standard_description: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.
problem_activity: Activity
This activity is a continuation of the previous one. Students match each situation from the previous activity with an equation, solve the equation by any method that makes sense to them, and interpret the meaning of the solution. Students are still using any method that makes sense to them to reason about a solution. In later lessons, a hanger diagram representation will be used to justify more efficient methods for solving. For example, when they are using tape diagrams, they could just say “I subtracted the 9 extra markers and then divided the remaining 21 markers by 7.” Later, when working with hanger diagrams, we can press them to say “I can subtract 9 from each side and then divide each side by 7.”
For each equation, monitor for a student using their diagram to reason about the solution and a student using the structure of the equation to reason about the solution.
Launch
Keep students in the same groups. 5 minutes to work individually or with a partner, followed by a whole-class discussion.
Engagement: Develop Effort and Persistence.
Encourage and support opportunities for peer interactions. Prior to the whole-class discussion, invite students to share their work with a partner. Display sentence frames to support student conversation such as “To find the solution, first I ____ because...”, “I made this match because I noticed...”, “Why did you...?”, or “I agree/disagree because…”
Supports accessibility for: Language; Social-emotional skills
Student Facing
Each situation in the previous activity is represented by one of the equations.
\(7x+9=30\)
\(30=9x+7\)
\(30x+7=9\)
Match each situation to an equation.
Find the solution to each equation. Use your diagrams to help you reason.
What does each solution tell you about its situation?
Student Response
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Student Facing
Are you ready for more?
While in New York City, is it a better deal for a group of friends to take a taxi or the subway to get from the Empire State Building to the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Explain your reasoning.
Student Response
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Activity Synthesis
For each equation, ask one student who reasoned with the diagram and one who reasoned only about the equation to explain their solutions. Display the diagram and the equation side by side, drawing connections between the two representations. If no students bring up one or both of these approaches, demonstrate maneuvers on a diagram side by side with maneuvers on the corresponding equation. For example, “I subtracted the 9 extra markers and then divided the remaining 21 markers by 7,” can be shown on a tape diagram and on a corresponding equation. It is not necessary to invoke the more abstract language of “doing the same thing to each side” of an equation yet.
Speaking, Representing: MLR3 Clarify, Critique, Correct.
Present an incorrect match of an equation with a situation and/or diagram (e.g.,
\(30 = 9x + 7\)
with Situation 1). Invite students to clarify and then critique the error (e.g., there are 7 packs of an unknown amount of markers in Situation 1; not 9 as illustrated in the equation). Press for details, if needed. For example, students can reference “markers” in Situation 1, not “x”, as the unknown value represent by the variable
\(x\)
. This will help students reflect on the quantity of the unknown values that would be a reasonable solution and improve on their reasoning when matching an equation to a situation.
Design Principle(s): Optimize output (for justification)


aligns: no