Math Explorations

Algebra I

Max Warshauer
Alex White
Terry McCabe
Hiroko Warshauer

Copyright©2013
TEXAS Mathworks

Published by

Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

204 W. University Ave.
Champaign, Illinois 61820

i
Publisher: Stipes

Authors: Max Warshauer, Alex White, Terry McCabe, and Hiroko

Warshauer

Project Coordinator: Alex White

Project Designers: Alex White and Cody Patterson

Contributing Teachers: Amanda Voigt, Danette Woods, Stephen

Frand, Patricia Serviere, Amy Warshauer, Ashley Beach, Luis Sosa

Editorial Assistance and Problem Contributions: Bonnie Leitch

Sam Baethge, Michael Kellerman, Cody Patterson

Sponsors: RGK Foundation, Kodosky Foundation, Meadows Foun-

dation, and Intel Foundation

ISBN-13 978-1-938858-14-7

Copyright 2013 Texas State University - Mathworks. All rights

reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of Texas Mathworks. Printed in the
United States of America. For information on obtaining permission
for use of material in this work, please submit written request to
Texas Mathworks, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666. Fax
your request to 512-245-1469, or email to [email protected].

ii
iii
iv Table of Contents

MATH EXPLORATIONS
Tab le of Cont e nt s

PREFACE AND INTRODUCTION viii

GUIDING PRINCIPLES xvi

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK xviii

Section Different Types of Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii
Section Structure of Teacher’s Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . xx
Section Corrections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
Section TEKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxii

CH. 1: VARIABLES, EXPRESSIONS AND EQUATIONS 1

Section 1.1 Constructing a Number Line . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Section 1.2 Variables on the Number Line . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 1.3 Variables and Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Section 1.4 Solving Linear Equations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Section 1.5 Equivalent Expressions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Section 1.6 Equivalent Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Section 1.7 Formulas and Literal Equations . . . . . . . . 70
Section 1.8 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

CH. 2: EXPLORING FUNCTIONS 89

Section 2.1 Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Section 2.2 Functions and Their Graphs. . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Section 2.3 Patterns and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Section 2.4 Applications and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Section 2.5 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

CH. 3: STRAIGHT LINES 139

Section 3.1 Horizontal and Vertical Lines. . . . . . . . . . . 139
Section 3.2 Slope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Section 3.3 Slope and Proportions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Section 3.4 Slopes and Intercepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Section 3.5 Functions vs. Equations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Section 3.6 Standard Form of a Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Section 3.7 Perpendicular Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Section 3.8 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Table of Contents v

CH. 4: SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS 235

Section 4.1 A Graphical Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Section 4.2 Substitution Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Section 4.3 Method of Elimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Section 4.4 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Section 4.5 Consistent and Inconsistent Systems. . . . 271
Section 4.6 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

CH. 5: LINEAR INEQUALITIES 283

Section 5.1 Properties of Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Section 5.2 Solving Linear Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Section 5.3 Systems of Linear Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . 306
Section 5.4 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

CH. 6: EXPONENTS 323

Section 6.1 Exponents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Section 6.2 Negative Exponents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Section 6.3 Exponential Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Section 6.4 Exponential Decay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Section 6.5 Geometric Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Section 6.6 Scientific Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Section 6.7 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

CH. 7: POLYNOMIAL OPERATIONS AND FACTORING 373

Section 7.1 Polynomial Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Section 7.2 Polynomial Addition and Subtraction . . . 382
Section 7.3 Polynomial Multiplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Section 7.4 Common Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Section 7.5 Factoring x2 + bx + c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Section 7.6 Solving x2 + bx + c = 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Section 7.7 Solving ax2 + bx + c = 0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Section 7.8 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

CH. 8: QUADRATIC FUNCTIONS 439

Section 8.1 Quadratic Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Section 8.2 More Quadratic Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Section 8.3 x-Intercepts of Quadratic Functions . . . . 460
Section 8.4 Writing in Vertex Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Section 8.5 The Quadratic Formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Section 8.6 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
vi Table of Contents

CH. 9: MODELING 497

Section 9.1 Fitting a Line to Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Section 9.2 Modeling Nonlinear Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Section 9.3 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516

CH. 10: GEOMETRY 521

Section 10.1 The Pythagorean Theorem . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Section 10.2 Square Roots and Irrational Numbers. . 532
Section 10.3 Distance on the Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
Section 10.4 Translations and Reflections . . . . . . . . . . 558
Section 10.5 Rotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
Section 10.6 Dilations and Similarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
Section 10.7 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588

CH. 11: RADICAL EXPRESSIONS 591

Section 11.1 The Square Root Function . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
Section 11.2 Operations with Radical Expressions. . . 600
Section 11.3 Solving Radical Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
Section 11.4 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618

CH. 12: RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS 621

Section 12.1 Operations with Rational Expressions . . 621
Section 12.2 Direct and Inverse Variation . . . . . . . . . . 633
Section 12.3 Rational Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 640
Section 12.4 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 649

CH. 13: PERSONAL FINANCE 651

Section 13.1 Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651
Section 13.2 Cost of Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660
Section 13.3 Planning for Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672
Section 13.4 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678
Table of Contents vii

CH. 14: STATISTICS 681

Section 14.1 Measure of Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681
Section 14.2 Shape and Measures of Spread . . . . . . . . 694
Section 14.3 Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703
Section 14.4 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715

GLOSSARY 718

GLOSARIO 727

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT IDEAS 735

LINKS TO TEKS 739

INDEX 745
MATH EXPLORATIONS
Pre fac e and Int roduc t ion

Math Explorations follows several fundamental principles. It is

important to carefully state these at the beginning, and describe
how these are a perfect fit not only in educating the general student
population, but also in teaching students whose native language is
not English. These guiding principles will help the curriculum come
alive for all students.

First, learning math is not a spectator sport. The activities

that fill the text and accompanying workbooks encourage students
to develop the major concepts through exploration and investigation
rather than by given rules to follow. A crucial element is to
understand the importance of small-group work, and to
appreciate the extent to which everyone can benefit from
working together. In fact, often the process of explaining how to
work a problem helps the explainer as much or more than the person
who asks the question. As every teacher knows, explaining an idea
to someone else is one of the best ways to learn it for oneself. Some
basic rules for discussion within a group include

1. Encourage everyone to participate, and value each person’s

opinions. Listening carefully to what someone else says can help
clarify a question. The process helps the explainer often as much
as the questioner.
2. If one person has a question, remember that the chances are
someone else will have the same question. Be sure everyone
understands new ideas completely, and never be afraid to
ask questions.
3. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. In the words of Albert
Einstein, ”A person who never made a mistake never discovered
anything new.” Group discussion is a time of exploration
without criticism. In fact, many times mistakes help to discover
difficulties in solving a problem. So rather than considering a
mistake a problem, think of a mistake as an opportunity to learn

viii
Preface ix

more about the process of problem-solving.

