Numbers and Operations Number of players: 2 Materials: Counters, spinners

It Evens Out

Label the sections of one spinner with the integers 1 through 6. Label the sections of a second spinner with the integers -1 through -6. Decide which color of counters will represent positive integers and which color will represent negative integers. One partner takes twenty counters of one color, and the other partner takes twenty counters of the other color.

The partner with the counters that represent positive integers spins the positive integer spinner; the partner with the counters that represent negative integers spins the negative integer spinner. Both partners then place between them the number of counters indicated on their spinners. Zero pairs are removed from play. Leftover counters are returned to the partner with that color. Before the next round, partners write an equation that describes their actions and solve for the variable. Play continues until one partner runs out of counters.