Last week we talked about equations.  This week's topic is inequalities.  An inequality is a number sentence that has a left hand side, a greater than or less than sign, and a right hand side.  The left hand side must be greater (or less) than the right side.

Example:   2 + 3   <   5 + 5    (5 is less than 10)

Try these:    1 + 3   >   ___ + 1

                    9 - 5   <   12 - ___

                    8 + ___   >   5 + 6

                    14 - 7   <   15 - ___

For 4th and 5th graders:  Do what is in the parenthesis first!

                                         2 x 8   >   8 x ____

                                         1 x ( ___ x 3)  <   (1 x 2) x 3

                                        (4 x 6) - 12    >   (3 x 7) - ___

                                        3 x (___ + 3)   <   (3 x 2) + (3 x 3)