One Step Equations

Opener:  As students enter the room, they will immediately pick up and begin working on the opener – Instructional Strategy - Process for openers.  This method of working and going over the opener lends itself to allow students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, which is mathematical practice 3. 

Learning Target:  After completion of the opener, I will address the day’s learning targets to the students.  For today's lesson, the intended target is “I can use inverse operations to solve a one-step equation.” Students will jot the learning target down in their agendas (our version of a student planner, there is a place to write the learning target for every day). 

One Step Equations Notes:  One Step Equations Explore Narrative My main goal for going back to a one-step equation with students is to set up the "right" way (my way!) to show their work.  In solving equations, it is very important that students pay close attention to the steps, signs, and equality in an equation (mathematical practice 6).  Some students will say - I don't need to show my work - and maybe for these easier ones, they don't - BUT I want to set up good routines now! The largest issue I find as students begin these problems is learning how to "undo" a fractional coefficient - and showing one's work really helps students to see how to get rid of the fraction. As students begin working with the problems, they will be able to determine shortcuts and patterns in reasoning (mathematical practices 7/8).  Students will be asked to persevere with problems (mathematical practice 1), specifically those containing decimals and fractions - I will go over the steps using integers - they are going to have to attack rational numbers on their own! 

Instructional Strategy - Table Discussion:  To summarize this lesson, I am going to ask that students have a table discussion considering the question – how can you check your work to see if your answer is correct?  For this discussion, I am going to give the tables a few minutes to talk over the question, and then I am going to have tables share out.  I am looking for students to suggest substituting their answer for x back into the original equation to see if it works out.