Write Expressions with Variables

5 min

Teacher Prep
Setup
Display one problem at a time. Allow 30 seconds of quiet think time per problem, followed by a whole-class discussion.

Narrative

The purpose of this Warm-up is to invite students to interpret a comparison situation that can be represented with p+xp + x. Students generate mathematical questions based on the context and consider how they might represent the answer to comparison questions with both numerical and algebraic expressions.

This activity uses the Co-Craft Questions math language routine to advance reading and writing as students make sense of a context and practice generating mathematical questions.

Launch

Tell students to close their books or devices (or to keep them closed). Arrange students in groups of 2. Introduce the context of esports and elicit what students know about esports, including teams, players, and the games played. If needed, explain that the term “esport” is short for “electronic sport,” and it refers to video game competitions involving multiple players (individuals or teams). Then use Co-Craft Questions to further orient students to the context and elicit possible mathematical questions.

Give students 1–2 minutes to write a list of mathematical questions that could be asked about the situation before comparing questions with a partner.

Student Task

Priya is on her school’s esport team. She scored 473 points in the last match. Noah, Elena, and Clare each scored fewer points than Priya did.

Sample Response

Sample responses:

  • How many points did the team score altogether?
  • How many more points did Priya score than Noah (or Elena, or Clare)?
  • How many more points did Priya’s team score than the other team?
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)

Invite several partners to share one question with the class and record responses. Ask the class to make comparisons among the shared questions and their own. Ask, “What do these questions have in common? How are they different?” Listen for and amplify language related to the learning goal, such as “the points Priya scored,” “the points (others) scored,” and “how many more (or fewer).”

Tell students that they will take a closer look at the relationship between the students’ scores in the next activity.

Standards
Addressing
  • 6.EE.2·Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers.
  • 6.EE.A.2·Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers.

15 min

15 min