First, children can count the number of cubes on each pan to determine which pan has a greater number of cubes. Second, the students will see that the lower pan contains more cubes since it weighs more. Provide students with a couple of easy ways to remember which inequality symbol to use. One is to remind them to always have the narrow end of the inequality symbol point at the lesser number. Another idea is to describe the inequality symbol as a mouth that always eats the greater number.
Some teachers even draw teeth inside the symbol to dramatize the concept.
Construct a bulletin board displaying all of the equality and inequality symbols. Provide a written description and example for all symbols. An inexpensive overhead manipulative for teaching equations and inequalities is the use of pennies. Place pennies in the boxes and an operation symbol between the boxes. Look at the example below.