Teaching CCSS.Math.Content.HSA-CED.A.1

Instructions for You

Objective: The objective of this activity is to have students collaborate to work through solving one-variable equations. Emphasis is not only on the correct answer (duh), but also on showing work. We've provided a few example equations and inequalities you can use (linear, exponential, absolute value, and quadratic), but feel free to switch out the equations and inequalities for whichever ones your class will benefit most from.

Working in groups will allow students to cooperate and correct one another. While students won't practice building equations from numbers or contexts in this activity, they will have a really good sense of how to solve any wild equation or inequality they come across by the end.

Activity Length: 1 class period
Activity Type: Groups of 3-4 students
Materials Needed: Individual dry erase boards (one per team), dry-erase markers, dry-erase erasers, index cards

Preparation: Find or come up with anywhere between 10-15 equations and inequalities that you'd like the class to work on for this game. We suggest starting small (i.e., simple linear equations) and getting progressively more difficult.

Step 1: Give each team a scorecard (index card), a whiteboard, and a dry-erase marker. Have them make up a team name and write it on the top of both the scorecard and whiteboard in marker. (If individual whiteboards aren't available, they can just use sheets of paper.)

Step 2: Have each team elect a starting Runner, who will run (read: safely walk) the scorecard up to you when the team is finished solving the problem. The Runner will change for each new round. (This will help get all students up and out of their seats.)

Step 3: When all teams are ready, write the first equation on the board (e.g., -2x – 5 = 15) and tell them to solve for x, showing all their work on the whiteboard and circling their final answer. Emphasize that they need to work together as a team, and that majority rules isn't always the best rule to follow.

As soon as a team has solved the problem and all steps have been written on the whiteboard, the Runner should walk to the scorecard and whiteboard marker up to you. (That way, teams can't write on their whiteboards anymore!) As scorecards come up to you, keep them in order.

Step 4: Have the first team hold up their whiteboard. If they got the correct answer (and showed all their work), put a 1 on their card. Then look at the next team's scorecard. Ask this team to hold up their whiteboard. If they got the question right, they will get a 2 on their card (and so on all the way up to 5). If any team solves the equation incorrectly, they get an automatic 5 points.

Step 5: Talk about the problem. Show how to solve the equation in front of the class—or better yet, have a team that answered the question correctly explain it to the class. (Less work for you!) Once all teams understand how to solve the problem, teams can erase their whiteboards and get their scorecards and markers.

Step 6: Repeat Steps 2-5 for the remaining part of the game. (You'll probably get through 5-8 questions depending on class time.) Gradually give students more difficult equations and inequalities depending on their comfort level.

Step 7: At the end of the game, the team with the fewest points wins! (Note: Make sure they know that rule does not apply to their test scores.)

Instructions for Your Students

Are you ready to hone your equation- and inequality-solving chops by competing and collaborating with your classmates? If not, we'll give you a few moments to prepare yourself.

You'll be working together in teams to solve problems quickly, completely, and correctly. This game is all about speed, perfection, and getting the lowest score possible. (Note: We don't advise using that strategy on the unit test.)

Step 1: Your teacher will split you into teams and give each team a scorecard and a whiteboard. Come up with a team name (we call dibs on the Shmooperinos) and write it on the top of both your whiteboard and scorecard.

Step 2: Choose one person in your team to be the Runner. No, that person doesn't get to run away; they'll walk the scorecard and whiteboard marker up to the teacher when your team is done with the problem. (Spoiler alert: that means that you can't write on your whiteboard once you've decided you're done with the problem!) The Runner will alternate for every round of the game.

Step 3: Once everyone's ready, your teacher will give you the first problem. Work as a team to solve the equation or inequality, showing all of your work on the whiteboard and circling the final answer. As soon as your team finishes the problem, have the Runner bring the scorecard and the marker up to the teacher. Don't erase your boards until your teacher tells you to!

Step 4: When your teacher calls on your group, hold up your whiteboard. If you got the answer or workthrough wrong, you'll be given 5 points. If you got the answer right and you were the first team to hand in your scorecard and marker, you'll be awarded 1 point. If you were the second team, you'll get 2 points, and so on. (Remember, points are a bad thing, here.)

Step 5: After your teacher has given each team points for that round, you'll work through the problem as a class. Either the teacher or the fastest team with the right answer will explain how to solve the equation or inequality correctly. If your team got the question wrong or doesn't understand something, take notes or ask questions!

Step 6: Repeat steps 2-5 with a new problem that your teacher will give you.

Step 7: At the end of the game, your teacher will add up each team's score. The team with the lowest number of points wins!