Secondary Mathematics III
Educational Links

Strand: ALGEBRA - Creating Equations (A.CED)

Create equations that describe numbers or relationships, using all available types of functions to create such equations (Standards A.CED.1-4).

Standard A.CED.1

Create equations and inequalities in one variable and use them to solve problems. Include equations arising from linear and quadratic functions, and simple rational and exponential functions.

• ALGEBRA - Creating Equations (A.CED) - Sec Math III Core Guide
  The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and educators around the state of Utah developed these guides for the Secondary Mathematics III - Creating Equations (A.CED).
• Basketball
  This task provides a simple but interesting and realistic context in which students are led to set up a rational equation (and a rational inequality) in one variable, and then solve that equation/inequality for an unknown variable.
• Bernardo and Sylvia Play a Game
  This task presents a simple but mathematically interesting game whose solution is a challenging exercise in creating and reasoning with algebraic inequalities. The core of the task involves converting a verbal statement into a mathematical inequality in a context in which the inequality is not obviously presented, and then repeatedly using the inequality to deduce information about the structure of the game.
• Buying a Car
  The emphasis in this task is not on complex solution procedures. Rather, the progression of equations, from two that involve different values of the sales tax, to one that involves the sales tax as a parameter, is designed to foster the habit of looking for regularity in solution procedures, so that students don't approach every equation as a new problem but learn to notice familiar types.
• Inscribing and Circumscribing Right Triangles
  This lesson unit is intended to help educators assess how well students are able to use geometric properties to solve problems.
• Introduction to Polynomials - College Fund
  This task could serve as an introduction to polynomials or as an application after students are familiar with this type of function.
• Introduction to the Materials (Math 3)
  Introduction to the Materials in the Mathematics Three of the The MVP classroom experience begins by confronting students with an engaging task and then invites them to grapple with solving it. As students ideas emerge, take form, and are shared, the teacher orchestrates the student discussions and explorations towards a focused mathematical goal. As conjectures are made and explored, they evolve into mathematical concepts that the community of learners begins to embrace as effective strategies for analyzing and solving problems.
• Optimization Problems: Boomerangs
  This lesson unit is intended to help educators assess how well students are able to interpret a situation and represent the constraints and variables mathematically, select appropriate mathematical methods to use, explore the effects of systematically varying the constraints, and interpret and evaluate the data generated and identify the optimum case, checking it for confirmation.
• Paper Folding
  This is a very open-ended task designed for students to develop some of the basic ideas surrounding exponential growth.
• Paying the rent
  This simple conceptual task focuses on what it means for a number to be a solution to an equation, rather than on the process of solving equations.
• Planes and wheat
  This is a simple exercise in creating equations from a situation with many variables. By giving three different scenarios, the problem requires students to keep going back to the definitions of the variables, thus emphasizing the importance of defining variables when you write an equation.
• Sum of angles in a polygon
  This problem provides students with an opportunity to discover algebraic structure in a geometric context. More specifically, the student will need to divide up the given polygons into triangles and then use the fact that the sum of the angles in each triangle is 180.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Lindsey  Henderson and see the Mathematics - Secondary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.