• Equality is the basis for comparison (more, less, equal)

• Equality is about comparing quantities

• Equality is a relationship between 2 quantities

• Equality is important because students don’t see that equality has to do with number of things and not the physical attributes such as size or mass when we are sorting by the attribute of quantity.

Contextualization and making connections to the experiences of learners are powerful processes in developing mathematical understanding. This can be particularly true for First Nations, Métis and Inuit learners. When mathematical ideas are connected to each other or to real-world phenomena, students begin to view mathematics as useful, relevant and integrated.

Learning mathematics within contexts and making connections relevant to learners can validate past experiences and increase student willingness to participate and be actively engaged.

The brain is constantly looking for and making connections. “Because the learner is constantly searching for connections on many levels, educators need to orchestrate the experiences from which learners extract understanding.… Brain research establishes and confirms that multiple complex and concrete experiences are essential for meaningful learning and teaching”  (Alberta Mathematics Program of Studies)

Representing a situation or solving a problem pictorially means doing so using drawings or representations of actual objects. A visualization of the situation and solution takes place rather than an actual concrete experience of the situation and solution.   (Learn Alberta)