4. Finally, always share your ideas with one another, and
make sure that everyone is able to report the group reasoning
and conclusions to the class. Everyone needs to know why
things work and not just the answer. If you don’t understand
an idea, be sure to ask ”why” it works. You need to be able to
justify your answers. The best way to be sure you understand
why something works is to describe your solution to the group
and class. You will learn more by sharing your ideas with one
another.

If an idea isn’t clear, there are several things to try.

1. First, look for simpler cases. Looking deeply at simple cases can
help to you see a general pattern.
2. Second, if an idea is unclear, ask your peers and teacher for
help. Go beyond ”Is this the right answer?”
3. Third, understand the question being asked. Understanding the
question leads to to mathematical progress.
4. Focus on the process of obtaining an answer, not just the
answer itself; in short become problem centered, not answer
centered. One of the major goals of this book is to develop an
understanding of ideas that can solve more difficult problems
as well.
5. After getting help, work the problem yourself, and make sure
you really understand. Make sure you can work a similar problem
by yourself.

Some hints to help in responding to oral questions in group

and class discussion: As you work through the Explorations
in the book, working both individually and in groups can make
understanding the material easier. Sometimes it is better to explore
problems together, and other times try exploring first by yourself and
then discuss your ideas with others. When you discuss the problems
as a group, it is more productive if you try to remember these simple
rules:

1. Try not to interrupt when someone else is talking.

2. In class, be recognized if you want to contribute or ask a
x Preface

question.
3. Be polite and listen when others in your group or class are
talking. This is one of the best ways to learn.
4. Finally, don’t be shy. If you have a question, raise your hand
and ask. Remember, there is almost always someone else with
a similar or identical question.

Last, some general advice about reading and taking notes

in math.

1. Reading math is a specific skill. Unlike other types of reading,

when you read math, you need to read each word carefully. The
first step is to know the mathematical meaning of all words.
2. It is often necessary to write definitions of new words and
to include mathematical examples. Try to write definitions in
your own words without changing the meaning or omitting any
important point. When you write down a definition, look for an
example that illustrates what you are learning. This will help
you to relate what you are learning to real world situations.
3. Explaining new ideas and definitions that you read to your
peers and teachers is very helpful. This will provide practice
with any new definitions, and make sure that you are using the
words correctly. Explaining a concept can help to correct any
misconceptions and also reinforces learning.
4. If possible, try to draw a visual representation to make a
difficult or new concept clear. It is really true that “a picture is
worth a thousand words.” Visual cues help you understand and
remember definitions of new terms.

Throughout this book, students learn algebraic thinking and the

precise use of mathematical language to model problems and
communicate ideas. The communication that makes this possible
can be in small groups, in class discussion, and in student notes.
It is important to note that the use of variables and algebra is
not an afterthought, but is woven throughout all of our books. By
using language purposefully in small groups, class discussions, and
in written work, students develop the ability to solve progressively
more challenging problems.
Preface xi

The authors are aware that one important member of their audience
is the parent. To this end, they have made every effort to create
explanations that are as transparent as possible. Parents are
encouraged to read both the book and the accompanying materials.

The authors have written a 3 volume set of books that is designed to

take all students from pre-algebra through Algebra I. This includes
students who may not have understood the previous years math.
Students from 4th through 8th grade should enjoy the ingenuity
and investigation problems at the end of each set of exercises. Math
Explorations is intended to prepare all students for algebra, with
algebraic concepts woven in throughout. In addition, ME Part II,
and ME Algebra I cover all of the 7th and 8th grade Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The Teacher Guide has been written
to make the textbook and its mathematical content as easy and
intuitive for teachers as possible. Answers to the exercises are readily
available and readable in the teacher edition. The teacher edition
and accompanying CD contain supplementary activities that the
students might enjoy.

This text has its origins in the Texas State Honors Summer Math
Camp (HSMC), a six-week residential program in mathematics for
talented high school students. The HSMC began in 1990 modeled
after the Ross program at Ohio State, teaching students to think
deeply of simple things (A. E. Ross). Students learned mathematics
by exploring problems, computing examples, making conjectures,
and then justifying or proving why things worked. The HSMC has
had remarkable success over the years, with numerous students
being named Siemens- Westinghouse semi-finalists, regional final-
ists, and national finalists. Initially supported by grants from the
National Science Foundation and RGK Foundation, the HSMC has
also had significant contributions from Siemens Foundation, Intel,
SBC Foundation, Coca-Cola, the American Math Society Epsilon
Fund, and an active, supportive Advisory Board.

In 1996, two San Marcos teachers, Judy Brown and Ann Perkins,
suggested that we develop a pipeline to the HSMC that would
introduce all young students to algebra and higher-level mathemat-
ics. Following their suggestion, we began the Junior Summer Math
Camp (JSMC) as a two-week program for students in grades 48. We
xii Preface

carefully developed the JSMC curriculum by meeting regularly with

Judy and Ann, who gave us invaluable feedback and suggestions.

With support from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary

Education (FIPSE), Eisenhower Grants Program, Teacher Quality
Grants, and the Texas Education Agency, we developed the JSMC
into a replicable model that school districts throughout the state
could implement. The JSMC curriculum was designed to prepare all
students for higher-level mathematics. In some districts the JSMC
targeted gifted students; in other districts the program was delivered
to a mixed group of students; and in other districts the program
was used especially for ELL. In every setting, the program had
remarkable results in preparing students for algebra as measured
by the Orleans-Hanna algebra prognosis pre- and post-tests.

Over the years, we trained hundreds of teachers and thousands of

students. Although we cannot thank each personally, we should
mention that it has been through their suggestions and input that
we have been able to continually modify, refine, and improve the
curriculum.

The problem with the JSMC curriculum was that it was only
supplementary material for teachers, and many of the state-
required mathematics topics were not included. The 3 volume
Math Explorations texts that we have written has taken the JSMC
curriculum and extended it to cover all of the TEKS (Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills) for grades 6-8 while weaving in algebra
throughout. In particular, this volume, Math Explorations, Algebra
I, was developed especially for younger students. By learning the
language of mathematics and algebra, young students can develop
careful, precise mathematical models that will enable them to work
multi-step problems that have been a difficult area for U. S. students
on international tests.

This project had wonderful supporters in the Meadows Foundation,

RGK Foundation Foundation, and Kodosky Foundation. A special
thanks to our Advisory Board, especially Bob Rutishauser and Jeff
Kodosky, who have provided constant encouragement and support
for our curriculum project. The person who motivated this project
more than any other was Jeff Kodosky, who immediately realized
Preface xiii

the potential it had to dramatically change mathematics teaching.

Jeff is truly a visionary with a sense for the important problems
that we face and ideas about how to solve them. His kind words,
encouragement, and support for our JSMC and this project have
kept me going whenever I got discouraged.

