Solving One-Variable

Equations
How can you use math to plan the best end-of-the-year school
dance using the provided budget?
Project-Based Learning Unit

Target Audience: 7-8 Math

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Duration: 5 weeks
By: Becca Breeding and Grizel Macias

Description
1. This unit is intended to take about 5 weeks but can certainly take shorter or
longer depending on your classroom.
2. The students will be divided into 3 groups: DJ, food vendor, and rental
company.
3. Each group will research local businesses to find the best deal on their
category using math.
4. They will choose a certain company for their specific category and using
math they will tell why they chose that company.

Background
1. The students and teachers will need to understand what an equation is and
how to solve it.
2. Before knowing how to solve an equation, the students will need to know
about the different operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).
3. They will also need to know the difference between rational and irrational
numbers.
4. They will learn the concepts of inverse operations.

Overall Goals
1. The students will first review the different properties of operations.
2. They will then apply that knowledge to solving one-variable one-step
equations.
3. Then the lessons will progress to solving multi-step equations.

Objectives
1. Students will be able to learn how to solve multi-step equations including two
-step equations.
2. Students will be able to understand and use key vocabulary by solving
problems and explaining their work to other students.

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3. Students will be able to use the Distributive Property when combining like
terms and solving equations.
4. Students will be able to collaborate with classmates in solving problems.
5. Students will apply their understanding on how to solve equations to real
world problems.

Unit Overview
Solve One-Variable Equations: Students Take Control!
The students will be working in groups throughout a five-week PBI unit centered on
planning the best class party within the students budget. The students are required to
make three major decisions- food vendor, party rental, and DJ- within a specified budget
while designing their best class party. The students will be doing two separate
investigations that will build their knowledge of inequalities, writing and solving linear
equations. During the five week unit, the students will be participating in interactive
benchmark lessons integrated throughout the unit. Upon the completion of the algebraic
equations and solutions, each group will present their decisions on each of the major
decisions that need to be made and they will present evidence that support their answers.
After the presentations, the students will compare their algebraic equations and solutions
to other teams as they have to select the best decisions made and everyone in the
classroom has to agree.
The final step of the project would be to make a professional presentation to bring
before the student council to convince them that each decision is sound. For each of the
problems given, the students should include the algebraic equation, step-by-step algebraic
solution, and the final decision. This artifact gives the students the opportunity to discuss
and learn more about linear equations and the operations properties with an aspect of
real-life application that gives value beyond the classroom. In order to complete this
assignment the students will have to master the properties of equality and the distributive
property, solving given linear equations, and translating word problems into algebraic
equations. The oral presentation would demonstrate the mastery of the above
mathematics subjects. The idea of these unit stems from the fact that there are several
aspects of writing and solving algebraic equations that challenge students (Monterey
Institute of Technology and Education, 2011). This relevant because the students must be
able to apply these concepts in order to succeed in any algebra course. These skills are
prerequisite for any later Arkansas state core standards such as:
Solve linear equations in one variable.
Analyze, solve, and graph linear inequalities.
Solve real-world and mathematical problems leading to two linear
equations in two variables.

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This would give the project meaning, combined with the excitement from the possibility of
planning the best class party.

Rationale
The following unit, which is ready to be implemented into any Algebra classroom,
deals with solving linear equations. Students will see how to solve multi-step linear
equations with a single unknown variable. Students will use multiple ways to come up with
their answers. Inverse operations and distribution are just a few of the procedures to come
up with their answers. Adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying are some of the skills
they should have already acquired before this unit.
While the students will learn to solve equations, the students will also learn to write
expressions and equations from word problems and then solve those equations. This is
the part of the unit that the students can apply to their own lives. Throughout this portion
of the unit, the teacher will be able to answer the question that students so often have in
math, When am I ever going to use this in life? The students wont even have to ask this
question because the teacher will provide many hypothetical examples in the word
problems through which the students will be able to apply it to their lives. The lessons will
keep the students engaged because we will have many engaging activities using different
types of technology.
This unit fits into the recommendations made by the NCTM and also into Common
Core Math Standards. The students will be expanding their knowledge of algebraic
equations and working towards applying the math they learn to their own life. They will
use their research skills, calculators, Google Slides/Microsoft Powerpoint, and other
manipulatives to figure out exactly how to solve each the problem they are given.
By the end of this unit, the students will be able to accurately write an equation
given a word problem and solve that single-variable equation by using the inverse
operations of addition and multiplication and also the distributive property. The project
that goes along with the unit will better prepare them for translating problems and solving
them on their own. It will also improve their research skills and presentation making skills.
This will prepare them for the real world in the future.
Project Based Instruction is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge
and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an
engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge (Buck Institute for Education, 2015).
The goal of the schools is to prepare the students to survive in todays world. In PBI
lessons, students engage in real world problems that are similar to the activities that
professionals engage in. The students gain deeper understanding of material when they

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actively construct their understanding by working with and using ideas through PBI
lessons(Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006). Thus, by utilizing PBI we are giving the students a
greater chance connect their existing knowledge with the one they are acquiring to solve a
specific real world problem.
In todays society, and especially teaching, digital technology is in every aspect of our
lives. Digital technology makes it easier to teachers and students to teach PBI lessons. It is
faster to do serious research, produce high quality work, keep a record of the entire
process, and share the students project with others. There are various reasons in which
PBI lessons should be incorporated in the classrooms. First, PBI helps students develop
skills for living in a knowledge-Based, highly technological society. Then, students are
encouraged to become independent workers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners by
bringing real-life context and technology to the curriculum. Last, schools where PBI is
practiced find a decline in absenteeism, an increase in cooperative learning skills, and
improvement in school achievement.
In addition, PBI requires students to solve highly complex problems. Solving these
problems requires that students have both fundamental skills and 21st century skills
(teamwork, problem solving, research gathering, time management, information
synthesizing, and utilizing high tech tools) (Edutopia, 2007).

