In 8th grade math when we introduce the concept of how many solutions there can be to a system of equations, it pretty much blows students minds. They get so used to everything having one right answer and it being one number. But when we start talking about the different number of solutions, now they have to identify how many answers it may have, and some of them fight against that idea. In our scope and sequence we introduce this topic when we learn about solving multi-step equations that have a variable on both sides because you can have infinite solutions or no solutions in these cases. We teach it again later in the year when we get to solving systems of equations. Check out these nine activities sure to help students understand and find how many solutions exist in a system of equations. [Read more…] about 9 How Many Solutions Activities
how many solutions
How Many Solutions Does the System of Equations Have? Teaching Tip
This week we learned a great way to distinguish between the different options of how many solutions exist when working with two equations in a system of equations. I was working with a group of students who were struggling to really see what they were trying to do when identifying how many solutions are possible. They just didn’t understand what it meant for a system of equations to have one solution vs. no solutions vs. infinite solutions. So, we started adding the strategy of hand gestures, and it really seemed to help some of them understand this topic differently.
[Read more…] about How Many Solutions Does the System of Equations Have? Teaching Tip
