Name: Erika Ellis

Topic:
Time Frame:
Grade Level:
Date:
Solving Equations
50 minutes
8th grade
March 31, 2014
Goals/Focus:
Using algebra tiles the students will learn how to solve equations with one variable.
__X___ Concept Development ______Solidify _______ Practice (check one)
State Core/Standard: CC.8.EE.7 Solve Linear equations in one variable
Cycle 1
Launch
Materials:
A balance
Brown paper bag
Blocks
Previous
Knowledge:
Students are
familiar with
algebra tiles.
Students have
learned about
zero pairs.
Students have
simplified
expressions
with algebra
tiles.

Task
Teacher will present the
brown bag variable
exercise for the students to
solve. On a balance, the
teacher puts 7 blocks on
one side and four blocks on
the other. The side with the
four blocks also has a
brown paper bag with three
blocks inside. The bag is
closed. In pairs, ask the
students to discover how
many blocks are in the
brown paper bag. They
may not look inside the
brown paper bag.

What will the students

be saying/doing?
Students will discover how to
isolate the brown bag on one
side with an equal amount of
blocks on the other.
Students will be writing their
strategies and thoughts in their
math notebook.

What questions
will I ask?
This will be a time of
student struggle.
How do you use a
balance to know the
weight of an item?
How did you isolate the
brown bag from the
blocks (strategies)?
How would you
represent the brown bag
problem with algebra
tiles?
How would you
represent the brown bag
problem as an algebraic
expression?
What are some rules or
strategies that we have
learned about solving for
the variable?
Do you use the same
strategies when you set
up the problem with
algebra tiles as you did
with the balance?

How will I
assess?
Teacher will be looking
for student discussion
and problem solving.
Is the student
participating and
staying on task?
Did the students
understand that they
had to isolate the
variable (brown bag)
to determine the
value of the variable?
Did they know to keep
both sides balanced
when isolating the
variable (brown bag)?

Explore
Materials:
Each student will have
Algebra tiles
Equation mat
Math notebook

Summarize
Materials:

In pairs, students will use

algebra tiles to set up the
problems and solve.
Students will document
answers and strategies in
math notebook.
-2+x=5
3x=-6
2x-5=3
5x+1=3x-3

Students will use the algebra

tiles to isolate the variables in
the equations and solve the
equation.

As a whole group, the

students will transfer the
steps in the algebra tiles to
algebraic expressions.

As the students transfer

from the Algebra tiles to the
algebraic expressions, they will
begin to see the generalizations
and strategies of solving one
variable equations.

What was the inverse

operation you used when
you combined those
tiles?
How would we write
that step on paper using
operations?

What was the inverse

operation you used when
you combined those
tiles?

Through observation,
are the students
successfully isolating
the variable with the
algebra tiles?
Are the students
participating in the
student pairs
appropriately
(appropriate
discussion and writing
in notebooks)?
Through observation
are the students able
to transfer the actions
performed with the
Algebra tiles to the
written algebraic
expressions.

Generalization:
How would we write
To solve an equation
that
step on paper using
with a variable the
an operation?
variable must be
isolated. A balance
What is our goal when
must also be kept by
we are given an
performing the same
algebraic expression?
operation on both
sides of the equation.
Could you explain to me
A variable may be
Exit
Slip
(one
or
two
questions
to
assess
what
students
took
to
independence):
the strategy you would
isolated by performing
Students
are
given
x-14+4x=8x+4.
They
are
to
solve
for
x.
They
may
usetoAlgebra
if needed. The
use
solve an tiles
algebraic
inverse operations.
expression?
student will also write down the strategies they used to solve for x. They
will write their responses in their

journal and turn it in.

Practice / Homework / Journal Prompt (if appropriate):
Students will be given a worksheet for practice and homework.
Meeting the needs of diverse learners (be specific):
IEP: It should be easier for IEP students to learn equations with the concrete emphasis of the Algebra tiles.
The resource teacher could introduce the tiles in the resource room so that the students could be familiar
before it is used in the classroom. The IEP students could use the tiles longer than other students could.
ELL: Allow ELL students to write strategies in Spanish to help aid understanding before writing in English.
This would allow the students to solidify their understanding before communicating in English.
Gifted: The gifted student could be given word problems to be solved with algebraic expressions. This will
be a subsequent lesson but the gifted students could begin practicing.