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Help students explore, develop, and extend their understanding of
mathematical and scientific concepts including inequalities, mass,
comparisons, the four operations, and order. The Precision School Balance
comes with a 10-piece gram set including two 1-gram masses, two 2-gram
masses, two 5-gram masses, two 10-gram masses, one 20-gram mass, one
50-gram mass.
Balance Components
• The damping button helps make quick and accurate measurements. The
button steadies the swing arm and prevents the pans from rocking during a
measurement.
• The calibration slider allows you to zero the balance.
• Marked calibrations demonstrate when the balance is level and zeroed.
• The balance contains a case with a lid to hold the masses. Storing your
masses in this compartment will reduce the likelihood of misplacing them.
Use the balance in directed activities such as those listed below or simply
place it in a learning center for students to explore. Either way, this balance
will expand and enrich the learning opportunities in your classroom.
Exploring the Precision School Balance
Collect a variety of classroom objects such as pencils, erasers, paper clips,
scissors, counters, or blocks. Encourage students to place objects on either
side of the balance and observe the results. Ask questions that will increase
your students' explorations.
You might ask:
• Are there any objects that balance each other?
• Does size always tell which object has the greatest mass?
• Can a small object have greater mass than a large object?
After students have explored with objects on either side of the balance,
encourage them to explore measurement with the unit masses provided with
the balance. Students can place one object on one side of the balance and
use masses to find out if an object has greater, lesser, or close to equal the
mass in a unit weight.
Equal Masses
Once students have explored measurements that are greater, lesser, or close
to the actual mass, encourage them to find the actual mass. Introduce
them to the calibration lines that show when the balance is level. Ask,
"Which line should the pointer be on for objects to be balanced?"
(Answer: The center line.)
Discuss how to determine an object's mass. Provide examples and allow
students to discover the most efficient method. You might prompt their
explorations with questions such as:
• Is it best to start with the small unit masses to measure an object?
• Is it best to start with the large unit masses to measure an object?
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