Common Core True & False Equations Freebie

     Is it bad that I'm getting Spring Fever already?!  It is January 12th and it's going to be 75 degrees today in good ole SC.  I mean, I know we're in the South and all....but we're usually looking at 40's and 50's in January, not 70's!  I'm kind of loving it..but it's making me want a break so I can enjoy it! :)  
     Anyway, this week I spent a lot of time with my kiddos on these True & False equations, which is one of the new 1st Grade Common Core standards.  The kids have to be able to look at an equation, determine whether it is true or false, and justify their answer, which is kind of an abstract task for 6 and 7 year olds.  While some of my kids got this with no problem at all, some were really struggling to "get it."  I tried to explain the equals sign like the middle of a balance scale, with the numbers on each side having to be the same in order for the scale to balance.  This seemed to help them to understand that an equation is true when the number on each side is the same, and it is false when the numbers on each side are not the same.  I also had some kids trying to say whether an equation was True or False without solving the problem first, so it was quite the effort to get them to understand that you have to solve the problem on either side FIRST before you can determine whether the equation is True or False. The diagram above kind of portrays my explanation! :)  I also made these activities to help my kids practice True and False equations.  They are FREE!  Just click the link the picture to download!  Have a great weekend friends!