In this math center activity, students create algebra problems by replacing numbers with their favorite emojis, restaurant names, famous actors, classmates, etc. With three missing numbers, students explore how variables can be connected through a series of algebraic clues. The difficulty of each problem is based on the math standards of their grade level or individual ability.

A teacher can then make copies of a student’s algebra problems for other students to solve, or, alternatively, students can individually exchange their algebra problems and solve each other’s.

This activity can be scaled to 1st-8th grade classrooms.

A teacher example is provided demonstrating the varying degrees of algebraic complexity.

In the downloadable Zip file are .pdf files and matching .docx files. If you want to edit any of the content to better fit your students’ needs, open the .docx version of the file in Google Docs and adjust each of the page margins to 0.5 inches. There are visual instructions for how to edit your page margins in the Zip file should you need them.