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THE HANDS-ON EQUATIONS ® LEARNING SYSTEM, Level I

Chapter · January 1986

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 THE
HANDS-ON EQUATIONS®
LEARNING SYSTEM

By Henry Borenson, Ed.D.

Introduction
and
Level I

C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 1 6 , 2 0 1 2 B y D r. H e n r y B o r e n s o n . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d .
P r e v i o u s E d i t i o n s C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 0 5 , 1 9 9 4 , 1 9 9 1 , 1 9 9 0 , 1 9 8 8 a n d 1 9 8 6 b y D r. H e n r y B o r e n s o n

ISBN-10: 0-9618105-2-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-9618105-2-8

HANDS-ON EQUATIONS®
Borenson and Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 3328, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18106, (800) 993‐6284
www.borenson.com

Hands-On Equations ® was awarded U.S. Patent No. 4,713,009.

Hands-On Equations ® is a registered trademark of Henry Borenson, Ed.D.

 Dedicated to
ELIZABETH SPOERRI,
the first student of the new system
and to
MR. GLAUBIGER,
my teacher at the Brooklyn Technical High School
who taught me that all students can succeed
if we provide them with the right approach.
-Henry Borenson, Ed.D.

Dr. Henry Borenson

Henry Borenson was a classroom teacher for more than 20 years before developing Hands-On Equations
and starting Borenson and Associates in 1986. His goal from the outset was to develop teaching methods
that would guarantee early student success with algebraic linear equations and thereby promote an "I can
do algebra!" attitude in grade school students.

In addition to teaching in the South Bronx of New York City, Dr. Borenson taught mathematics at the
Stuyvesant High School in New York City. In the latter position, he worked with students many of whom
represented the United States at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Over the past 20 years, more than 50,000 teachers have attended the Making Algebra Child's Play®
workshop, which empowers teachers to obtain the maximum value from the Hands-On Equations program.
Recently, Dr. Borenson and his colleagues have introduced the Day2 Hands-On Equations Verbal Problems
workshop to enable teachers to successfully present to their students a wide variety of verbal problems, all
solvable using the methods of Hands-On Equations.
 Teaching Algebraic Linear Equations to
Upper Elementary and Middle School Students
by Henry Borenson, Ed.D.

It is very gratifying to see the joyful expression on the faces of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders
as they easily solve such equations as

2x + x + x + 2 = 2x + 14
and
2(x + 4) + x = x + 16.

Young students know that this kind of mathematics is important. Hence, when they
experience success with it, their self-esteem is enhanced.

That young students can solve such equations at all is a tribute to the power available
to students when an abstract concept is presented through a physical model that they
can readily comprehend. The power of such a physical model was noted as early as 1959
by Professor Bärbel Inhelder of Geneva:

Advanced notions of mathematics are perfectly accessible to

children of seven to ten years of age, provided that they are
divorced from their mathematical expression and studied through
materials that the child can handle himself.1

The Hands-On Equations Learning System presents just such a physical and
intuitive model of the world of basic algebra! The students simply transform the
given abstract equation into its physical counterpart, and then proceed to solve the
given equation through the use of "legal moves," which are the physical counterparts
of the mathematical principles involved.

Level I of Hands-On Equations, which takes only seven lessons, can be an integral
component of any upper elementary and middle school math curriculum. In these
lessons, the students will reinforce their basic computational skills, develop their
problem-solving skills, and gain confidence in algebraic reasoning. The students*
will learn to solve the most basic equations for success in algebra, equations which
traditionally have not been presented until the 8th or the 9th grades.
*The visual and kinesthetic approach of Hands-On Equations is valuable for middle school students who will soon be taking a formal
course in algebra and also for high school students who are struggling with, or who have failed an Algebra 1 course. Nevertheless, the
greatest value of the program, in the view of the author, is when it is presented to students in grades 4 - 6. Young students are inspired
by their newly-found ability to succeed with algebra. Research data shows that these students can be as successful with Level I as 8th
graders. See the Research Studies section of www.borenson.com for the latest research studies.
 2

Since knowledge of algebra is essential to the further study of mathematics and science,
students who do not gain access to algebra will find the doors closed to many
professional career opportunities. Traditionally, students have had great difficulty
understanding the language of algebra. The abstractness of the symbols was for many
an insurmountable obstacle. Some students were able to memorize rules and
procedures and get by or succeed; many were not. Even for those students for whom
these methods of memorization worked, very often an understanding was lacking.

