This is a simple exercise in creating equations from a situation with many variables. By giving three different scenarios, the problem requires students to keep going back to the definitions of the variables, thus emphasizing the importance of defining variables when you write an equation. In order to reinforce this aspect of the problem, the variables have not been given names that remind the student of what they stand for. The emphasis here is on setting up equations, not solving them.

The intention of this curriculum guide is to provide teachers with supplemental materials to use to support students in strengthening their skills in various concept areas that are crucial for understanding beginning algebra. The activities are broken down by skill with links provided below. This is intended as a way to provide students with engaging, primarily computer-based activities to get extra practice with material that is covered elsewhere in the curriculum. This collection focuses on simulations and games using the computer—some resources may be ripe for teachers to develop unique activities to accompany the simulation and some possible suggestions are included with the descriptions. This series is intended to be pick-and-choose.

In this Curriculum Guide:

Activities and practice with: Integers, Exponents, Order of Operations, Distributive Property, Expressions, Equations and Basic Graphing

Mathematics is the language of Science, Engineering and Technology. Calculus is an elementary Mathematical course in any Science and Engineering Bachelor. Pre-university Calculus will prepare you for the Introductory Calculus courses by revising four important mathematical subjects that are assumed to be mastered by beginning Bachelor students:

functions,
equations,
differentiation,
integration.

Preuniversity Calculus has been awarded with the Award for Open Education Excellence in the Open MOOC category in 2016.

Students create equations that have solutions to ordered pairs of an image on a graph. First students create an image on a graph and identify the ordered pairs for all the points of the image. Next, students create equations so that the x and y values of the ordered pairs are solutions to the equations.

In eighth grade, students studied how linear functions represented by equations, tables, and graphs can be used to model and solve real world situations. Particular attention was given to using the rate of change and initial value from multiple representations to model the relationship between two values with the generalizable function, y=mx+b. In Algebra 1, students continue using and making connections between representations of linear functions. A common misconception when making connections between representations is that constant rate of change and slope can be used interchangeably when “a linear function does not have slope, but the graph of a non-vertical line has a slope.” (High School Functions progression document, page 6) Unit 2 establishes a deep understanding of the characteristics of linear functions. This understanding includes exploring linear functions geometrically by analyzing the effects of transformations on the graph by replacing f(x) by f(x) + k, kf(x), f(kx) and f(x + k) for specific values of k. These understandings allow students to compare linearity to function families studied in future units (e.g., exponential, quadratic).

In this unit, students will extend their focus from slope intercept form to reasoning about standard form and point slope form. Students begin to make distinctions about which of these forms are most beneficial when modeling a real world situation. Different contexts lend themselves to different forms of linear equations. Students may build a function to model a situation, using parameters from that situation (e.g., rate of change, start value, ordered pair). Other situations are more efficiently modeled with standard form (e.g., Dana purchased 3 brauts and 4 drinks for $8.50). Symbolic manipulation from one form to another can reveal new characteristics of the function or assist in solving systems of equations.

In 6th and 7th grade students solved one and two step equations and inequalities algebraically. In 8th grade students solved linear equations using graphs, tables, and algebraic manipulation. In this unit, students will apply what they know about solving equations and inequalities to solving multi-step inequalities which include variables on both sides. Students will make sense of what a solution means for an equation compared to an inequality. Students will extend their understanding of solving linear equations with two variables. First, they will manipulate equations to solve for specific variables. Second, students will justify their reasoning by supplying mathematical properties to explain each step in solving an equation. This work will help set the groundwork for mathematical proofs in tenth grade.

In addition, students will extend their 8th grade understanding of solving systems of linear equations to include systems of linear inequalities as representations of real world situations. Students will solve systems of linear equations exactly (e.g. with substitution principle, combination/elimination), and approximately (e.g., with graphs) with a new emphasis on the conceptual understanding and justification of why these strategies work. Students will compare and contrast the benefit of using each of these strategies in different situations.

In this unit students are using what they know about linear functions to build new understandings of piecewise linear functions including absolute value functions. In addition, students will use tables and graphs to solve absolute value equations as described in HSA.REI.D.11. The Michigan State Standards no longer require students to be able to algebraically solve piecewise and absolute value functions.

