Period: 3 & 8

8th Grade
Algebra 1A

Overall Information

Math Topic/Goal

This is an algebra lesson focusing on systems of equations and how to find a

systems solution from a graph of the system.

Topic Progression

This lesson comes after students have practiced building equations from different
word problems. Students have been exposed to situations with multiple constraints,
and they are beginning to develop comfort in identifying these constraints. Students
will continue to develop fluency with writing equations to describe the constraints of
a situation, and understand what a solution to a system of equations is. They will
then learn the first of three methods for finding a solution that satisfies these
constraints. Students will begin with this visual representation of a system and the
visual understanding of a solution. Throughout the unit, students will come to
appreciate the pros and cons of each method for finding solutions of systems. It is
important to stress that working with systems of equations lets us efficiently find
solutions to complex, real-world problems. It is also important to continually loop
back to how to manipulate equations in mathematically valid ways, how to read and
build tables and graphs, and the real-world meanings of solutions.

Specifics

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, SWBAT:

1. Recognize and interpret systems of equations graphed on the same axes
2. Identify and interpret solutions to systems of equations by inspecting a graph
3. Compare equations in a system of equations to identify whether the system will
have no solutions, one solution, or infinitely many solutions.
4. Appreciate the visual organization of information as a graphed system of
equations.

Instructional Objectives

Throughout this lesson, the teacher will:

1. Provide clear definitions for the following terms: system of equations, solution,
constraint
2. Model verifying a solution point in a system of equations.
2. Model graphing and interpreting systems of equations with 0, 1, and infinitely
many solutions.
3. Model building a table of values for each equation in a system to find the
solution.
4. Model interpreting the meaning behind an (x,y) coordinate pair solution point as a
real-world answer to the question.
5. Engage students in individual written processing of the possible number of
solutions for a given system.
6. Encourage students to productively critique one anothers ideas about the
possible number of solutions to systems of equations.
7. Highlight the three cases of solutions to a system of equations, explain the cause
of these scenarios, and model predicting the number of solutions to a system by
inspecting the equations.
7. Collect students' written explanations of what a solution is and how to determine
the number of solutions for a given system of equations.

Essential Questions

1. What is a system of equations?

2. What is a solution to a system of equations?
3. How can you tell if an (x,y) pair is the solution to a system of equations?
4. How can you use a graph to find the solution to a system of equations?
5. How can you use a table to find the solution to a system of equations?
6. How many solutions can a system of equations have?
7. How can you tell from the equations how many solutions a system will have?

Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.8.EE.C.8.a
Understand that solutions to a system of two linear equations in two variables
correspond to points of intersection of their graphs, because points of intersection
satisfy both equations simultaneously.

Materials

To provide examples and explanations, the teacher will use an online graphing
utility such as Desmos. All appropriate computers, projectors, internet required for
that will be necessary.

Students will need note paper, writing implements, and their making sense of word
problems worksheet from the day before.
Students will need a note-taking organizer sheet.
The teacher will need index cards to collect student explanations as exit tickets.

Assessment of Objectives

The teacher will assess student understanding through questioning during the direct
instruction portion of the lesson. These questions might include:
 What does it mean for a solution to satisfy an equation?

What do we need to look for in a table to find the solution for a system of
equations?

Can a system of equations have more than one solution? Can a system of
equations have no solution? How?

The teacher will observe students working on in-class problems. She will specifically
look for students appropriately plugging in values and evaluating equations to verify
solutions, clear verbal interpretations of the solution points, and the ability to
develop mathematical equations from the verbal description of a situation.

The teacher will also collect students written brainstorming about the number of
possible solutions, and a summary of key points of the lesson on an exit ticket.
These will inform the next days instruction.

The homework (collected at the start of the next lesson) will help the teacher see
the students understandings of solutions and any pitfalls surrounding the method
of graphing to find a systems solution.

Homework

The homework will be to continue/finish the 5.1 Homework worksheet.

Lesson Body

Intro/Opening

To open this lesson, the teacher will remind students of the word problems they
were trying to mathematize. The teacher will reassure the students that they will
dissect the work they did the day before and for homework as well as formalize
their understanding of what a system of equations and what a solution to a
system of equations looks like. The teacher will tell students that this lesson will
focus on using graphs and begins their study of the three methods for solving
systems of equations.

Procedures

This lesson begins with a review of the word problems from the day before.
The teacher will have the variables defined and one possible system for each
problem posted on the boards. The teacher will ask students to choose the top two
problems they want to analyze as a class. The teacher will then go through the
questions from the Making Sense of Word Problems worksheet, clearly explain
where the variable definitions come from, and make connections between the
system and the wording of the problems. After pulling two of the problems apart,
the teacher will let students know that if they want to get a more detailed
explanation of the other problems, they can visit her before school or during
tutorial.

The teacher will then comment that she noticed a lot of students interested in
going above and beyond to solve the problems, not content with just defining
variables and setting up equations. The teacher will transition that this lesson is
designed to get students comfortable talking about solutions to systems of
equations and predicting what kinds of solutions a system will have. At this point,
the teacher will pass out the 5.1 note sheet and ask a student to read the
introduction to the 5.1 textbook section (p. 273). After the student finishes reading
that portion, the teacher will reiterate the text and define the 2 key terms as
follows:

A system of equations is a set of two or more equations based on the same

set of variables.
A solution to a system of equations is an ordered pair that satisfies every
equation of the system.

Throughout the defining, the teacher will encourage students to record the
definitions on their note sheet and build student note-taking skills. The teacher will
make connections between the systems of equations the students built for
homework and the solution for the main example from the day before.

The teacher will then model the process of verifying a solution point for a
system of equations, stressing that the solution must work in BOTH equations, not
just one or the other. This modeling will result in a valid solution. After modeling the
process, the teacher will ask students to complete the process on a second example
problem which results in a false statement.

