A Didactic Balance to Solve Equations

Abstract

Solving equations does not require only to well master the techniques but also to well understand the different underlying concepts and processes. Many of the mistakes made by the students are often due to misinterpretation of the concepts taught, especially the use of letters which the main conceptual obstacle that students have to overcome. We present here an educational game, in the form didactic balance which may help the students to master resolving equations of the first degree. In our conception, we were very aware to avoid that our balance becomes a calculating machine that solves the equations instead of the student. The balance was designed to develop inside the student the rigor of mathematical reasoning, one of the didactic objectives behind the introduction of the notion of the equation of the one-degree equations at this stage of the learning process, that of the middle-school learners. The novelty is to offer to both teachers and students a didactic tool that may replace the traditional method of solving equations.