These worksheets, provided by Barbara Gilbert, review mathematics concepts that are necessary in physics, including linear equations, quadratic equations, unit conversion, significant figures, and trigonometry.

The purpose of this task is to provide an opportunity for students to reason about equivalence of equations. The instruction to give reasons that do not depend on solving the equation is intended to focus attention on the transformation of equations as a deductive step.

This seminar will explore how to solve systems of equations using elimination. You will discover the most efficient methods of preparing a system to be solved using elimination and how to identify the best variable to eliminate.StandardsCC.2.2.HS.D.10Represent, solve, and interpret equations/inequalities and systems of equations/inequalities algebraically and graphically.

This lesson unit is intended to help teachers assess how well students are able to: recognize the differences between equations and identities; substitute numbers into algebraic statements in order to test their validity in special cases; resist common errors when manipulating expressions such as 2(x Đ 3) = 2x Đ 3; (x + 3)_ = x_ + 3_; and carry out correct algebraic manipulations. It also aims to encourage discussion on some common misconceptions about algebra.

This lesson unit is intended to help teachers assess how well students are able to: form and solve linear equations involving factorizing and using the distributive law. In particular, this unit aims to help teachers identify and assist students who have difficulties in: using variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem and solving word problems leading to equations of the form px + q = r and p(x + q) = r.

This problem provides students with an opportunity to discover algebraic structure in a geometric context. More specifically, the student will need to divide up the given polygons into triangles and then use the fact that the sum of the angles in each triangle is 180_.

Explore what it means for a mathematical statement to be balanced or unbalanced by interacting with integers and variables on a balance. Find multiple ways to balance x and y to build a system of equations.

Although this task is quite straightforward, it has a couple of aspects designed to encourage students to attend to the structure of the equation and the meaning of the variables in it. It fosters flexibility in seeing the same equation in two different ways, and it requires students to attend to the meaning of the variables in the preamble and extract the values from the descriptions.

In this activity, students explore how trebuchets were used during the Middle Ages to launch projectiles over or through castle walls as well as how they are used today in events such as Punkin’ Chunkin’. Students work as teams of engineers and research how to design and build their own trebuchets from scratch while following a select number of constraints. They test their trebuchets, evaluate their results through several quantitative analyses, and present their results and design process to the class.

The precursors to what we study today as Trigonometry had their origin in ancient Mesopotamia, Greece and India. These cultures used the concepts of angles and lengths as an aid to understanding the movements of the heavenly bodies in the night sky. Ancient trigonometry typically used angles and triangles that were embedded in circles so that many of the calculations used were based on the lengths of chords within a circle. The relationships between the lengths of the chords and other lines drawn within a circle and the measure of the corresponding central angle represent the foundation of trigonometry - the relationship between angles and distances.

     This problem-based learning module is designed to link a student’s real-life problem to learning targets in the subjects of math, social studies and language arts.  The problem being, what route is best for me to buy a vehicle?  The students will prepare, research and present findings about their own personal finances relating to buying a vehicle.  The students will create two equations based on two purchasing plans they will be comparing.  At the conclusion, students will be able to decide which plan is best for them based on research and mathematical practices.  Students will present to their peers, teachers, administrators, and most importantly their parents in an attempt to convince them of their chosen plan.    This blended module includes teacher led instruction, student led rotations, community stakeholder collaboration and technology integration.

This lesson is an introduction to Multiple Regression Analysis or MRA, a statistical process used widely in many professions to estimate the relationship among variables. The aim of this video is to make it easier for students to understand the introduction to the concept of MRA based upon a property valuation setting. In order to facilitate students’ understanding of this, a scaffolding method is used whereby students are first exposed to basic equations. Then they will be introduced to the concept of variables, teaching them to calculate property value based on only 2 variables. Their understanding is further enhanced by exposing them to multiple variables related to property valuation. Finally, they are asked to calculate property value based on multiple variables. It is shown in this video that finding the value of two variables is possible using the paired comparison method, but that the same method cannot be applied if we have more than 2 equations; that is when Multiple Regression Analysis is needed. MRA can solve problems related to more than 2 equations. A prerequisite for students is an understanding of basic statistics such as total, average, mod, mean and median.

The purpose of this task is to give students practice writing a constraint equation for a given context. Instruction accompanying this task should introduce the notion of a constraint equation as an equation governing the possible values of the variables in question.