Our writing team has been exceptional. The basis for the book was
our junior summer math camp curriculum, coauthored with my wife
Hiroko, and friend, colleague and coauthor Terry McCabe. We were
very fortunate when we decided to extend that curriculum to cover
all of algebra I to find an extraordinarily talented co-author, Alex
White. Alex has taken the lead on the algebra book in working
with our team of students, faculty, and teachers, while also doing
the amazing job of both making edits and doing typesetting. His
specialty is math education and statistics, which are important and
often neglected parts of an algebra book. Our team of authors
has many lively discussions where we debate different approaches
to introducing a new topic, talk about different ways to engage
students to explore new ideas, and carefully go through each new
idea and how it should be sequenced to best guide student learning.

Over the summers of 2005-2012, we have been assisted by an

outstanding group of former Honors Summer Math Camp students,
undergraduate and graduate students from Texas State, as well as
an absolutely incredible group of pilot teachers. While it would take
a volume to list everyone, we would be remiss not to acknowledge
the help and support from this past summer, as well as describe the
evolution of this three-volume series.

Briefly, in 2008, the Math Explorations Book was only one volume.
This was piloted by a group of 6th and 7th grade teachers in
McAllen, San Marcos, and New Braunfels. The results of these
pilots have been extremely encouraging. We are seeing young 6th
and 7th grade students reach (on average) 8th grade level and above
as measured by the Orleans-Hanna test by the end of 7th grade.
However, there was a consensus that it would be beneficial to split
the Math Explorations book into a separate 6th grade and 7th grade
book.

After meeting with the McAllen teachers in the summer, 2009,

xiv Preface

we carefully divided the Math Exploration text into two volumes.

Hiroko Warshauer led the team in developing this new book, Math
Explorations Part I, assisted by Terry McCabe and Max Warshauer.
Alex White from Texas State provided valuable suggestions, and
took over the leadership of the effort for the third volume, Algebra
1. The complete set of 3 books covers all of the Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for grades 6-8, while also covering
Algebra I.

Although there is naturally some overlap, the new books, Math

Explorations Part 1 and Part 2, much more closely align with
what the teachers felt would work best with their students. Math
Explorations Part 1 should work for any 6th grade student, while
Math Explorations Part 2 is suitable for either an advanced 6th
grade student or any 7th or 8th grade student. The complete set
of 3 books covers all of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
(TEKS) for grades 6-8, while also covering all of the TEKS for
Algebra I.

In this project, we have been incredibly fortunate to have the

help of several talented teachers. Major contributors this past
summer include Amanda Voigt and Ashley Beach from San Marcos,
Patricia Serviere from McAllen, and Amy Warshauer from Austin.
These teachers provided wonderful help in the development of a an
accompanying workbook, that provides a template for how to teach
the book, with new explorations and supplemental problems. They
also made numerous suggestions and edits, while checking that we
covered all of the state mandated topics for Algebra I.

Sam Baethge and Michael Kellerman gave the entire book a careful
reading, which provided amazing support for editing and revising the
book. Michael focused primarily on readability edits. Sam continued
to develop new challenge and ingenuity problems which should
engage and excite young students in mathematics. Cody Patterson
made key contributions to the original design, problems and content
of the text. Robert Perez developed additional resources for English
Language Learners, including a translation of the glossary and key
mathematical terms into Spanish.

As we prepared our books for state adoption, Bonnie Leitch came on

Preface xv

board to help guide and support the entire project. Bonnie worked
tirelessly to find where each of the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Skills (ELPS)
was covered in both the text and exercises. We added additional
exercises and text to cover any TEKS that were not sufficiently
addressed. Bonnie also edited these revisions and gave a final
proofreading for each of the books, working with the authors to
proofread every edit. However, in the end the authors take total
responsibility for any errors or omissions. We do, however, welcome
any suggestions that the reader might have to help make future
editions better. In short, we had an incredible, hard-working team
that did the work of an entire textbook company in a few short
weeks! Without their help, the project could not have reached its
present state.

Any curriculum will only be as effective as the teachers who use it,
and without the support and encouragement of the administration
and parents, this can never happen. In this, we have been very
fortunate to be able to work with fabulous teachers and adminis-
trators from San Marcos, McAllen, New Braunfels, Midland, and
Austin. The Mathworks staff gave invaluable help. Patty Amdende
and Andrew Hsiau have provided support whenever needed. I hope
you will join our team by giving us feedback about what works, what
doesnt and how we can improve the book. By working together, I
believe that we can develop a mathematics curriculum that will
reach out to all students and that will engage students at a higher
level than we have previously been able to achieve.

Max Warshauer
MATH EXPLORATIONS
G uiding Princ iple s

Based on available research, our experience in mathematics edu-

cation and after long hours of discussion and trial and error, the
Mathworks team have developed a set of guiding principles that we
feel will help foster a learning environment in which all children are
challenged, engaged and have an opportunity to learn.

1. Math is about making sense of things, thinking deeply of

fundamental concepts. Students need to:
• Make connections using mathematics.

• Investigate challenging, well-sequenced problems.

• Build on prior knowledge.
• Explore problems to make sense of mathematical ideas
for themselves.
• Focus on the math problems, not the answers.
• Reflect on what they have learned.
2. Teachers need to establish a classroom culture where students
are not afraid of failure. The keys to establishing this culture
are to:
• Encourage students to take risks without fear of failure.

• Value curiosity. Make the problems fun, interesting and

relevant.
• Promote productive struggle.
• Allow sufficient time for learning ideas deeply.
• Consider all attempts seriously.
3. Persistence is critical to success. To develop students with the
confidence to not give up easily, students need to:
• Develop a ”growth mindset.”

• Take ownership of their own learning.

• Understand and believe that ability can be developed with
hard work.
• Be challenged by problems with high expectations.
xvi
Guiding Principles xvii

4. Communication between students and teachers is critical for

learning. To facilitate this, teachers should:
• Expect students to present work and defend reasoning
using precise mathematical language.
• Take student ideas seriously, and examine both right and
wrong approaches.
• Expect students to articulate the big ideas (justify rea-
soning).
• Balance individual and group work; both can be appropri-
ate depending on the problem. Group work needs careful
management.
5. Dispositions and external factors are powerful and need to be
taken into account and dealt with. To do this, the teacher must:
• Identify and deal with extraneous issues that can affect
learning.
• Inspire desire to build a nurturing classroom environment
where students take charge of their own learning.
MATH EXPLORATIONS
How t o use t he b ook

