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
Students interpret inequalities that represent constraints or conditions in a real-world problem. They find solutions to an inequality and reason about the context’s limitations on solutions (MP2).
Launch
Allow students 10 minutes quiet work time to complete all questions followed by whole-class discussion.
Representation: Internalize Comprehension.
Activate or supply background knowledge. Provide students with access to blank number lines. Encourage students to attempt more than one strategy for at least one of the problems.
Supports accessibility for: Visual-spatial processing; Organization
Student Facing
Noah scored
\(n\)
points in a basketball game.
What does
\(15 < n\)
mean in the context of the basketball game?
What does
\(n < 25\)
mean in the context of the basketball game?
Draw two number lines to represent the solutions to the two inequalities.
Name a possible value for
\(n\)
that is a solution to both inequalities.
Name a possible value for
\(n\)
that is a solution to
\(15 < n\)
, but not a solution to
\(n < 25\)
.
Can -8 be a solution to
\(n\)
in this context? Explain your reasoning.
Student Response
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Anticipated Misconceptions
Students might have trouble interpreting
\(15 < n\)
because of the placement of the variable on the right side of the inequality. Encourage students to reason about the possible values of
\(n\)
that would make this inequality true.
Activity Synthesis
Invite selected students to justify their answers. Extend the discussion of the basketball game to consider how scoring works and whether any number could represent the points scored by a player. For example, could a player have scored 1 point?
\(2\frac12\)
points? 0 points? -3 points? Is it reasonable for a player to score 200 points in a game?
Reading, Speaking, Representing: MLR3 Clarify, Critique, Correct.
To support students in their ability to read inequalities and their number line representations as well as to critique the reasoning of others, present an incorrect response to the prompt “Draw two number lines that represent the two inequalities.” For example, use the first number line representing
\(15 < n\)
to contain an error by shading the line and arrow to the left instead of the right. Then correctly display the second number line. Tell students the response is not drawn correctly even though the numbers and open circles are correct. Ask students to identify the error, explain how they know that the response is incorrect, and revise the incorrect number line. This helps prompt student reflection with an incorrect written mathematical statement, and for students to improve upon the written work by correcting errors and clarifying meaning.
Design Principle(s): Optimize output (for explanation)


aligns: no