Materials for the lesson

Cards where the children will write the numbers from 0-9 and the symbols of the 4 equations.

Boxes or baskets to put inside the cards with the numbers and symbols. Each child from the “number & symbols” basket team has all the numbers and all the symbols.

The Teachers Bell.

Layout of the classroom

The desks are aside and there is empty space in the middle.
The children divide into groups of 6.
The Computer team (consists of 2 students).
The Number-Symbols team (consists of 4 students).

1^st Phase
Simple version

All the children write on their cards the numbers 0-9 and the 4 equation symbols in multiple copies .            The Computer team sits on the floor and in front of it is the group of children of the “numbers-symbols”.
The first two children are the wagons of the train and the one is the Steam-engine of the train.
Each student from the “numbers-symbols team” has in front a small box or basket with all the numbers and symbols at his/her disposal.

The teacher has prepared with a number of mathematical operations that reach a  conclusion.
For example:  3+2=5,  6+3=9, 7-4=3, 4Χ2=8  and/or  double-digit numbers.
So, to every group he/she says:

TEACHER: The Steam Engine                                         should take number 8
The second wagon the sign +
The Computers tell me what number should the 1^st wagon have and what the 3d, so the Steam engine has number 8.

The calculators can answer: 7+1, 6+2, etc.

TEACHER: The Steam engine should take number 9.
The second wagon the sign x
The calculators should tell me what number should have the 1^st wagon have and what the 3d, so the Steam engine has number 9

The calculators can answer 3Χ3 =9.

TEACHER:  The Steam engine should take number 3
The 2^nd wagon the sign  :
The calculators should tell me what the 1^st wagon should have and what the 3d, so the Steam engine has number 3

The calculators can answer 6:2 =3.

2d Phase
Complex Version

The more complex version involves the whole class.

Let’s say we have a class of 20 students.

10 can be “Calculators” (sitting down), seeing and trying to solve the mathematical operation of the train.
The rest are the “numbers-of-the-train”.
10 “Calculators” students, stand opposite 10 students that have in front their boxes with numbers on the cards.

The Teacher has prepared with some more complex operations that conclude in a result.

For example: 2+4Χ2:4+9+6-4+6=20

And places the problem as follows :
TEACHER: The Steam engine will take number 20

The wagons 2 and 8, 10,14 take the sign “+”
The wagon 4, the sign “X”                                                    The wagon 6, the sign “:”

The Steam engine should take number “20”
What numbers should the other wagons have so the Steam engine has 20?

If the operation (with all 20 students) is difficult with all these operations, the teacher can create smaller groups with 3-4 operations in total. So, the children can reach the result easier and faster.