Hands-On Equations enables students to demystify the language of algebra.

Students very quickly learn to attach meaning to the various symbols which comprise
an algebraic linear equation. At that point, they are already empowered to solve the
equations using guessing and checking. Next, the students are presented with "legal
moves" which they can perform to simplify the equation and maintain the balance of
the system. The power inherent in these legal moves is that they are fully understood
by the students. It is this understanding which provides students with a sense of
confidence in the world of algebra.

Below follows a description of The Hands-On Equations Learning System, Level I. This
sequence of lessons, with students using the concrete materials of the program, has
been found to be successful with students from the 3rd grade through high school, as
well as with adult learners.

The Hands-On Equations® Learning System

Level 1
Objective: By the end of the seventh lesson, upper elementary and middle school
students will be able to physically set up and solve such equations as

2x + x + x + 2 = 2x + 14
and
2(x + 4) + x = x + 16.

Materials Needed Per Student:

Eight blue pawns
Two red cubes, numbered 0-5 3 HANDS-ON
EQUATIONS

Two red cubes, numbered 5-10 7

A laminated balance scale
 3

Materials Needed by the Teacher:

Pawns and cubes as above, but larger
A stationary physical scale

Lesson #1

In the first lesson, the teacher displays on the physical scale in front of the classroom
problems such as

5
FOR HOME USE:
Please display these
and problems on the
enclosed laminated
balance scale.
8 .

Once students grasp the concept that both sides of the scale must have the same value
for the scale to balance, they see that the pawn in the first problem is worth 5, and that
in the second problem it is worth 4. Students can then be presented with other
“physical equations” which they are to solve by trial and error methods.

2 8

The students see that “1” does not work since both sides are not equal. “2” does not
work, etc. “6” does work since the left side is now 14 and so is the right side. The
students are informed that the pawn has a special name, “x,” and that there is a special
way of writing the answer:

x = 6, check: 14 P
= 14

The students are given Student Kits so that they can set up the worksheet problems at
their desks. (On the student setup, it is helpful if the number-cubes are facing upward,
i.e., facing the ceiling, so that the teacher can easily see if the students have the correct
setup.)
 4

Comments on Lesson #1
In this lesson students begin learning about equations, variables, and unknowns on
both sides of a setup–but they do so intuitively, through Piagetian learning.2 Indeed,
the word “variable,” which can even scare some adults, is not used at all. Important
algebraic concepts are nonetheless acquired in a very natural way as the students work
with the materials.

Lesson #2
Students are reminded that the pawn has a special name, “x.” Therefore, the problem

2x + x = x + 8

really calls for placing “two x’s” and “one x” on the left side of the scale, and “an x”
and an “8-cube” on the right side:

8 .

The students are given their Student Kits so that they can set up the problem at their
desks. Then, they can solve by trial and error methods as in Lesson #1. The answer is:
P 12.
x = 4, check: 12 =

Other examples which the teacher may use in this lesson include
P
Example: 3x + 1 = x + 7 (x = 3, check: 10 = 10)
P
Example: 4x = 3x + 5 (x = 5, check: 20 = 20)

Comment on Lesson #2:

It is a tremendous credit to the power of this system that young students can interpret
and make sense of the above problems after only two lessons!

Lesson #3
The teacher begins by posing to the class a problem such as

4x + 2 = 3x + 9

The students set up this problem at their desks and attempt to solve it. Because this
problem may stymie many students, it offers an excellent opportunity for the teacher
to say:
 5

“Would you like to learn an easier way of getting the

answer than by using trial and error?”

