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LESSON PLAN
Solving Multi-Step Linear Equations
A
Apothem Team
Grade 9 · Algebra & Patterning
LESSON AT A GLANCE
Warm-up
5 min
Instruction
15 min
Guided practice
15 min
Independent work
12 min
Exit ticket
3 min
Warm-up
Solve a two-step equation as a class (e.g., 3x − 4 = −12) to recall preserving equality.
Instruction
Guided practice
Independent work
Exit ticket
Students solve multi-step equations and verify. Exit ticket: solve one equation with variables on both sides.
TIP Model checking the answer every time — substitution catches sign errors students would otherwise miss.
WORKED EXAMPLES
Solve 3(x − 4) = 2x + 5.
3x − 12 = 2x + 5; x − 12 = 5; x = 17. Check: both sides equal 39.
Solve 5x − 7 = 2x + 8.
3x − 7 = 8; 3x = 15; x = 5.
MATERIALS
•Student notebooks
•Algebra tiles
•Practice worksheet (PDF)
•Board or projector
WATCH FOR
!Forgetting to distribute to every term inside the brackets.
!Sign errors when moving a term across the equals sign.