The introductory lesson to teaching multistep equations should focus on isolating the variable. Help students practice this concept by circling the variable that needs to be alone on one side. Everything you do to one side of the equation must also be done to the other side. For example, solve 3x + 1= 10. First circle x. Then subtract 1 on both sides to make: 3x = 9. The final step is to divide both sides by 3 to make x = 3. In this equation, there are two steps to solve.
Students can practice their solving skills with this interactive worksheet. Make a list of multistep equations and their solutions. Cut out the equations and the solutions into individual pieces. Break up the classroom into pairs and give each team one of these cut-up worksheets and a few sheets of scratch paper. The first team to match up the solutions to their corresponding equations can earn a prize.
Students can learn to write and solve their own multistep equations, using word problems. Provide an example problem, such as: "If you watch a matinee at the theater, it costs $10. This price is still $5 more than 3/4 the cost of renting a movie at the local video store. How much is renting a video?" First, explain the problem in your own words: watching a matinee is $5 more than 3/4 the cost of a movie rental. Second, define the variable, v for cost of renting a video. Third, set up the equation: 10 = 3/4v + 5. Finally, solve: 5 = 3/4 v --> 20/3 or $6.33. This is the cost of renting a movie. Then let students write and solve their own problems following these steps.
Teach students how to practice multistep solving with consecutive integer problems, a favorite on SAT tests. A typical word problem reads: find the three consecutive integers whose sum is -33. The first integer is x. The second consecutive integer is x + 1, and the third consecutive integer is x + 2. Add the integers and equal them to -33: x + x + 1 + x + 2= -33. Solve. Add the variables together and the number integers first: 3x + 3= -33. Subtract 3 from both sides of the equation: 3x = -36. Divide both sides by 3: x = -12. Substitute -12 for x; the consecutive integers are -12, -11 and -10.