Systems of Equations INB Pages

Teaching systems of equations in algebra can be fun!  These interactive notebook activities and notes will help high school students organize their thinking.  FREE DOWNLOADS

This year, I taught systems of equations right after Christmas break.  My students STRUGGLED.  I think I need to do a two-day review of graphing equations before jumping in next year.

First, we talked about what a "system" of equations actually is.  We also talked about the three types of solutions they could have and what they looked like graphically.  At the bottom of the page, I included a magic book that substitutes points into a system to determine if they were a solution.  The file was corrupted so I will get to remake that for next year.  Yay.

Systems of Equations INB PageTeaching systems of equations in algebra can be fun!  These interactive notebook activities and notes will help high school students organize their thinking.  FREE DOWNLOADS

Next, we solved systems of equations by graphing.  I gave the students a step by step list for their notebooks that had one example included.  Next year, I think I will include a "drill and kill" practice sheet on the facing page.

Teaching systems of equations in algebra can be fun!  These interactive notebook activities and notes will help high school students organize their thinking.  FREE DOWNLOADS

The next day, we solved systems of equations by substitution.  I used the same step by step list with one example format as the previous day.  This one worked well and I liked the way I highlighted what we were substituting into each equation.

Teaching systems of equations in algebra can be fun!  These interactive notebook activities and notes will help high school students organize their thinking.  FREE DOWNLOADS

On the next page, I had a practice sheet.  Each time I substituted into an equation, I highlighted the substitution.  Showing that helped my visual students SO MUCH.  I also started throwing in word problems.  They hated me a little for that. :)

I spent the next day reviewing and showing them what the special cases looked like algebraically.  No cool foldable for this page.

Solving Systems of Equations {special cases} Interactive Notebook Page

I continued following the same format for solving systems of equations by elimination.  I had a step by step list with one example for their notebooks.  This time, I highlighted the "stacked" variables.  I was trying to make them notice that they needed to make sure they were combining the same variables.

Teaching systems of equations in algebra can be fun!  These interactive notebook activities and notes will help high school students organize their thinking.  FREE DOWNLOADS

The example page came next.  I continued highlighted the "stacked" variables.  Also, more word problems :)

Solving Systems of Equations by Elimination Interactive Notebook Page

We had several days of review and when I was sure that my students had it down, I pulled out the big guns...MORE WORD PROBLEMS.  I used legal paper to make a giant hamburger book.  It gave us plenty of room to work all of the problems.  My students whined loudly that they were going to die.  No word problem-related deaths... yet.


Intro to Systems and Solving by Graphing INB Page
Solving Systems by Substitution and Elimination INB Page
Substitution and Elimination Practice Pages