Different Types of Problems

With the guiding principles in mind, the Mathworks team has

developed a set of well-sequenced rich problems. The problems in
this book are divided into six categories described below. Note that
Explorations, Problems, and Examples appear in the body of
text in each section. Copies of these problems with space to work
are provided in the Student Workbook. This workbook is intended
for students to use during class as they explore the mathematical
ideas and take notes. Exercises appear at the end of each section in
the textbook. Warm Up problems are provided at the beginning of
each section in this Teacher Edition of the textbook. Many teachers
choose to have the students keep their textbooks at home. This way
they can read the explanations given there and work on the exercises
using both the workbook and the textbook as a guide. For added
flexibility, electronic copies of all the exercises and warm up problems
are available in MS word format on the accompanying CD.
Warm Up: These problems appear in the teacher’s edition at
the beginning of each section. They are intended to be used
at beginning of each class to get students “in the mood”
and to provide a mathematical activity while the teacher is
taking attendance,or doing other required paperwork. Each of
the problems satisfies at least one of three purposes: (1) to
review material from prior sections or grades which is related
to the current section, (2) to practice concepts from the previous
section, and (3) to practice multiple-choice type questions that
might be covered in a standardized testing environment. In most
sections, multiple warm-up problems are provided in case multiple
days are needed to cover the section. We suggest that each
day the teacher give one of the problems as students enter
the classroom, allow the students 5 minutes to work on it and
then lead a brief discussion where a few students share their

xviii
Different Types of Problems xix

solutions. It is important to spend time discussing each warm-

up problem carefully to establish a baseline of knowledge for the
upcoming section, as well as to address possible misconceptions
that students might have from previous sections.
Exploration: These problems form the heart of the Mathworks
curriculum. Typically there is one exploration for each big idea
presented in a section. These problems are particularly well-suited
to group work and/or whole class discussion. The explorations
allow students to work with the mathematical concepts before
they are formally defined. We recommend that students be given
time to work on the problems, share their solution strategies and
reflect on patterns they discover. Ideally, students will recognize
the underlying concept and will only need to the teacher’s help to
verbalize or name what is going on. However, experience informs
us that this may not happen each time. The teacher must be
prepared with leading questions. It is important that by the end of
the exploration, the class has reached some consensus or closure
on the big idea. It is not necessary in each case, however, that
the big idea be expressed in formal mathematical language. We
have tried to give guidance in the teacher notes about what to
expect during each exploration.
Problem: Most explorations are followed by a “problem”. These
are intended to give students practice at the concept, skill or
big idea developed in the exploration. These problems are well-
suited for individual seat work. The teacher can use this time to
informally assess student understanding.
Example: Each section contains at least one example. In
the examples, the complete solutions are presented including
explanations for each step. Based on the class discussion in the
exploration and student work on the problems, the examples can
be used in variety of ways. If the students have demonstrated
mastery, the teacher may choose to skip the example. Or the
teacher may present the problem using only the workbook and use
the example for guided practice as the students find the solution
themselves. Finally, the teacher may feel it necessary to present
the problem and its complete solution. Additionally, we feel the
students or their parents may find the examples useful when they
work on the homework exercises.
xx How to use the book

Exercise: At the end of each section, a large number of practice

exercises are given. Where possible, we have tried to sequence the
problems so that they increase in complexity and so that patterns
emerge from which the students can learn. Solutions to all the
exercises are included in this teacher’s edition.
Investigation: Exercises that are labeled as investigations involve
multiple steps and are similar in nature to the explorations.
Investigations extend the concepts discussed in the section and
foreshadow concepts that appear in the subsequent sections.
Unlike regular exercises, we do not expect all students to
successfully complete these problems. However, all students
should be able to start the investigation and explore related
concepts. In many cases, the concept of the investigation will
be revisited in the next section. Teachers should expect to have
class discussion about the investigations when the students hand
in their homework.
Ingenuity: Exercises that are labeled as ingenuities are chal-
lenging problems which often involve a leap in thinking. These
exercises are intended to encourage students to think creatively,
and to develop the mathematical abilities of even the most
talented students. However, all students should be encouraged
to explore these problems, and to develop a mindset that they
will learn by exploring hard problems even when they cannot
immediately see how to do them.
Practice Problems: Each chapter ends with a review section
which summarizes the important terms and formulas from the
chapter. This review also contains a set of practice problems
covering the most important skills and concepts from the chapter.

Structure of the Teacher’s Edition

Chapter Preview: Each chapter in the teacher’s edition begins

with a brief summary of the content and pedagogical intent of the
chapter. In this preview we have highlighted the more innovative
aspects and approaches of the Math Explorations: Algebra I.
Section Summary: Each section in the teacher’s edition begins
with a page detailing that section’s Big Idea, Key Objectives,
Corrections xxi

and TEKS. Any materials needed for the section’s explorations

are listed and in some cases a Launch is given. These launches
suggest ways to motivate the sections’ lessons. In most cases, we
predict that the first exploration in the section will be a great
launch to the lesson.
Warm Ups Following the section summary in the teacher’s
edition, there is a page with the warm up problems and a page
with the key to these problems. These are also available in Word
format in the accompanying CD.
Augmented Student Edition The teacher’s edition includes
a complete version of the student textbook. Where possible,
solutions to problems are included and highlighted within the
text. Due to space considerations, some solutions are included in
the margins. Also in the margins are teacher tips pointing out the
authors pedagogical intent and advising teacher’s what to look
out for as students work through explorations and problems.

Corrections

With help of many teachers who have read and piloted this textbook,
errors from a previous version have been detected and corrected.
Since the publication of this textbook, some additional errors have
been caught by the authors. These errors have been corrected in
this teacher’s edition, but are still present in the published student
edition. A complete list of errors is available at the Mathworks
web site, www.txstate.edu/mathworks. If and when you or your
students find more errors, please let us at Mathworks know via email
at [email protected]. Every textbook is a work in progress and we
appreciate your help in improving the textbook and creating better
resources for our children.
• TODO Add any errors.
xxii How to use the book

TEKS

This textbook is designed to cover the Texas Essential Knowledge

and Skills for Algebra I. Additionally, since the book is intended as
the third book in a series for Middle School, the content includes
many eighth grade TEKS as well. When considered as a series, all of
the TEKS from 6th-8th as well as Algebra I are covered. In April 20
2012, the State Board of Education approved a significant revision
of the TEKS. These revised TEKS added a considerable amount
of Algebra content to the middle school curriculum. Making this
textbook series a particularly good fit for the new standards. At the
time of publication of this text, the date at which the new TEKS
would go into effect was not available. For this reason, the following
tables refer to the Original TEKS where were amended in 2006 and
the Revised TEKS which were approved in 2012. The first set of
tables is for the Original TEKS and the second set for the Revised
TEKS. For convenience, the alignment is organized in two ways: by
section and by TEK.
TEKS xxiii

