Grade 3/Order of Operations
Order of Operations: Compare Expressions (<, >, =) (900)
Compare two expressions to see how parentheses change the result. Students solve both sides and use Greater Than, Less Than, or Equal To symbols.
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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