Unit Overview
Content Area: Math
Unit Title: Equations and Inequalities
Unit: 3
Target Course/Grade Level: Eighth Grade
Timeline: 6 weeks
Unit Summary: Students learn to develop skills for solving and graphing one-and two-step equations
and inequalities. Students will also learn to write one- and two-step inequalities to solve problems
including rational coefficients. Students will also understand how the solution of an equation differs
from the solution of an inequality. They will also apply the properties of real numbers to rewrite
complex expressions involving parentheses and like terms, as well as using these properties to solve
multi-step equations and inequalities, including those with variables on both sides.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Language Arts and Technology
9.1 21st-Centuries Life & Career Skills
Standard 9.1 All students will demonstrate the creative, critical thinking, collaboration, and problemsolving skills needed to function successfully as both global citizens and workers in diverse ethnic
and organizational cultures.
Strand: A. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
B. Creativity and Innovation
C. Collaboration, Teamwork and Leadership
Content Statement:
9.1.8: A The ability to recognize a problem and apply critical thinking skills and problem
solving skills to solve the problem is a lifelong skill that develops over time.
9.1.8: B Gathering and Evaluating knowledge and information from a variety of sources,
including global perspective, fosters creativity and innovative thinking.
9.1.8: C Collaboration and team work enable individuals or groups to achieve common
goals with greater efficiency.
Leadership abilities develop over time through participation in group and or
teams that are engaged in challenging or competitive activities.
21st Century themes and skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Collaboration, Teamwork
and Leadership, Creativity and Innovation
Mathematical Practices:
8.MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
8.MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically.
8.MP.6 Attend to precision.
8.MP.7 Look for and make use of structure.
Learning Targets
Domain: Expressions and Equations
Cluster: Analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations
Standard #
Standards
8.EE.7
Solve linear equations in one variable
8.EE.7b
Solve linear equations with rational number coefficients including
equations whose solutions require expanding expressions using the
distributive property and collecting like terms.
9.1.8.A.1
Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive
behaviors that impact critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
9.1.8.A.2
Implement problem-solving strategies to solve a problem in school
or the community.
9.1.8.B.2
Assess data gathered to solve problems for which there are varying
perspective (e.g., cross cultural, gender specific, generational, etc.)
and determine how the data can best be used to design the multiple
solutions.
9.1.8.C.1
Determine an individual’s responsibility for personal actions and
contributions to group activities.
9.1.8.C.2
Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus and community
building strategies for carrying out different task, assignments and
projects.
9.1.8.C.3
Model leadership skills during classroom and extracurricular
activities.
Unit Essential Questions
Unit Enduring Understandings
 Why are equations and
 To solve a one-step equation/inequality, use the Properties
inequalities important in
of Equality/Inequality to isolate the variable on one side of
mathematics?
the equation.
 How do properties and
 To solve two-step equations/inequalities, use inverse
number patterns assist in
operations to undo each operation in reverse order of the
solving equations?
order of operations.
 How does a two-step
 When two simple inequalities are joined by the word and or
equation differ from a oneor, the result is a compound inequality.
step equation?
 When an algebraic expression contains no like terms or
 How is solving an
parentheses, it is in simplest form.
inequality similar to and
different from solving an
equation?
 How does the solution of a
two-step inequality differ
from the solution of a twostep equation?
 What are some similarities
and differences between
algebraic expressions and
equations?
 How are mathematical
properties helpful in
simplifying expressions?
 How are the Properties of
Inequality similar to the
Properties of Equality?
How are they different?
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 Solve problems by working backward.
 Write algebraic equations from verbal sentences and problem situations.
 Solve equations by using the Properties of Equality.
 Solve and write two-step equations that represent real-world problems.
 Write and graph inequalities.
 Solve and graph one-step inequalities by using the Properties of Inequality.
 Solve, graph and write two-step and compound inequalities with one variable.
 Identify and use mathematical properties to simplify algebraic expressions.
 Apply the Distributive Property to rewrite algebraic expressions.
 Simplify algebraic expressions.
 Solve equations with variables on each side.
 Use Properties of Equality to solve multi-step equations
 Use Properties of Inequality to solve multi-step inequalities.
Evidence of Learning
Summative Assessment
 Write and solve one, two and multi-step equations.
 Solve one, two and multi-step inequalities.
 Solve compound inequalities.
 Symbolically represent real-world situations that involve linear equations and inequalities.
 Apply the distributive, associative and commutative properties to simplify algebraic
expressions.
Equipment needed: Smart Board, white boards, calculators, Elmo, grid paper, number lines,
counters
Teacher Instructional Resources: Textbook - TBD
Study Island
Khan Academy Videos
Formative Assessments
 Skill sheets
 Homework
 Quizzes/Tests
 Math games

Student workbook

Study Island
Technology Resources:
http://www.purplemath.com
http://www.khanacademy.org – Interactive 2.0 instructional and practice site. Students can view
instructional videos and complete practice modules for additional practice/remediation.
http://www.studyisland.com/ - Web-based instruction, practice, assessment and reporting built from
NJ standards.
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-8 - IXL 8th grade online interactive activities for the students to
complete
http://www.aaamath.com/grade8.html - AAA math 8th grade – online interactive activities and
problems for the student to complete.
http://www.adaptedmind.com/Math-Worksheets.html?type=hstb – Grade level material for
practice, lessons, games, etc.
Integration of Technology:
 Smart Board to play online games, utilize online resources, generate models with Smart
Software.
 Kahn Academy Videos
 Elmo – for demonstration
 Study Island
Opportunities for Differentiation:
Decelerate: Have students copy and add notes to a chart of key words and phrases that represent the
four operations.
Have students measure items in the classroom and the write inequalities to represent the differences this acts as a visual as well.
Have students work in small groups to come up with a list of ways they can describe an inequality
relation in words “at most”, “at least”, then take turns graphing those situations devised by the group.
Accelerated: Have students think of three situations that might be modeled by one equation.
Have students use fliers from newspapers to develop shopping scenarios that can be modeled with
inequalities.
Teacher Notes:
What you do on one side of the equation/inequality you must do on the other side to keep it balanced!