Polynomials: Multiplying and Combining Like Terms/Solve

Objectives:

• Students will review the distributive property.

• Students will review combining like terms.

• Students will review solving basic equations.

• Students will learn how to apply each of these steps to challenging multi-step problems.

• Students will practice each of these skills while solving equations.

Suggested Grades:

Seventh Grade - Eighth Grade - Ninth Grade - Tenth Grade - including special education students

Lesson Procedure:

Print the classroom lesson plan and worksheet questions (see below).

Lesson Excerpt:

Multiplying/Combining and Solving for x

- "Now let's move on to today's lesson. Today we are going to be multiplying monomials and polynomials, combining like terms and then solving for x. That may sound like a lot, but it is actually a combination of several of the things that we have already learned. The best way for us to begin is by walking through one of these problems step by step."

- On Board: x(x + 3) - 4x - 3 = x(8 + x) + 2x + 10

- "In looking at this problem, there are a couple of things that you can see right away. First, the problem is an equation. It has an equals side, one side of the equation needs to balance the other side of the equation. We have been multiplying up until this point, but we haven't been solving equations. Now we are going to move on to that."

Continued...