Single Variable Linear Inequalities

Strand: Patterns and Relations (Variables and Equations)
Outcome: 4

Step 1: Identify Outcomes to Address

Guiding Questions

What do I want my students to learn?
What can my students currently understand and do?
What do I want my students to understand and be able to do, based on the Big Ideas and specific outcomes in the program of studies?

See Sequence of Outcomes from the Program of Studies

Strand: Patterns and Relations (Variables and Equations)

Grade 8

Grade 9

Grade 10

Variables and Equations

Specific Outcomes

Model and solve problems concretely, pictorially and symbolically, using linear equations of the form:

ax = b
= b, a ≠ 0
ax + b = c
+ b =c, a ≠ 0
a(x + b) = c

where a, b and c are integers.

Variables and Equations

Specific Outcomes
4.	Explain and illustrate strategies to solve single variable linear inequalities with rational coefficients within a problem-solving context.

Relations and Functions

Specific Outcomes
9.	Solve problems that involve systems of linear equations in two variables, graphically and algebraically.

Big Ideas

Mathematics is sometimes referred to as the "science of patterns." Exploring patterns and then translating and representing these patterns into words, symbols, expressions, equations and graphs help Grade 9 students better understand the linear functions. Contextualizing functions is an important part of these two outcomes. These Big Ideas are often described as:

Algebra is a way to represent and explain mathematical relationships and is used to describe and analyze change (Small 2009, p. 7).
Situations where the quantity on one side of an equation is not always equal to the other side can be represented in a variety of ways.
Solving an inequality uses many of the same strategies as solving an equation.