LESSON PLAN - Granite School District

LESSON PLAN
Lesson Title: Equations For Model Real-World Problems
Course: Math 7 Date Jan Lesson 4
Utah State Core Content and Process Standards:
3.2c Model Real-World problems using equations
Lesson Objective(s): Students will write equations to model real-world situations, and solve
those equations
Enduring Understanding Essential Questions:
(Big Ideas):
• How can we use equations to model real-world situations?
Equations
Skill Focus:
Writing and solving
equations
Vocabulary Focus:
model
Materials:
• Transparency and student copies of “Searching For Mr. E. Qual”
• Smart Pal Communicators, markers and erasers, or Team Boards, markers and erasers
• 3x5 cards with equation written on each
• Transparency, marker and wipe off for each team, or use Smart Pal (for Team Challenge)
Assessment (Traditional/Authentic): observation, performance tasks, questioning
Ways to Gain/Maintain Attention (Primacy): Smart Pal Communicators, group
discussion, game
Written Assignment:
• Foldable or journal notes- Procedure for writing an equation from a situation
• Finding Mr. E. Qual Equations record
• Team Challenge Game
Content Chunks
Post vocabulary and refer to it as you teach the lesson
Starter:
1. Find the value for the expression if m = -3, -2m + 7
2. Solve this equation, 3y – 2.9 = 10
3. Write an algebraic expression to model this verbal expression:
Joe has three times as much money as he had last week. Let m represent Joe’s
money last week.
Lesson Segment 1: Accessing background knowledge. What words mean
indicate two expressions are equivalent?
In December, we practiced writing algebraic expressions for words. We learned which
words indicate for us to add, subtract, multiply and divide, and how to use a variable
for an unknown or undetermined quantity.

Team Boards or Smart Pal Sleeves
Say any operation (+, -, x, ÷) and ask students to write one word that indicates that
operation. Have them write large enough to show others. Ask students to hold up
their boards or sleeves and allow others to see their word. Repeat for each operation.
Today, we will be extending that to writing equations to represent words or real-world
situations. Since an equation must have two equivalent expressions, it will always
contain and = sign. There are words that indicate there should be an = sign. We find
situations and words that suggest equivalency every day in our world.
Tell students they will be detective partners. Place a transparency of “Searching For
Mr. E. Qual” on the overhead and give students one for their Smart Pal
Communicators. Partners work together to find the word or phrase in each item that
would indicate some expression must be equal to another. Give them a minute to look
at each, then underline and discuss the words on the overhead.
1. is 2. has 3. is the same 4. are equal 5. results in
6. have 7. will be
Lesson Segment 2: How can equations model real-world situations?
Q. How would you go about finding the answer to question 1 (2,3 …) of Finding Mr. E.
Qual? Use Think-Team-Share where students think, then share ideas with their team,
then teacher asks for a team member to tell what the team was thinking. Ask if any
team used a different approach.
“There are probably several ways to approach finding the answer. One way we can
find an answer is to use an equation to model the situation.” Show the students your
equations discussing the 4-step procedure for writing an equation for each situation on
the finding Mr. E. Qual paper as explained below. Students should write and solve each
equation on their own assignment paper
Have students write these on a four flap foldable, or write notes in their journal to refer
to later.
Procedure for writing an equation from a situation
Step 1. First ask, “What does the question want us to find? We can use a variable to
represent what we need to find -the question?
Step 2. Then ask, What operation, + -, x, ÷, do the words in the problem suggest may
be done with the variable? Student may refer to the journal page from Dec,
lesson 2.
Step 3. Then ask, “What are the facts?” (numbers or other symbols that need to be
included in the problem?)
Step 4. Last ask, “What order should all the symbols (numbers, variable, and
operation sign) be placed in?

Possible Equations for Finding Mr. E. Qual
1. What number is described? 5n = 40
2. How much money does Daniel have? D + 4 = 10
3. How long did Marissa work? t = 3
4. How much does each book weigh? 2b = 5
5. What is the number described in # 5? X/8 = 4
6. How many brothers does Emma have? 2e = 8
7. How many years until Sierra is16? 12 + y = 16
Give students an opportunity to practice writing equations and situations using the
“Writing Situations for One-Variable Equations and Equations for Situations Team
Challenge Game (attached)
Assign any additional practice as needed

Searching For Mr. E. Qual
Can you find the words or phrases
in the highlighted sentences that
suggest equivalency?
1. Five times what number is forty?
2. Jose has $10. Jose has four more dollars than Daniel
has. How much money does Daniel have?
3. Maria worked on her project 3 hours. That is the same
number of hours that Marissa worked on her project. How
long did Marissa work?
4. The weights of both textbooks are equal. Together
they weigh 5 pounds. How much does each textbook
weigh?
5. Dividing a number by eight results in four. What is that
number?
6. Monica has three brothers. Karen has five brothers.
Together they have twice as many brothers as Emma.
How many brothers does Emma have?
7. Sierra will be 12 years old this week. She will be 16
years old in how many years?

Writing Situations for One-Variable Equations and Equations for Situations
Team Challenge Game
Objective: Students write situations and equations
Materials needed: equation written on a 3 x 5 card for each team, overhead
transparency and marker for each team
Begin by writing 2x + 3 = 17 on overhead. Tell the students the class will be writing a
story situation to fit this equation. Ask them to choose a topic or object (pizza, CD’s,
dollars, boyfriends, hours watching TV, etc.) Letting the variable represent a number
of those chosen items, discuss words that could be used to indicate the operations.
Point out that the end result is 17. Then, ask the class to help write a story such as:
Marco had several CD’s. His friend, Jaime, owned three more than twice the
number of CD’s Marco had. Jaime owned seventeen CD’s. How many CD’s did
Marco have?
Have the class member solve the equation and answer the question.
Give each team an equation on a 3 x 5 card. Have them work together to write a
situation for their equation and find the solution. When the teams have finished
writing, have their scribe copy their equation and solution on the top of a transparency
page and write the situation on the bottom half. The equations are covered up, so the
class sees only the situation, not the equation. All equations should be recorded on an
assignment paper.
Procedure:
1) When the transparencies are completed, choose a team member to come to the
overhead and put the transparency with the equation covered on the overhead for
the class.
2) The other teams get a few minutes to work to write an equation for it.
3) The person at the overhead chooses any person in the class to come write the
equation on the board, and to explain why he/she thinks that equation works.
4) The person at the overhead then uncovers the original equation and the two
equations are compared for equivalency.
5) If the person being challenged was correct, that person’s team is given
points, treat etc. If not, the challenging team earns points.
This activity gives an excellent opportunity to write and discuss the language of
mathematics, to reason, represent mathematical ideas using correct notation, connect
mathematics to a real-world situation and to problem solve. Allowing teams to work
together, then requiring individual accountability through the selection of “a” person to
respond to the class reduces risk and engages all students. Discussion about
extraneous and important information will be a natural result as well as operations and
order of operations.
Cards: ½ x + 1 = 7 9 = x/3 + 5 x/4 – 3 = 2
6 + 4x = 26 3x + 3 = 18 20 = 2x – 10
x/10 + 5 = 7 3x + 5 = 95 2x + 1 = 13