Math – Enrichment 
Lesson Plan: ​Substitution 

Teacher​:​ Ms. Carroll 

Date:​ 12/04/2018 

Overview & Purpose 

Students will learn what a “balanced equation” is and that an equals sign does not 
always happen at the end of an equation.   

Note: Lesson is modified from this ​blog website​.  

Education Standards 
1. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.A.1 
“Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving 
situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and 
comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and 
equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.” 
2. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.B.3 
“Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract.2 Examples: 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.)” 
 3. 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.” 

Objectives 
1. Students can define “balanced equation”.  
2. Students can find equations that are balanced. 
3. Students can create balanced equations. 

Materials Needed 
1. Worksheets (17) 
2. Math White Boards and Markers (17) 
3. Book: ​Equal Schmequal b
​ y Virginia Croll 
4. Unifix cubes. 
5. Document Camera and Interwrite Board 
6. Interwrite Board Slides 

Verification 
Steps to check for student understanding 

1. Teacher will observe students during group work. 

2. Students will work independently on a formative assessment. 

Activity 
Describe activity that will reinforce the lesson 

Introduce Learning Targets:  

Students will read the learning target for today’s lesson from the first slide.  
Read ​Equal Schmequal ​by Virginia Croll 

Ms. Carroll will have students sit at the carpet, and read the book to them. She will ask 
questions relating to “math talk”. What words does the book use that we use when we 
talk about math? S
​ he will write them on the second slide, and save them for later. 

Have students recognize balanced and unbalanced equations:  

Ms. Carroll ​will display the third slide of saved Interwrite Board slides, showing:  

1. 3 + 5 = 6 + 2 
2. 7 + 2 = 4 + 4 

Ask students to find the equals sign. Highlight it. What does the equals sign mean? 
(Whisper to table). Then, ask: are these equations equal? Have students test out their 
answers. Assign each table a part of an equation (example: table 1 will show 3 + 5 on 
their unifix cubes). ​Then, have student volunteers write their evidence on the slide.  

Repeat until students seem to understand.  

Group Work:  

Have tables work together to balance the equations, using unifix cubes and t​ his 
worksheet (page 2 and 3 of the document)​. The worksheet is accessible via the original 
blog website. D
​ isplay the worksheet under the document camera and model the first 
two parts. ​Once students have been given enough time to complete the worksheet, 
check answers as a class, ​placing the correct answers underneath the document 
camera​.  

Individual Work:  

Once students have finished their work, assign them p ​ age 4 of this document​. Students 
should work independently for this piece, as it will be used as a formative assessment.  

 
References:  

Core Standards. (n.d.). Grade 1 » Operations & Algebraic Thinking.  

Retrieved December 5, 2018, from  
http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/1/OA/ 
Linn, K. (n.d.). The Meaning of the Equals Sign - First Grade Math. Retrieved  
December 5, 2018, from  
http://firstgradeadventureinteaching.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-mea 
ning-of-equals-sign-first-grade.html?m=1