The teacher can now proceed to see if the students “buy” the idea (which the teacher
now physically demonstrates), that if one pawn is removed simultaneously from each
side of the balanced setup,

2 9 ,

that the scale will still balance. Such a move, which leaves a balanced system in balance, is
called a “legal move.” (To confirm that the students do in fact understand this key
concept, the teacher should then attempt to remove two blue pawns from the left side
and one blue pawn from the right side. The students should see that this move is
not legal.)

By carrying out the above legal move two more times, the setup now shows

2 9 ,

from which the students can easily see that x = 7. The teacher can now say to the class:

“Let’s see if our method has worked. Let’s physically set up the
original problem one more time to see if x = 7 makes both
sides balance.”

A student can come up to the front of the room and, after physically* resetting the
original equation, verify that if each pawn is worth 7, the system

2 9

P 30. So the answer, x = 7, is correct.

balances since 30 =

*In Hands-On Equations, the check is always carried out in the original physical setup, not in the original abstract
equation. The physical setup is the concrete meaning of the abstract equation.

Note:

The legal move of removing the same number of blue pawns from each side of a balanced system is an example of the
fundamental algebraic principle known as the subtraction property of equality. In Hands-On Equations, this principle is
carried out visually and kinesthetically. The students thereby internalize this property at a very deep level, leading to
long-term retention. It is a great credit to the power of this system of instruction that even young students can solve
equations such as 4x + 2 = 3x + 9 after only three lessons!
 6

The teacher can now assign other similar problems for students to set up and solve at
their seats, using legal moves if they wish:

a. 5x + 2 = 2x + 14 P 22)
(x = 4, check: 22 =
b. 2x + x + 4 = 4x + 1 (x = 3, check: 13 P
= 13)

Lesson #4
In this lesson, students learn that subtracting the same number-cube value from each
side of a balanced setup leaves the setup in balance.

4 10

Given the above setup, students can subtract a 4-value from the cubes on each side,

4 4 ,

thus leaving

6 .

Sometimes this process is more clearly illustrated if the 10-cube is first replaced by a
4-cube and a 6-cube,

4 4 6 ,

before removing the 4-value from each side. After one or two such examples, if needed
at all, the students will be able to subtract a 4-value directly from the 10-cube mentally,
without the need of an intermediate step.

So far, then, the students have learned two legal moves: that they may subtract the same
number of blue pawns, or x’s, from each side of a balanced setup, or that they may
subtract the same value from the cubes on each side. The following example enables
the students to perform both of these legal moves. A possible solution sequence is shown.
 7

Ex. 4x + 5 = 2x + 13
5 10 3

5 10 3

Video
5 5

5 3 .
P
So, x = 4. The check in the initial physical setup reveals that 21 = 21.
Note:
To see a video solution of this example please use the above QR code or go to the “Videos” tab on www.borenson.com and select “Video
Demo Lessons #4 and #21.”

Other problems which can be given in this lesson include:

a. 2x + x + x + 2 = 2x + 10 (x = 4, check: 18 P
= 18)
P
b. x + 3x + 3 = x + 18 (x = 5, check: 23 = 23)
Lesson #5

In this lesson, students take away pawns as part of the setup process:

5x - 3x + 2 = x + 5

2 5

The result that is left is called the original physical setup:

2 5 .

From here, the students can proceed to subtract one blue pawn from each side, leaving
a blue pawn and a 2 cube on the left side, and a 5 cube on the right. Hence, x = 3.
P
The check in the original physical setup directly above gives: 8 = 8.
 8

Other examples which the teacher can assign in this lesson include:

a. 2x + x - x + 1 = x + 9 (x = 8, check: 17 P
= 17)
b. 4 + 3x - 2x + x = x + 5 (x = 1, check: 6 P
= 6)
Lesson #6

In this lesson, students learn to solve such equations as

2(x + 3) = x + 8

They learn that the “2” outside the parenthesis means that what is inside* the
parenthesis, the “x + 3,” is to be doubled. Hence, the student setup for this problem
is
3
3 8 .

By having the students display the doubled portion in two rows on the mat, the teacher
can easily check that the correct elements have been doubled. (In the teacher setup, the
pawns and cubes are placed next to each other,

3 3 8 ,

so that they are visible to the class.) By subtracting one x from each side, we see that
x = 2; check 10 P = 10.

