Patterns in Linear Equations
Strand: Patterns and Relations (Patterns)
Outcomes: 1 and 2
Step 5: Follow-up on Assessment
Guiding Questions
- What conclusions can be made from assessment information?
- How effective have instructional approaches been?
- What are the next steps in instruction?
A. Addressing Gaps in Learning
If students are having difficulty solving the
basic facts using strategies, consider the following:
- Work one-on-one with a student as he or
she completes a balance problem. Listen carefully
to the language the student uses in order
to determine where his or her misunderstanding
is.
- Encourage the student to use algebra tiles
and/or draw pictures to visually represent
the problem.
- If a student has difficulty following an
algebraic solution, work first to have the
student verbally and/or visually represent
the solution process, then move to translating
the process into the algebraic representation.
B. Reinforcing and Extending Learning
Students who have achieved or exceeded the
outcomes will benefit from ongoing opportunities
to apply and extend their learning. These activities
should support students in developing a deeper
understanding of the concept and should not
progress to the outcomes in subsequent grades.
Consider strategies, such as:
- Students could investigate patterns that
compare increasing side length of various
regular polygons to their areas. This extension
allows students to look at how the graphs
differ from linear graphs.
- Students can create puzzles or problems
and produce solutions to these problems.