Solving Linear Equations

The last pages in our ISN before my students took their first big test, after starting the ISN, was on Solving Linear Equation with Variables on Both Sides of the Equal Sign.  I wanted to do a foldable that I had seen used in a science class before, it's call the Layered Book.

The only thing different is that I don't glue the pages together we just staple them at the top. 

 This foldable gave us a tab for each of the five steps and space to solve the sample problem.  To create this I took 3 different colored sheets of paper and cut them in half (profile direction). I had them already pre-grouped for the students so when they came in all they had to do was pick which color combination they liked.

We started off titling it, then putting our first step on the tab, along with the sample problem on the distribute tab.  We continued until we were finished.  We performed each step  when we were on that tab.  We rewrote the simplified equation on the next tab and performed the next operation.

On the right hand side I gave the the students a few sample problems for us to work out together.  Then a sheet of problems they had to complete on their own.  They taped the page over our worked out problems (like a flap) so that they could still see them and use them as reference as they completed theirs.


**Proud Teacher Moment**

A day or two later I gave my students their first test on Solving Linear Equations.  We went from one-step equations all the way to what you see above.  I gave it to them the day before we went on Thanksgiving Break, and I was terrified to grade them in fear they would not do as well as I had hoped.  So I waited until Sunday evening before I went to bed to grade them, and I couldn't have been more proud of my kids.

The LOWEST grade was an 89%, I almost cried.  On Monday when I passed back their tests they were pretty proud of themselves!