How to use physical materials to introduce students to the properties of algebra

Giving language and physical representation to the properties of algebra, already used in arithmetic operations, provides students with the ability to apply these seamlessly to the more abstract work of manipulating algebraic expressions. These properties include the commutative property, the associative property, the distributive property, factorization and the use of the additive and multiplicative inverses. These properties are the tools one uses to solve algebraic equations. We will demonstrate the use of materials to gain a deep, intuitive understanding of these properties. Once students grasp the meaning of these properties, they can use them to manipulate and solve algebraic equations. This work can be used to enhance conceptual understanding alongside any curriculum being used.