There's just something special about lines in algebra. Introduce your classes to linear equations by analyzing the linear relationship. Young mathematicians use input/output pairs to determine the slope and the slope-intercept formula to determine the y-intercept. 

Concepts

linear equations, non-linear functions, input/output tables

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Additional Tags

math

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the provided examples to create a presentation that develops the idea of a linear function
• Use the practice problem set as board work to allow for quick checks of understanding

Classroom Considerations

• Learners may not understand why some examples are not linear; create input/output tables and analyze the patterns to help clarify
• The fourth in a 20-part series

Pros

• Emphasizes the vocabulary related to linear relationships
• Shows how to find slope conceptually by analyzing the pattern in the table

Cons

• When writing linear equations from a table, the resource does not give an example of a set of data that is nonlinear, which may lead pupils to believe all data will be linear
• Introduces the linear equation y = mx + b right away; does not give learners an opportunity to discover linear patterns in the data

Common Core

8.F.A.3 8.F.B.4