The teacher will then transition students to the second vertical space on the
note-taking sheet and ask students what they would look for in a table to find a
solution for a system. The teacher will scaffold and help students see that a solution
will be the (x,y) pair that yields the same y-output value for the same x-input value
in every equation. Students must look for an x-value that gives the same y-value for
each equation.

The teacher will model and guide students through this process of identifying
a solution from a table by using the second vertical space on the note-taking sheet.
The teacher will stress that the (x,y) point is a solution because it is a point on both
lines, and that it makes both equations true.

Next, the teacher will state that graphs are useful mathematical tools
because they visually show all the points meeting an equations rule or condition.
We can graph the lines of each equation of the system on the same set of axes, and
then use those lines to find the solution to a system of equations. A solution to the
system is a point shared by the lines, or the intersection of the equations. The
teacher will then use the real-world examples from the homework to graph 2
systems of equations. The teacher will stress the importance of labeling the axes
with appropriate descriptions, and will guide students through finding the (x,y)
solution to each system as well as interpreting that point into a real-world meaning.
The teacher will summarize the steps for finding a solution by graphing into these
four steps: 1). Label your axes, 2). Graph the equations, 3). Find the intersection of
the lines, 4). Make sense of and check your answer.

The teacher will then ask students to spend 3 minutes writing about whether
a system of equations can have more than one solution and/or zero solutions. This
is a quick journal, expected to be written in completed sentences. The teacher will
then ask students to share their thoughts with a partner who is listening to either
agree or disagree with the students logic.

The teacher will clarify that a solution can have zero solutions, one solution,
or an infinite number of solutions. Students will flip over their note sheets, and draw
pictures of each of the three cases. The teacher will help students see that the since
the point of intersection is the solution, there cannot be a solution without an
intersection. Therefore, parallel lines never have a solution. The teacher will review
with students how to tell if two equations are parallel to one another. Additionally,
lines that lie on top of each other have infinitely many solutions because EVERY
point from one line is also on the other. Finally, lines that cross in a single spot have
a single solution. Most problems fall in this category.

Closing

In closing, the teacher will ask student to review the information from the day about
systems of equations and their solutions. The teacher will make sure students
review the key terms definitions and the components of each skill at the bottom of
the sheet. The teacher will remind students that systems of equations can have 0,
1, or infinitely many solutions. The teacher will ask students to complete an exit
ticket answering the following questions:

-What should you look for in the graph of a system of equations in order to find the
systems solution?

-When does a system of equations have 0 solutions, 1 solution, or infinitely many?

After the student completes the exit ticket, he/she may pick up a homework
worksheet and a website signature form before beginning the homework.

Reflections

UDL
This lesson is designed with UDL principles by focusing on multiple representations,
connections to students prior knowledge, and graphing technologies to better
present the material. This lesson shows students how solutions to equations are
represented in as points, in tables, and in graphs. It helps students see how many
solutions a system will have from a visual inspection of both the graph and the
equations. This visual connection will help students conceptualize the idea of zero,
one, or many solutions. The lesson also makes connections with students prior
knowledge of reading and interpreting graphs when we translate the coordinate
point of the solution into a real-world meaning. Throughout the lesson, as we graph
various systems on the online Desmos graphing utility, students will be able to see
connections between the equations and graphs instantaneously. Through this
technology, students will be able to see more examples and focus on the new
content of the solution point rather than getting bogged down in the old skills of
graphing linear equations.

Adaptations

No adaptations beyond typical UDL-elements are necessary.

Discourse

This lesson incorporates discourse individually, among peers, and between the
teacher and students. The students will have the chance to complete a written
journal response working through the idea of possible number of solutions for
systems. They will have a chance to think about these ideas individually and make
sense of them in complete sentences and scholarly language. Then, students will
share their ideas with peers and engage in productive critique of one anothers
ideas. Students will also have the chance to share their thoughts with peers as they
explain the different parts of the equations from yesterdays homework. Students
will be making connections between the math equations and the language
describing the situations. Teacher-student discourse will be scattered throughout the
lesson as the teacher presents information and engages the students in direct
questioning. There will also be teacher-student written discourse from the exit
tickets and the teachers response to those.

Formative Assessment

During this lesson, the teacher will be listening not only to students answers, but
also their rationales supporting their answers. From these answers to direct
questioning, the teacher will be able to determine a students level of
understanding. The teacher will then be able to support that student to a more
complete answer, supplement the answer with additional information, or ask
another student to agree or disagree. In these ways, the teacher will use direct
questioning and the students responses to assess their understanding and adjust
instruction.
The teacher will also observe class work as the students independently work
through examples. By looking specifically for how students are plugging in values
for variables and executing the distributive property, the teacher will be able to
more clearly focus her follow up instruction.

Written work from the students will be collected and reflected on, and this
assessment will affect tomorrows instruction.

Possible Problem Areas

The possible problems for this lesson are likely to emerge when students begin
graphing systems of equations that are not defined by variables named x and y.
Then, students will have to choose which variable to plot from the y-axis and which
to plot from the x-axis. This could be tricky both in the initial graphing as well as the
interpretation of the solution. The teacher will stress labeling axes as one of the
steps for this method, and she will also model interpreting a solution point by
referring to those labels.

Another possible problem is difficulty applying the distributive property to evaluate

an equations value at a specific point. Students may struggle plugging in variables
and simplifying the equation, and this struggle might distract them from the goals
of this lesson.

Students might not realize that a graphed line is really a collection of infinitely many
solutions to that equation. The teacher will begin talking about solutions of one
equation and then proceed to two equations in order to stress the idea that the
solution for a system must be a solution for EACH equation.