Linear Systems & Word Problems Lesson

Last week, my cooperating teacher and I created a lesson for our students about system of linear equations. The lesson was actually one that I video taped for the TPA, and I very much enjoyed going back and watching in order to reflect over the lesson. After watching, I feel as though I should video tape all of my lessons in order to fully reflect! There are things I saw in the video that I didn’t quite remember when just thinking about the lesson.

Here is an overview of the lesson:

- Class: Algebra II A, majority of students are in the 11^th and 12^th grade.

- Content Standard: ALG2 2.0 Students solve systems of linear equations and inequalities (in two or three variables) by substitution, with graphs, or with matrices.

- Language Standard: Listening & Speaking: Participate in Social Conversations

- Learning Goals: Cognitive: After students are exposed to multiple examples of systems of linear equations, Students will be able to (SWBAT) evaluate a word problem involving a system of linear equations as demonstrated by a group poster. (ALG2 2.0) Psychomotor: After students fill out a graphic organizer, SWBAT write three problems incorporating systems of linear equations as demonstrated by a final group poster on one of the problems. (ALG2 2.0) Language Development: After students practice with solving a system of linear equations, SWBAT discuss different methods of how to solve a system of linear equations with peers as demonstrated by a group activity in which students solve word problems using different methods. (ELD, Listening & Speaking, Cluster 5)

- Agenda:

1. Direct Instruction. I review three problems using the three different methods on solving a system of linear equations (graphing, substitution, elimination). Students fill out graphic organizer.

2. Students get into groups to create three word problems and solve them

3. Groups choose one of the problems they created to write on a poster and follow a rubric given to them to complete the poster

4. A student from each group presents their group’s poster to the class

- Assessments: Throughout the period, I monitor student learning and progress on tasks. I also score the posters based upon a simple rubric. The following class period, students took a quiz on the questions students created as a formal assessment on what they have learned.

- Resources for lesson: See the following Google document for more lesson details: Lesson Plan Resources

I was very pleased with what my students had accomplished and learned in this class period. It was my cooperating teacher’s and I goal for the students to understand how to solve a system of linear equations through real life situations, rather than to simply only learn about the computations. In reflection of the structure of the lesson, we originally planned to trade problems and have other groups solve the problems and make a poster of what another groups problem. However, this was a much too time consuming task for students to accomplish within one block period. Also, watching the video, I only lectured for no longer than 20 minutes. I found myself not stopping to allow students to soak in the information I was presenting to them. Although they had already seen all of the information once, I should have stopped to have students reflect and ask questions to each other during the time of direct instruction. I saw the need for even during a 5 minute lecture it is important for all of the students to be involved in such a way that lets them interact with others while critically thinking about the information they are processing.

Also, considering this was the first time students were formally working on a task in groups, my cooperating teacher and I quickly discovered the need for cooperative learning groups! Students need to have many chances to learn how to work in cooperative learning groups and to interact with others.

Reflecting on the assessments, I was impressed with the work my students showed on the short quiz. As a whole, students were able to understand the word problem given to them and be able to set up how to solve the problem. Students seemed to need more individual basic practice solving systems of linear equations, an opportunity we were not able to give the students before or within this lesson. Of course there were many other little features about the lesson I have noted about for future lessons with my students and also if I were to do this lesson again.

We were very impressed and happy about this lesson! We are very anxious to create more lessons involving cooperative learning groups and student-centered learning. We would also be glad to have more feedback or comments on this lesson.