Lesson Title: Writing Inequalities in Context
Date: _____________ Teacher(s): ____________________
Course: Common Core 7
Start/end times: _________________________
Lesson Standards/Objective(s): What mathematical skill(s) and understanding(s) will be developed? Which
Mathematical Practices do you expect students to engage in during the lesson?
7.EE.B.4. Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple
equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.
4b. Solve word problems leading to inequalities of the form px + q > r or px + q < r, where p, q, and r are specific
rational numbers. Graph the solution set of the inequality and interpret it in the context of the problem. For example:
As a salesperson, you are paid $50 per week plus $3 per sale. This week you want your pay to be at least $100.
Write an inequality for the number of sales you need to make, and describe the solutions.
MP1:
MP2:
MP3:
MP4:
MP6:
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Attend to precision.
Lesson Launch Notes: Exactly how will you use the
first five minutes of the lesson?
Give an example of how inequalities are used in the
“real world.”
Lesson Closure Notes: Exactly what summary activity,
questions, and discussion will close the lesson and
connect big ideas? List the questions. Provide a
foreshadowing of tomorrow.
The solution to a real world problem is x  5.4 . Write a
problem with this solution. Does the answer make sense
in the context of your problem?

Lesson Tasks, Problems, and Activities (attach resource sheets): What specific activities, investigations,
problems, questions, or tasks will students be working on during the lesson? Be sure to indicate strategic
connections to appropriate mathematical practices.
1. Assign students to small groups. Have students share their ideas from the lesson launch with each other.
2. Have each group choose one idea and create a real world inequality word problem and solution (written as an
algebraic inequality as well as graphed). (Look for evidence of MP1, MP2, and MP3.)
3. Have students select a way to display their problem to the class (chart paper, iPad application, PowerPoint, video
clip, etc.).
4. Give groups time to create and display their problem. Make sure the solution is included but not on the problem
display. (For example on the back of the paper, different PowerPoint slide, pause in the video etc.) (Look for
evidence of MP2 and MP3.)
5. Once all problems are created and displayed, have each group complete all problems. (Look for evidence of
MP1, MP2, MP3, MP4, and MP6.)
6. Now have the groups show their solution to their problem. Have students do a gallery walk of the problems.
During the gallery walk students are to check their answers with the other groups and make one positive and one
constructive comment on each problem. (Look for evidence of MP3 and MP6.)
7. Discuss the solutions and comments from the gallery walk. Make sure to include context of the question in the
discussion, students should know it does not make sense to say x >10.2 people in context because you cannot
have 2 tenths of a person. (Look for evidence of MP3 and MP6.)
Evidence of Success: What exactly do I expect students to be able to do by the end of the lesson, and how will I
measure student success? That is, deliberate consideration of what performances will convince you (and any outside
observer) that your students have developed a deepened and conceptual understanding.
HCPSS Secondary Mathematics Office (v2.1); adapted from: Leinwand, S. (2009). Accessible mathematics: 10 instructional shifts that raise student
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Lesson Title: Writing Inequalities in Context
Date: _____________ Teacher(s): ____________________
Course: Common Core 7
Start/end times: _________________________
Students will be able write and solve real world context inequalities. Students will be able to apply the solution of an
inequality to the context of the problem. Students will be able to solve, graph and write inequalities from a problem.
Notes and Nuances: Vocabulary, connections, anticipated misconceptions (and how they will be addressed), etc.
Connections: This lesson is connected to solving and graphing two step inequalities on a number line. This lesson is
connected to using variables to represent quantities in real-world or mathematical problems
Anticipated misconceptions: students may have trouble understanding how to round an answer so that it makes
senses in the context of the problem. Make sure students understand when decimal and fraction answers make sense
and when they do not.
Resources: What materials or resources are essential
for students to successfully complete the lesson tasks or
activities?
Homework: Exactly what follow-up homework tasks,
problems, and/or exercises will be assigned upon the
completion of the lesson?
Chart Paper
Computers
iPads (if available)
The solution is x > 13.7
1. Write a problem in which the solution makes sense in
the context.
2. Write a problem in which it does not make sense in
the context.
Lesson Reflections: How do you know that you were effective? What questions, connected to the lesson
standards/objectives and evidence of success, will you use to reflect on the effectiveness of this lesson?
Are students able to interpret and solve a real-world problem?
Can students answer a real-world problem in context?
Can students write an inequality to represent real-world problems?
Howard County Public Schools Office of Secondary Mathematics Curricular Projects has licensed this
product under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
HCPSS Secondary Mathematics Office (v2.1); adapted from: Leinwand, S. (2009). Accessible mathematics: 10 instructional shifts that raise student
achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.