ZingPath: Solving and Graphing Linear Equations

In order to successfully complete this Activity Object, students should be able to solve one-step and two-step equations, basic operations on integers, plot ordered pairs on a coordinate grid, and be familiar with algebraic expressions and representations of linear equations. Some of the following key vocabulary words may be more of a review for the students, but very important for this Activity Object.

The following key vocabulary terms will be used throughout this Activity Object:

coordinate plane - a plane formed by the intersection of a horizontal number line (the x-axis) and a vertical number line (the y-axis) at their zero points (the origin)

line graph - a graph that uses line segments to show changes in data; the data usually represents a quantity changing over time

linear equation - an equation in the form y = mx + b, where m and b and constants; the graph of a linear equation is a straight line

For example,

ordered pair - a pair of numbers used to locate a point on a coordinate plane; an ordered pair is written in the form (x, y) where x is the x-coordinate and y is the y-coordinate.

For example,

(2, 5), (7, -3), (0, 0)

x value - the first number in an ordered pair is the x value or x-coordinate; it tells how fare to move left or right from the origin along the x-axis

For example,

In the ordered pair (2, 5), the x value is 2.

y value - the second number in an ordered pair is the y value or y-coordinate; it tells how far to move left or right from the origin along the y-axis

For example,

In the ordered pair (2, 5), the y value is 5.