Grade 3/Order of Operations
Order of Operations: Compare Expressions (<, >, =)
Compare two expressions to see how parentheses change the result. Students solve both sides and use Greater Than, Less Than, or Equal To symbols.
6
Sheets
1475
Views
322
Downloads
Preview
Tap to open PDF
Preview
Click to preview collection
Teacher Resources
Teaching Notes
This is great for proving WHY order of operations matters. Discuss the "Equal" cases (like 15-(3+2) vs 15-3-2) - why are they the same?
Vocabulary
Compare: Find how numbers are alike or different.
Greater than: Symbol > means 'more than'.
Less than: Symbol < means 'fewer than'.
Common Mistakes
- Guessing based on which side "looks" bigger.
- Calculating only one side.
- Incorrect order of operations
- Misinterpreting comparison symbols
- Calculation errors
- Not solving both sides fully
Differentiation
SupportHave them solve all Left sides first, then all Right sides.
ChallengeAsk them to change one number to make the inequality flip.
Discussion Questions
- How do parentheses change an expression's value?
- Why is the order of operations important?
- Can two different expressions have the same value?
- Where might you see expressions like these in real life?
Extension Activities
- Create comparison puzzles.
- Use different operations.
- Compare word problems.
Parent Tip
Ask them to compare everyday objects by size or quantity.
Learning Path
Skill Cluster
Number Sense & Operations; Algebraic Thinking
Estimated Time
20 minutes
Skills Practiced
expression comparison
Prerequisites
- 899
- Basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
- Understanding of comparison symbols (<, >, =)
Next Steps
- Evaluating numerical expressions with multiple grouping symbols
- Solving multi-step word problems using expressions
- Order of Operations: Evaluate Expressions
- Order of Operations: Multi-Step Problems
- Numerical Expressions with Variables