*It is helpful to encourage students, especially at first, to do these kinds of problems by first placing a finger over the
number outside the parenthesis, then setting up what is inside the parenthesis, removing the finger, and then duplicating
the placed pieces as many times as the number dictates. In the above example, the finger would cover the number “2”.
After setting up the "x + 3" once, the “2” would tell us to double.

Other examples the teacher can give in this lesson include

a. 2(2x + 1) = 18 P 18)
(x = 4, check: 18 =
b. 2(x + 4) + x =x + 12 (x = 2, check: 14 P
= 14)

Comments on Lesson #6
It is fascinating to see that elementary and middle school students, when instructed in
this manner, have little difficulty in working with a multiple of a parenthetical
expression. Often, they discover the distributive law on their own and prefer to double
each element inside the parenthesis sequence.
 9

Lesson #7
In this lesson, students transfer their hands-on learning with the game pieces to a
pictorial notation using paper and pencil. This procedure is illustrated below.

4x + 3 = 3x + 9

The student draws a picture of the scale, then uses shaded triangles to represent the blue
pawns and boxed-numbers to represent the number cubes. The student places arrows
or crosses off anything that is to be taken away. From the above, we see that the x = 6.
The check is carried out in the original pictorial notation, redrawn if needed for clarity:

x = 6, check: 27 P
= 27

Note: Some middle school or high school students prefer to use the pictorial notation
shown below, since it is quicker to use. These students use written x’s instead of shaded
triangles. This method is illustrated below:

2(x + 4) + x = x + 16

So, x = 4, check: 20 P
= 20

Generally speaking, it is recommended that the teacher use the shaded triangle notation
(but allow a student who places written x’s in the pictorial notation to do so and receive
credit.) Once we get to Level II, it will be much easier to distinguish between the blue
and white pawn by using shaded and unshaded triangles.
 10

Other practice examples to be solved pictorially are:

a. x + 2x + 14 = 5x + 2 (x = 6, check: 32 P
= 32)
b. 2(2x + 3) = x + 9 P
(x = 1, check: 10 = 10)

Comment on Lesson #7:

The pictorial notation represents a transitional step from the concrete to the symbolic
formal mode of solving algebraic linear equations.

Summary
By presenting algebraic linear equations via the intuitive model of Hands-On
Equations, upper elementary and middle school students can experience success with
algebraic linear equations such as

2x + x + x + 2 = 2x + 14
and
2(x + 4) + x = x + 16.

Once students learn to translate the algebraic linear equation into its physical
counterpart and learn the concept of a “legal move,” they gain power in the world of
algebra. The abstract has become tangible and understandable; the intimidating has become
game-like. Indeed, solving equations via Hands-On Equations becomes an activity that
students enjoy and want to pursue.3 The enjoyment and success experienced with what
looks like “sophisticated” mathematics serves to enhance student self-esteem and to
heighten mathematical aspirations, as well as to provide the students with some of the
most basic algebraic skills they will need to succeed in a formal algebra course.

Notes

1. This quote by Inhelder, a colleague of Piaget, was taken from a presentation made at the 1959 Woods Hole
Conference held at Cape Cod. It is found in Jerome Bruner’s The Process of Education (Vintage Books, 1960, p. 43).

2. “Piagetian learning” refers to “learning without being taught,” as discussed by Seymour Papert in his book Mindstorms
(Basic Books, Inc., 1980, p. 7). Some of our most powerful and lasting learnings, such as learning to speak, are carried out
via Piagetian learning. Hands-On Equations enables students to grasp key concepts of equations, variables, and algebraic
notation through Piagetian learning.

3. In his book, The Quality School, Managing Students Without Coercion (1990, Harper and Row, Publishers, New York),
Dr. William Glasser asserts that once students have the experience of doing high quality work, they will find this
experience highly satisfying and will therefore desire more similar experiences. The author believes that for many students,
Hands-On Equations is the breakthrough learning experience which reveals to them both the joy of learning and the
tremendous learning capacity which they possess.

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