Table 1 Orginal TEKS (2006) by Section

Section 8th Alg 1 Alg2

1.1 8.1a
1.2 8.1a, 8.2a A3b
1.3 8.15a A3a
1.4 8.2b, 8.4b, 8.5a, A1c
8.15a, 8.15b
1.5 A3a, A3b, A4b
1.6
1.7 8.10a, 8.10b
2.1 A1a, A1b, A2b,
A4c, A5b
2.2 8.5a A1d, A1e, A2b,
A5a, A5c, A6e
2.3 8.5b A1b, A1c
2.4 8.2d, 8.4, 8.5a A1a, A1b, A1c,
A1d, A2b, A6e,
A7a
3.1 A1d
3.2 A6a, A6b, A6c,
A6d, A6f
3.3 A6c, A6d, A6e,
A6f
3.4 A6d
3.5 A6d, A6e
3.6 A6e, A6f
4.1 A8a, A8b, A8c
4.2 A8a, A8b, A8c
4.3 A8a, A8b, A8c
4.4 A8a, A8b, A8c
4.5 A8a, A8b, A8c
5.1 A7a, A7b
5.2 A7a, A7b, A7c
5.3 A7a, A7b, A7c
xxiv How to use the book

Table 2 Original TEKS (2006) by section CONT’d

Section 8th Alg 1 Alg2

6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
7.1 A3a
7.2 A4a, A4b
7.3 A4a, A4b
7.4 A4a, A4b
7.5 A4a, A10a
7.6 A4a, A10a
7.7 A4a, A10a
8.1 A2a, A9c, A9d
8.2 A2a, A9b
8.3 A10b
8.4 A9b, A9c, A9d, A10b
8.5 A10a, A10b
9.1 A1b, A2d
9.2 A11b, A11c
10.1 8.7c, 8.9a
10.2 8.1c, 8.7c
10.3 8.7d
10.4 A6g, A11b
10.5 A6g, A11b
10.6 A6g, A11b
11.1 A4, 4C, 9A, 9B, 9G
11.2 2A
11.3 9D
TEKS xxv

Table 3 Revised TEKS (2012) by Section

1.1 8.2A
1.2 8.8C
1.3
1.4
1.5 A10D
1.6 8.8A,8.8B,8.8C A5A
1.7 8.7A, 8.10D A12E
2.1 A2A,A12A,A12B
2.2 8.5G A2A
2.3 A12C, A12D
2.4 8.5H A2C
3.1 A2G
3.2 8.4A,8.5A A2D
3.3 8.5B, 8.5F, 8,5I A2B, A2E, A3A
3.4 8.2E, 8.4B, 8.5H A2C, A3B, A3C,
A12C,A12D
3.5 A2B, A2C, A3A
3.6 A2F
4.1 8.9 A2H, A3F, A3G
4.2 A5C
4.3 A5C
4.4 A3G
4.5
5.1
5.2 A5B
5.3 A2H, A3D, A3H
xxvi How to use the book

Table 4 Revised TEKS (2012) by Section, CONT’D

6.1 A11B
6.2 A11B
6.3 A9B, A9C, A9D
6.4 A9B, A9C, A9D
6.5 8.12A, 812B, A9B, A9C
812.C
6.6 A12C, A12D
6.7 8.2C
7.1
7.2 A10A
7.3 A10B
7.4 A10D
7.5 A10D, A10F
7.6 A8A, 10D
7.7 A8A, A10E
8.1 A7A, A7C
8.2 A7A, A7C
8.3 A7B
8.4 A7A
8.5 A8A
9.1 8.5D, 8.11A A4A, A4B, A4C
9.2 8.5C, 8.5H A8, A9E
10.1 8.6c,8.7c
10.2 8.2b,8.7c
10.3 8.7c, 8.7d
10.4 4C
10.5 A11A, A11B
10.6 4F
11.1 A10C
11.2 A2D
11.3
TEKS xxvii

Table 5 Sections by Original TEKS (2006)

8th TEK Sections Alg 1 TEK Sections

8.1A A1A 2.1
8.1B A1B 9.1
8.1C 10.2 A1C 2.4, 3.4, 3.5, 4.4,
5.2, 5.3, 9.1, 9.2
8.1D 6.7 A1D all
8.1E 10.2 A1E 2.4,3.4,6.5,9.1,9.2
8.2A A2A 3.2, 8.1
8.2B A2B 2.1, 2.2
8.2C A2C
8.2D A2D 9.1, 9.2
8.3A 3.3 A3A 1.3,
8.3B A3B 2.3, many others
8.4 all A4A 2.1-2.4, 6.3, 6.4,
8.1-8.4
8.5A 2.1-2.4 A4B 1.5
8.5B 2.3, 3.4 A4C 3.4
8.6A A5A 2.3, 2.4, 6.3, 9.2
8.6B A5B 2.1, 2.2
8.7A A5C 2.2, 3.1-3.5
8.7B A6A 3.2
8.7C A6B 3.2
8.7D A6C 3.3
8.8A 1.7 A6D 3.1-3.6
8.8B A6E 3.3, 3.5
8.8C A6F 3.4
8.9A 10.1 - 10.3 A6G 3.2, 11.2
8.9B A7A 2.4, 3.4
8.10A 1.7 A7B 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 5.2
8.10B 1.7 A7C 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 5.2
8.11A A8A 4.1- 4.4
8.11B A8B 4.1-4.4
8.11C A8C 4.1-4.4
xxviii How to use the book

Table 6 Sections by Original TEKS (2006) CONT’d

8th TEK Sections Alg 1 TEK Sections

8.12A A9A 8.1-8.4
8.12B 9.1 A9B 8.2
8.12C A9C 8.1
8.13A A9D 8.1-8.4
8.13B A10A 7.6, 7.7
8.14 all A10B 8.3
8.15 all A11A 6.1, 6.2
8.16 all A11B 11.2
A11C 6.3, 6.4

Table 7 Sections by Revised TEKS (2012)

8th TEK Sections Alg 1 TEK Sections

8.2A 1.1, 10.2 A1 all
8.2B 10.2 A2A 2.1 - 3.4
8.2C 6.7 A2B 3.1-3.5
8.2D A2C 2.4-3.5
8.3A A2D 3.2, 11.2
8.3B A2E 3.1, 3.3, 3.6
8.4A 3.2 A2F 3.6
8.4B 2.2,2.3,2.4,3.2, A2G 3.1
3.3,3.4
8.4C 3.2, 11.2 A2H 5.3
8.5A 3.2 A2I 4.1-4.4
8.5B 3.3 A3A 3.2, 3.3, 3.5
8.5C 2.3, 6.6, 9.2 A3B 2.4, 3.4
8.5D 9.1 A3C 3.2-3.5
8.5E 3.2, 11.2 A3D 5.3
8.5F 3.3 A3E
8.5G 2.1, 2.2 A3F 4.1, 4.5
8.5H A3G 4.1
8.5I 3.3 A3H 5.3
TEKS xxix

