Often inequalities exist in many real-world contexts but young math learners struggle with understanding how to represent that relationship in a simple equation using an inequality. This activity focuses on the basic concepts by using...

Learners first determine the slope-intercept and standard forms of inequalities given graphs, and then determine key features of the graphs.

Your algebra learners analyze the value of an algebraic expression to decide if it will increase, decrease, or stay the same when one variable is changed as the others stay constant. Their collaborative efforts culminate with a written...

Students compose equations and inequalities whose solutions are the integers 1-31 and utilize them to number one month of a calendar. They take notes on two ways to work backwards from a solution: by using the number and by setting x...

This activity presents a game played by two learners whose solution is an exercise in creating and analyzing with algebraic inequalities. 

What would your dream house look like? A cottage? A medieval castle? High schoolers enrolled in Algebra design the perfect house while using slopes to write equations for various aspects of the project.

Learners hear wedding bells in this problem set, as they help a fictional bride plan the centerpieces for her wedding reception. Algebra is married to geometry as volume, aesthetics, and budgeting all come into play. Learners are...

Tell the story of the math. Given a graph of a linear system, learners write a story that models the graph before crafting the corresponding functions. Graphs intersect at an estimated point, allowing for different variations in the...

Here is a task that gives the graph of the solutions of a system of linear inequalities and asks learners to analyze and write the algebraic form of the systems. By turning the problem around, learners make the connections between...

Learn the stories a formula holds. An interesting lesson takes a unique approach to teach how to use formulas. Beginning with a formula, learners predict what the variables stand for and then use the formula to make calculations and tell...

Geometry learners touch the surface of how a global positioning system works. The end goal is to find the intersections of three different spheres geometrically and algebraically given their algebraic representations.

Play a game of capture the points. Young scholars receive a number line with specific points graphed and must write an inequality that captures all the points. The second task of the algebra project is to write an inequality with...

One step at a time! A seemingly linear relationship becomes an entirely new type of function. Young scholars build their understanding of step functions by completing a three-stage activity that incorporates multiple representations of...

Your class is asked to use inverse operations to solve eleven equations for unknown variables or to rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest. By using the same reasoning as solving one- and two-step equations, algebra...

How can learners use algebra to solve a geometry problem? Help learners create an equation that shows the relationship between the number of sides of a polygon and the sum of the interior angles. Students are asked to divide the...

Assume all you know is that the variable Q represents a value that is bigger than the value represented by the variable P. Which is larger P + Q or 2P? The problems in this activity get more complex than...

Creating equations with one variable  to solve real-world-type problems is a key skill any algebra learner needs to master. Here the focus is on realizing that one can write the equation in different ways depending upon how one...

It's just a sign of the times. Given a billboard with distances and travel times to two different interstate highway junctions, learners determine the speed limit. They must incorporate the concepts of distance, rate, and time with that...

For kids, taking a vacation is all fun and games, but after completing this pre-algebra project, they'll have a whole new appreciation for the planning that makes these trips possible. Given a budget of $5,000 to spend on purchasing the...

Skeeters are used to model linear and exponential population growth in a wonderfully organized lesson plan including teachers' and learners' notes, an assignment, graphs, tables, and equations. Filled with constant deep-reaching...

Your algebra learners will discover how quickly an exponential function value grows compared to a linear function's value. Making a table of values helps in this comparison, set in the context of making a wage for raking leaves.

Your algebra learners write linear, exponential, and quadratic equations containing the same two graph points in this collaborative task.

Buying a new sofa? Learn how to use the Pythagorean Theorem, as well as algebra and graphing techniques, to determine whether the sofa will fit around a corner (which I'm sure you'll agree is a very important consideration!).

It's more than just numbers on a line, its an organizational, mental math machine to help learners understand the value of numbers. The tool is handy when introducing positive and negative integers to see their values and...