, you will strengthen your understanding of how to solve and verify inequalities.
Instructions:
- Provide each student or group with a set of inequality cards.
- Explain that their task is to examine each card and sort them into two categories: true inequalities and false inequalities.
- Encourage students to discuss and justify their choices as they sort the cards.
- After sorting, have students share their reasoning with the class or in small groups.
- Facilitate a discussion to clarify any misconceptions and reinforce the concept of inequalities.
2. Number Line Race
In this math team-building activity, you will compete with your teammates to correctly place inequality cards on a number line. Are you up for the challenge?
Instructions:
- Divide students into teams and provide each team with a number line. It can be on the card or a normal A4 sheet.
- Distribute a set of inequality cards to each team.
- Explain that their goal is to solve the inequalities on the cards and place them accurately on the number line.
- Set a timer and let the teams race against each other to complete the task.
- The team that correctly places all the inequalities on the number line in the shortest time wins the race.
- After the race, review the placement of inequalities as a class and discuss any misconceptions or errors.
3. Inequality Puzzles
Put your puzzle-solving skills to the test with these captivating inequality puzzles! In this activity, you will match inequality expressions with their solutions to complete the puzzles. Get ready to sharpen your problem-solving abilities!”
Instructions:
- Prepare inequality puzzles by writing inequality expressions on one side of the paper and their solutions on the other.
- Cut the puzzles into pieces, ensuring each piece contains either an inequality expression or its solution.
- Distribute the puzzle pieces among the students or groups.
- Instruct students to match the inequality expressions with their corresponding solutions to complete the puzzles.
- Encourage students to solve the inequalities as they assemble the puzzle.
- Once the puzzles are complete, have students share their solutions and discuss any challenges they encounter.
4. Real-World Inequality Problems
Prepare to apply inequalities to real-life situations! In this activity, you will tackle real-world scenarios that involve inequalities. By writing and solving corresponding inequality equations, you will discover the power of inequalities in practical contexts.
Instructions:
- Present students with various real-world scenarios that involve inequalities, such as budgeting, shopping discounts, or earning money.
- Explain the scenarios and discuss how they can be represented using inequality equations.
- Instruct students to write the corresponding inequality equations for each scenario, considering variables and their constraints.
- Encourage students to solve the inequalities and interpret the solutions in the context of the scenarios.
- Facilitate a class discussion to share and compare the solutions, highlighting the applications and implications of inequalities in real life.
5. Inequality War
In Inequality War, you will engage in a mathematical card game where the highest solution wins. Just like other critical thinking activities, this activity will help sharpen your problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Instructions:
- Adapt the classic card game “War” to focus on inequalities.
- Divide a deck of inequality cards equally among the players.
- Instruct players to flip a card simultaneously, solve the inequality on their card, and compare the solutions.
- The player with the highest solution wins the cards and adds them to their pile.
- In case of a tie, players can engage in a “War” by drawing additional cards and solving new inequalities until a winner is determined.
- Continue playing until one player has collected the majority of the cards or a predetermined time limit is reached.
- Encourage students to discuss their solutions and strategies during the game to deepen their understanding of inequalities.
6. Inequality Bingo
In this activity, you will solve inequalities and mark them on your bingo cards. Be the first to complete a line or a full card, and shout ‘Bingo!’ to claim victory!
Instructions:
- Create bingo cards with inequality expressions randomly placed in the squares.
- Provide each student with a bingo card and a set of inequality cards.
- Call out inequalities, one at a time, and students must solve them and mark the corresponding expressions on their bingo cards.
- Emphasize that inequalities can have multiple solutions, so students must consider all possibilities.
- The first student to complete a line or a full card by marking the correct inequalities and shouting “Bingo!” wins the game.
- Encourage students to share their solutions and explain their thinking when marking the inequalities on their bingo cards. This allows for a collaborative and engaging discussion among students.
- To add excitement, you can introduce variations such as “Four Corners Bingo” where students need to mark the four corner squares, or “Blackout Bingo” where they need to mark all the squares on their card.
- Encourage students to think strategically by analyzing the inequalities called out and choosing the ones that will bring them closer to completing a line or a full card.
7. Inequality Pair
In this activity, you will match inequality expressions with their corresponding solutions. It is a fun activity that not only helps students practice solving inequalities but also promotes active learning in the class.
Instructions:
- Create a set of cards, with some having an inequality expression and others with the graphical solution of those expressions.
- Shuffle the cards and distribute them among the players.
- Players with the questions cards need to solve them and find the answer while the players with the graph cards need to find the inequality statement for the graph.
- Now after solving, they need to roam around the class and find their pairs without uttering a single word which means they can only meet with other players and check if they’re their match.
- This way, every student needs to find their match and make a pair. Educators can guide students who are not able to find their pairs by checking if they’ve solved them correctly or not.
- After everyone has found their pair, the teacher can call any pair and ask them to discuss their question and the solution with their class exposing students to ample practice questions.
8. Inequality Relay Race with Graphs
Get ready for a fast-paced relay race that combines inequality solving with graph interpretation! In the Inequality Relay Race with Graphs, you and your teammates will analyze and solve inequalities represented by graphs. Sharpen your graphing and problem-solving skills to win the race!
Instructions:
- Create a set of inequality graph cards, each displaying a graph representing an inequality.
- Divide students into teams and set up a relay race track.
- When the race starts, the first student from each team runs to the graph display area, analyzes the graph, and solves the corresponding inequality.
- Once they find the solution, they run back to their team and tag the next teammate to solve the next inequality graph.
- The relay continues until all the inequality graphs are solved.
- The team that completes the relay race first with the correct solutions to all the inequality graphs wins the game.
Conclusion
Being an advanced concept, it has to be handled with care and proper support. Indulging students in creative activities offers a dynamic and engaging approach to mastering the concept of inequalities. By incorporating interactive games, creative puzzles, and real-world scenarios, these activities provide students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of inequalities while having fun.
These activities not only challenge students’ critical thinking abilities but also promote teamwork, competitiveness, and a positive attitude toward mathematics. So, let’s embrace the power of these activities and encourage our middle school students to dive into the world of solving inequalities with enthusiasm and confidence.
Reference
- Nieto, Lorenzo & Manuel, Garrote. (2007). Difficulties in Learning Inequalities in Students of the First Year of Pre-University Education in Spain. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education. 3. 10.12973/ejmste/75401.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,