Hands on activities should be a huge part of teaching. By allowing students to complete hands-on activities, they will be in engaged in the lesson and in charge of their own learning. Hands-on activities can include manipulatives and many other objects that students can hold in their hands. They can use them to solve math problems. An example of a beneficial hands-on activity is using cubes and rectangles to help students solve one variable equations. Teachers can give students cut out rectangles and cubes and have them represent X's and 1. Next the student will set up the equation using them in place of the equation. This will give the students a chance to see how everything cancels and easy to see the problem unfold right before there eyes.
Reflection
This activity was a great way for students to see how one variable equations work. After the students are able to solve one variable equations, the teacher could add another variable and even start to talk about systems of equation. Overall, I believe that hands-on activities give students a new way to look at problems they are having trouble with.