Algebra Use groups of 2. Materials: Index cards, spinners

Which Will It b?

Copy onto cards the expressions shown below. Shuffle the cards and place them face down in a pile. Label the sections of one spinner "3," "4," "6," and "9." Label the sections of a second spinner "2," "5," "7," and "8." Each partner must decide which spinner stands for the variable a and which stands for b. In other words, one partner's a spinner will be the other partner's b spinner.

One partner selects a card while the other spins the two spinners. Each partner then evaluates the expression. Trading tasks each round, continue in the same manner until no cards remain.

Compare your results for each expression.

Expressions to put on cards:
5a + 3b - 2	50 - [b2 + (a - 2)2]
	3(12 - a) + 6b
[b - (11 - a)] - 5
ab2	7 + (a2 - b)