Table 8 Sections by Revised TEKS (2012) CONT’d

8th TEK Sections Alg 1 TEK Sections

8.6A A4A 9.1
8.6B A4B 9.1
8.6C 10.1, 10.2 A4C 9.1
8.7A 1.7 A5A 1.2, 1.4, 1.6
8.7B 1.7 A5C 4.1-4.4
8.7C 10.1, 10.2 A6A 8.1, 8.2, 8.4
8.7D 10.3 A6B 8.4
8.8A 1.6 A6C 8.3, 8.5
8.8B A7A 8.1-8.4
8.8C 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 A7B 8.3, 8.5
8.8D A7C 8.1, 8.2
8.9 4.1-4.4 A8A 7.6, 7.7, 8.5
8.10A A8B 9.2
8.10B A9A
8.10C A9B 6.3, 6.4
8.10D A9C 6.3, 6.4
8.11A 9.1 A9D 6.3, 6.4
8.11B A9E 9.2
8.11C A10A 7.2
8.12A 6.5 A10B 7.3
8.12B 6.5 A10C 11.1
8.12C 6.5 A10D 1.5, 7.3, 7.5
8.12D 6.5 A10E 7.5, 7.7
8.12E A10F 7.5
8.12F A11A 10.2, 10.5
8.12G A11B 6.1, 6.2, 10.5
A12A 2.1
A12B 2.1-2.4
A12C 2.3, 3.4, 6.6
A12D 2.3, 3.4, 6.6
A12E 1.7
xxx
MATH EXPLORATIONS
VARIABLES

Section 1.1 Constructing a Number Line . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Section 1.2 Variables on the Number Line . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 1.3 Variables and Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Section 1.4 Solving Linear Equations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Section 1.5 Equivalent Expressions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Section 1.6 Equivalent Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Section 1.7 Formulas and Literal Equations . . . . . . . . 70
Section 1.8 Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Chapter Preview In this chapter, students explore the number line,

variables and expressions. In section 1.1, we construct the number
line and discuss important subsets of the real numbers: natural
numbers, whole numbers, integers and rational numbers. This is
an opportunity for students to review arithmetic with integers and
rational numbers and to discuss distance on the number line. We
feel the number line is a very useful model that can help students
visualize the properties of arithmetic.

In Section 1.2, the students explore the idea of labeling a position

on the number line with a variable. This allows the students to
ease their way into algebra using a visual model. Many of the
common algebraic procedures arise very naturally in this model.
One of the most important concepts in this section is the effect of
taking the opposite of a number. In particular, −(−a) = a. Expect
the students to struggle with the idea that −b is a positive number
when b < 0.

In Section 1.3, students explore the idea of a variable more deeply.

Students practice converting from word expressions to algebraic
expressions. Variables are also used in set notation. In Section 1.4,
students use the balance model as well as the linear model to solve
linear equations. The first equations solved are simple, and emphasis
should be placed on the properties of equality and the models.
The more ways students have to think about what the algebraic

1
Chapter: VARIABLES

manipulations are doing, the better. In Section 1.5, the concept of

equivalence is discussed in detail. This is a key idea in algebra that
causes students many problems. First of all, the word “equivalent”
is abstract and hard for students to understand. Research has shown
that students score significantly worse on questions on standardized
tests that use the word equivalent. The use of the equal sign in
mathematics can be subtle. For many students, equals means find
the answer, much like the button on the calculator. In some cases,
the equal sign is used as assignment for a definition (e.g. d = the
distance traveled by the car). But in algebra, most often the equals
represents equivalence. This can refer to a sense of balance as in
equations, or to the fact that two different expressions represent the
same number (as in 2(x + 3) is equivalent to 2x + 6).

Most of algebra can be thought of as finding an equivalent form

that is most useful. For example, we convert 3x + 6 = 2x + 8 into
x = 2. Emphasize to the students that the most useful equivalent
form depends on the context and the question being asked. In our
development of equivalence we begin with the famous pool border
problem. The point here is that students naturally have different but
correct strategies for computing the area of the border. After we list
the different strategies, we use algebra and the idea of equivalence to
show that all the strategies produce the same answer. We discuss the
important properties of arithmetic (associative, commutative and
distributive) that are used to establish equivalence. We conclude
with the definition of the multiplicative inverse and the meaning
4y
of division. In particular, we discuss the equivalence of 5 and 54 y.
In Section 1.6, students solve equations in a single variable with
the variable appearing on both sides of the equation. Students also
explore examples of equations with no solution or where the solution
set includes all numbers.

In Section 1.7, students work with formulas and literal equations. In

addition to substitution, students will explore the idea of solving a
given formula for another variable. An example is transforming from
C
the formula for circumference of a circle C = 2πr to r = 2π .
Chapter: VARIABLES

CONSTRUCTING A NUMBER LINE

Big Idea Develop rational numbers in stages using the visual model
of the number line

Key Objectives

• Build numbers up from the natural numbers to the rational

numbers
• Place numbers on the number line relative to each other
• Model arithmetic on the number line
• Relate absolute value and distance on the number line.

TEKS 8.1a

Revised TEKS 8.2A

Materials Needed Graph paper to make number lines.

Launch Have students divide into small groups (3–5 students per
group) and discuss properties of the number line. Listen for groups
to mention properties such as “zero goes in the middle of the
number line,” “numbers increase as you go from left to right across
the number line,” “negative numbers are to the left of the zero
and positive numbers are to the right of the zero on the number
line,” and “numbers (integers) are evenly spaced on the number
line.” Question to spur thinking: What different kinds of numbers
are there on the number line? Students may not know the exact
names for different types of numbers; however they should be able
to identify that there are positive numbers and negative numbers,
zero, whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Once all of the groups
have listed off the number line properties they know, tell the class
that today they will be reviewing number lines and using number
lines to look at different categories of numbers.
 1
VARIABLES,
EXPRESSIONS AND
EQUATIONS

SECTION 1.1 CONSTRUCTING A NUMBER LINE

“What is Algebra?” Rather than give you an incomplete answer now,

we hope that through learning, you will soon be able to answer this
question yourself. As a preview, let’s look at some questions that
algebra can help us answer that we could not have answered before:
• If I drop a marble off a two-story building, how long will it take
the marble to hit the ground?
• If I have $10 and go into a candy shop, where chocolate costs
$.50 and licorice costs $.65, how many of each could I buy?
We begin by reviewing numbers and the ways you manipulate and
represent them. We will develop collections of numbers in stages,
building up smaller groups of numbers until we get all numbers.

We first encounter numbers as children by counting, starting

with one, two, and three. We call the numbers that we use in
counting the natural numbers, or sometimes the counting numbers.
They include the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, . . ., where
the “. . . ” means that they go on forever in the same way. These
numbers describe how many of something, for example, how many
brothers or sisters you have, how many days in a week, the number
of people in your town and even the number of grains of sand on a
beach.

EXPLORATION 1

Make a number line on a large piece of paper. Put the number 1 in

the middle of the line. Locate and label the first 20 natural numbers.

