Algebra I: Equivalent or Not Equivalent?

Objectives

• Students will identify equivalent expressions.
• Students will determine conditions of the variable under which expressions are or are not equivalent.

Vocabulary

• Equivalent expressions

About the Lesson

This lesson will introduce the idea of equivalent expressions in the context of three critical operations (division, squaring, and absolute value) where what you "see" in the original expressions is not the mathematical story. By comparing these values, students will identify which expressions are equivalent and which are not. They will recognize that the mathematical operations can be used to investigate whether the representations are actually equivalent.