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.