Algebra I Unit 3: Linear Equations

Our last unit focused on modeling functions, which means translating real life problems into math equations. We mostly used the worksheet from the On-Core book, Chapter 2. These were the topics:

• Solving linear equations and linear inequalities in one variable (this was more review)
• Literal equations and inequalities (geometric as well as Ax + By = C)
• Linear equations and inequalities in two variables
• Compound inequalities (I added this, it used to be a typical part of Algebra I)
• Unit lab – graphing the volume verses the mass of water, showing the function is linear and the slope is the density

All random review days were spent on graphing techniques. My son will have a much easier time in future math classes if he can quickly and accurately graph a wide variety of standard equations. We focused this month on the slope-intercept model: y = mx + b, where m = slope and b = the y-intercept. He had spent too many years graphing by finding multiple points. And, he really wasted a lot of time trying to find nice whole number solutions. We’ll keep working on faster graphing next month, too.