Including the number 0 in this set of numbers gives us the whole

numbers. The whole numbers take care of many situations, but

1
 Chapter 1 Variables, Expressions and Equations

if we want to talk about the temperature, there are places on

Earth that routinely have temperatures below zero, like −5 °C
or −20 °C. We must expand our idea of number to include the
negatives of the natural numbers. This larger collection of numbers
is called the integers, it is denoted by the symbol Z and includes
the whole numbers. Notice that every integer is either positive, zero
or negative. The natural numbers are positive integers and denoted
Use a different colored writing pen if possible, locate and label sometimes by Z+ .
the point that represents the number 0 on your number line.

In this book we will try to be very precise in our wording, because we

want our mathematics and words to be clear. Just as you learn new
words in English class to express complicated concepts, we must
learn new words and symbols in mathematics. We have discussed
3 collections of numbers so far: the integers, the whole numbers,
and the natural numbers. In mathematics, we call collections of
numbers (or other objects) sets. A set is defined by its members.
We call these members elements. In order to write out what a set
is, we want to describe its elements in set notation. This is done for
example by listing the elements of a set inside braces. For example,
the natural numbers are Z+ = {1, 2, 3, 4, . . .} and the integers
could be written Z = {. . . , −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}. Not all sets
go on forever, for example, the set of even natural numbers between
Point out that since the integers do not have a beginning or 4 and 14 is {6, 8, 10, 12}.
end, we need the “. . .” on both sides of the list.

Every natural number is also an integer. In our more precise

language, this could be described as ”every number in the set of
natural numbers is also in the set of integers”. For this reason, we
call the natural numbers a subset of the integers. We will call a set
a subset of another set when any element in the first set is also
in the second. We use such precise wording in order to be clear in
our discussion of mathematics. The use of precise language is more
important in mathematics than it is in everyday life.

EXPLORATION 2

Continue to work on the number line from Exploration 1. Using a

red marker, plot and label the negative integers from −1 to −20.
What properties does the set of integers have that the set of whole
Includes numbers less than 0. Can subtract larger number from numbers did not?
smaller number. This is because the integers are closed under
subtraction: the difference of two integers is also an integer.
For example, 12 − 25 = −13, which is in Z but is not a natural
number.
2
 Section 1.1 CONSTRUCTING A NUMBER LINE

It does not take long to see the need for numbers that are
not integers. You might hear in a weather report that it rained
2 12 inches or know that a person’s normal body temperature is
98.6°Fahrenheit. So sometimes we need to talk about parts of
whole numbers called fractions. This expanded set of numbers that
includes fractions is called the set of rational numbers. Some decimals are included in this subset of numbers, the ones
that terminate or are repeating decimals. Students might ask
if all decimal numbers are in the rational numbers. The answer
is no but it is not so easy
√ to describe a non-repeating decimal
EXPLORATION 3 number, such as the 2.

Using a different colored marker, plot and label 3 fractions between

each of the following pairs of integers:

2 and 3 4 and 5 − 1 and 0 − 3 and − 2

Make sure the students have the fractions in the right order.

A rational number is the quotient of 2 integers and the denominator

can not be zero. For example, both 73 and 94 are rational numbers.
They are called rational numbers because they are the ratio of 2
integers. A rational number can be represented as quotient in more
than one way. Also, every rational number can be written in decimal
form. For example, 12 is equivalent to 24 and to 0.5, 34 is the same
as 0.75 and 2 52 is equal to 2.4 and 12
5.

We asked you to find two fractions between 2 and 3. Could you find
two fractions between the fractions you just found? How about two
fractions between these two?

PROBLEM 1

How many fractions are there between 0 and 1? How many fractions
are there between 2 and 3? The concept of infinitely many fractions between 0 and 1
might be difficult to understand for students. Even though
there is only finite space between the two intervals, there
can still be an infinite number of fractions. Ask them how
Notice that every integer is a rational number. There are, however, many fractions there should be? Also, ask the students which
numbers we should draw on the number line when we draw it.
rational numbers that are not integers. This means that the set of Why not all? The number line gives students a feel for how
dense the rational numbers are and how scattered the integers
integers is a subset of the set of rational numbers, but the set of are. Some students make the mistake that a decimal number
1385
such as .1385 is not a rational number, but it is equal to 10000 .

3
 Chapter 1 Variables, Expressions and Equations

rational numbers is not a subset of the set of integers.

PROBLEM 2

List 3 examples of rational numbers that are not integers and list
3 examples of integers that are not whole numbers. Locate these
Examples are − 12 , 34 , 6 13 for rational numbers that are not numbers on your number line.
integers, and −1, −29, −3 are examples of integers that are
not whole numbers. Have students associate the names of the
sets of numbers with where they are on the number line.
EXAMPLE 1

Create a Venn Diagram to show the relationship between the

following sets of numbers:
• rational numbers
• whole numbers
• integers
• natural numbers

Solution The sets of numbers are nested. For example, every

integer is a rational number, but not every rational number is an
integer.

Rational numbers
Integers
Whole
numbers

Natural
numbers

Operations on the Number Line

One advantage of representing numbers on the number line is that

it shows a natural order among its members. The location of the
points representing 2 numbers reflects a relationship between those

4
 Section 1.1 CONSTRUCTING A NUMBER LINE

2 numbers that we define as greater than, equal to or less than.

You can also examine distances between numbers and model the
operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division on
the number line. In fact, we will frequently use examples on the
number line to illustrate algebraic ideas.

Let’s review how to do arithmetic with integers using a linear model ,

that is, by representing numbers on a number line. We will use the
number line in discussing algebraic concepts. Let’s get familiar with
using this line. This might take some time, depending on the background
of your students. Use Math Explorations, Part 2: Adding
and Subtracting on the Number Line (Chapter 2) and
Multiplication and Division (Chapter 4).
EXPLORATION 4

1. Use the number line to illustrate the sum 3 + (−4) and the
difference 3 − 4. Explain how you arrived at your answer
and location for each problem. Then, using the same pattern,
explain how you compute the sum 38+(−63) and the difference
38 − 63 without a detailed number line. Look for student understanding that you subtract 38 from 63
and then make the answer be negative, −25.
2. Use the number line to illustrate the difference 3 − (−5) and
sum 3 + 5. Then explain how you compute the difference 38 −
(−63) without a detailed number line. 101 Review modeling subtraction on the number line from
Math Explorations, Part 2, Section 2.2. Emphasize patterns
3. Summarize the rules for addition and subtraction of integers. constantly and ask students to give possible explanations for
the patterns. Encourage them to seek out reasons for the
4. Use the number line to illustrate the product 3(−4) and patterns as well.
We want the students to have mental image of numbers on the
−3(4). Explain how you arrived at your answer and location for number line to go along with any formal rules of arithmetic. So
each problem. Then using the same pattern, explain how you encourage the students to write the rules in their own words
and match them with a number line picture.
compute the products 18(−6) and −5(12) without a detailed
number line. Review multiplication using the number line and discuss the
meaning associated to each of the 2 factors in the linear model.
5. Use the number line to illustrate the product −3(−4). Explain
how you arrived at your answer and location for each problem.
Then using the same pattern, explain how you compute the
product −28(−3).
6. Summarize the rules for multiplication of integers.