Mathematics State Standards Addressed:

1)8.NS The Number System

a) 8.NS.A Know that there are numbers that are not rational, and
approximate them by rational numbers.
b) 8.NS.A.1 Know that numbers that are not rational are called
irrational. Understand informally that every number has a decimal
expansion; for rational numbers show that the decimal expansion repeats
eventually, and convert a decimal expansion which repeats eventually into a
rational number.
i)
Convert between decimals and fractions or
mixed numbers (D6)

2)8.EE Expressions and Equations

a) 8.EE.B. Understand the connections between proportional
relationships, lines, and linear equations.
i)
8.EE.B.5 Graph proportional relationships,
interpreting the unit rate as the slope of the graph. Compare two
different proportional relationships represented in different ways.
(1) Unit rates (Eighth grade H.5)
b) 8.EE.C Analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of
simultaneous linear equations.
i)
8.EE.C.7 Solve linear equations in one variable.
(1) 8.EE.C7.A Give examples of linear
equations in one variable with one solution, infinitely many
solutions, or no solutions. Show which of these possibilities is
the case by successively transforming the given equation into
simpler forms, until an equivalent equation of the form x = a, a
=a, or a = b results (where a and b are different numbers).
(a) Find the number of
solutions (Eighth grade U.12)
(2) 8.EE.C7.B Solve linear equations
with rational numbers coefficients, including equations whose
solutions require expanding expressions using the distributive
property and collecting like terms.
(a) Solve one-step
equations (Eighth grade U.5)
(b) Solve two-step
equations (Eighth grade U.6)

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(c) Solve multi-step
equations (Eighth grade U.7)
(d) Solve equations
involving like terms (Eighth grade U.8)
(e) Solve equations with
one variable on both sides (Eighth grade U.9)
(f) Solve equations:
mixed review (Eighth grade U.10)
(g) Solve equations:
word problems (Eighth grade U.11)
(3) 8.EE.C.8c Solve real-world and
mathematical problems leading to two linear equations in two
variables.
(a) Identify functions
(Eighth grade X.1)

3)8.F Functions
a) 8.F.B Use functions to model relationships between quantities.
i)
8.F.B.5 Describe quantitatively the functional
relationship between two between two quantities by analyzing a
graph (e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or
nonlinear). Sketch a graph that exhibits the qualitative features of a
function that has been described verbally.
(1) Write linear functions: word
problems (Eighth grade X.12)

English Language Arts Standards Addressed:

1)Writing:
a) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support
claims in an analysis of topics or texts using valid reasoning, relevant and
sufficient evidence.
b) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory
texts to examine and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
c) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real
or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen
details, and well-structured event sequences.

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d) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent
writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
e) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6 Use technology to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products
f) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more
sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem; narrow
or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the
subject.
g) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8 Gather relevant information from
multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research
question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow
of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
h) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

2) Speaking and Listening:

a) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively
in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on topics, texts,
and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
b) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of
information presented in diverse media or formats evaluating the credibility
and accuracy of each source.
c) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings,
and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development,
substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and tasks
d) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital
media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and
evidence and to add interest.

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National Educational Technology Standards:

ISTE Standards
1)ISTE.1 Creativity and Innovation
a) Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge,
and develop innovative products and processes suing technology.
i)
Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,
products, or processes.
ii)
Create original works as a means of personal or
group expression.
iii)
Use models and simulations to explore complex
systems and issues.
iv)
Identify trends and forecast possibilities.

2)ISTE.2 Communication and collaboration

a) Students use digital media and environment to communicate

and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual
learning and contribute to the learning of others.
i)
Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers,
experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and
media.
ii)
Communicate information and ideas effectively
to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
iii)
Develop cultural understanding and global
awareness by encouraging with learners of other cultures.
iv)
Contribute to project teams to produce original
works or solve problems.

3)ISTE.3 Research and information fluency

a) Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
i)
Plan strategies to guide inquiry
ii)
Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,
and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
iii)
Evaluate and select information sources and
digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
iv)
Process data and report results.

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4)ISTE.4 Critical thinking, problem solving and

decision making

a) Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct

research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decision
using appropriate digital tools and resources.
i)
Identify and define authentic problems and
significant questions for investigation.
ii)
Plan and manage activities to develop a solution
or a complete project.
iii)
Collect and analyze data to identify solutions
and/or make informed decisions.
iv)
Use multiple process and diverse perspectives to
explore alternative solutions.