Balancing Equations: Class Survey

Make a classroom set of Balanced/Unbalanced placards - the word "Balanced" on one side and "Unbalanced" on the other side.  I printed the words in two different colors (you could print them in black on different colored paper) and slid the papers into plastic page protectors. 

Each student gets a placard.  You write a chemical equation on the board (or project it) and students need to determine if the equation is balanced or not.  On the count of 3, students hold up the appropriate side of their placard. 

By using two different colors, you can quickly survey the results.  A few rounds of this game and can tell you who understands what a balanced equation looks like and who's struggling.