The number line is also useful for thinking about operations with
rational numbers and exploring the relationship between numbers.

5
 Chapter 1 Variables, Expressions and Equations

EXPLORATION 5

1. Use the number line to illustrate the sums 1 34 + 2 43 and 45 +

3 1 2
Use this problem to illustrate how you can use the “count on”
method using fractions. Start at 1 43 and then add 2 to arrive
5. 42, 15
at 3 43 and then add 34 to get the final answer. This perspective 2. Starting at the point representing 3, determine and locate on
may help some students get a good estimate of the answer
before actually computing it. the number line the following numbers. Explain how you arrived
Make sure students understand how the words translate into at your answer.
moves on the number line. E.g. five more than a number,
means hop to the right 5 units. In the next section, students a. The number that is 5 more than this number.
will explore algebra on the number line using these same b. The number that is 5 less than this number.
moves.
c. The number that is 3 times this number.
d. The number that is half as big as this number.
3. Locate and label three numbers that are greater than −5.
Locate and label three numbers that are less than −6.

Distance on the Number Line

Another important concept to study on the number line is the

distance between points.

EXPLORATION 6

Make a new number line from −15 to 15, labeling all of the integers
between them. Locate the points 6 and 13 on the new number line.
Determine the distance between 6 and 13. 7 by counting from 6 to 13

1. What is the distance from 12 to 4? Explain how did you got

your answer. 8 by counting from 4 to 12
2. What is the distance from −3 to −11? From −9 to −2? How
did you get your answers? 8, 7
11, 12 3. What is the distance from −7 to 4? From 5 to −7? Explain.
4. Find the distance between 12 and 3 12 . 3
5. Find the distance between 12 and 34 . 14
6. Find the distance between 34 and 3 12 . 2 43 = 11
4

7. What is the distance from − 21 to 78 ? 1 38 = 11

8

8. What is the distance between 4 23 and 1 21 ? 3 16 = 19

6
1–3. Watch for the idea of subtraction but do not tell them to
use subtraction. We will cover this idea in the next paragraph.
They will probably find this distance by counting from one to
the next.
5–6. Students may count by halves and fourths to compute
6
the distance. Of course, they could use subtraction.
 Section 1.1 CONSTRUCTING A NUMBER LINE

One way you might have found the distance between two points
representing integers on a number line is to “count up” from the
left most number until you reach the one on the right or to “count
down” from the right most number until you reach the one on the
left. For example from 6 you might have counted up and noted that
it took 7 units to arrive at 13 and so concluded that the distance
between 6 and 13 is 7. Or in the second question asking for the
distance between 12 and 4, you might have counted down from 12
until you reached 4 and noted that it took 8 units, to conclude that
the distance between 12 and 4 is 8. However, you might also have
noticed that 12 − 4 = 8 and 13 − 6 = 7. The distance between
two numbers is the difference of the lesser from the greater. Discuss why you subtract the number that is on the left on the
number line from the number on the right. Distance should
always be positive. If you check in the third question above,
In part 6, you might want to break the distance from 34 to 3 12 into look at the difference −3 − −7. Notice that the difference is
4, which is also the distance between −3 and −7. Note that
three parts: even though 3 is less than 7, −3 is greater than −7.

• the distance from 43 to 1 is 41 ,

• the distance from 1 to 3 is 2,
• the distance from 3 to 3 12 is 21 .

These parts add up to 14 + 2 + 21 = 2 34 .

1 1
4 2 2

3
4 1 2 3 3 21
Note we introduce absolute value below. It is used sparingly
throughout the book, mostly in Chapter 11. Since it is not
a major topic in Algebra 1, we do not develop the concept
The absolute value of a number is the distance from 0. We have a fully but we use it to describe distances on the number line
and coordinate plane. You may choose to forego discussing
special symbol to represent absolute value. For example, we write absolute value and simply talk about distance as the difference
|6| and read it as absolute value of 6. We write | − 6| and read it as of the lesser from the greater.

absolute value of −6. Since 6 and −6 are both 6 units from 0, we

see that |6| = | − 6| = 6. Since the absolute value is a distance, it
is never negative. We often use absolute value when computing or
representing distances between numbers. For example, if we want
to compute the distance between −5 and 3, we can either subtract
the lesser number from the greater number 3 − (−5) = 8. Or we
can take the absolute value of the difference, |− 5 − 3| = |− 8| = 8.
The advantage of using the absolute value is that we can compute
the difference in either order. Why is this true? Conceptually, we can compute the difference in either order,
because the distance from a to b is the same as the distance
from b to a. Algebraically, we can see that |a − b| = | − (b − a)|
because of the absolute value.

7
Chapter 1 Variables, Expressions and Equations

PROBLEM 3

Compute the distance between the following pairs of numbers.

1. −12 and 6 18
2. −52 and 27 79
3. −23 and −35 12
4. 1.75 and −1.25 3
3 1 1
5. 4 and − 3 1 2

EXERCISES

1. Compute the following sums or differences.

a. 45 − 64 = −19
b. 42 + (−36) = 6
c. 19 − (−33) = 52
d. 17 − (−25) = 42
e. −13 + 26 = 13
f. 23 + 51 = 13
15
3 2
g. 5 + 3 = 15 = 1 154
19

h. 45 − 32 = 152
i. 57 + 31 = 22
21
1
= 1 21

j. 2 43 + 3 51 = 119
20
= 5 19
20

k. 5 43 − 2 23 = 37
12
1
= 3 12

l. 5 41 − 2 23 = 31
12
7
= 2 12

8
 Section 1.1 CONSTRUCTING A NUMBER LINE

2. Compute the following products and quotients.

a. −2 · 7 = −14
b. 5 · (−5) = −25
c. −11 · (−6) = 66
d. −24 ÷ 6 = −4
e. −33 ÷ (
−5.5) = 6
f. 23 · − 54 = − 158
15
g. − 57 ÷ − 16


16
= 21
h. −6 ÷ 53 = −10
i. 3 12 · 2 52 = 42
5
= 8 52

3. Evaluate the following expressions.

a. 5 + 6 · (−3) = −13
b. 6 · 7 − (−3) · 7 = 63
c. 9 · (−14 + 5) = −81
d. −13 − (−6 − 29) = 22
e. −2+20
−3 = −6
2·8−21
f. −3·10 =
1
6

4. Compute the distance between each of the following pairs of

numbers.
a. 8 and −3 11
b. 4 and −5 9
c. 1.1 and .9 .2
d. 3.4 and 2.95 .45
e. .26 and .3 .04
f. 23 and 2 1 31
g. 23 and 12 16
3 3
h. 35 and 10 10
i. 3.01 and 2.9 .11
j. 3.01 and 2.99 .02
k. 3.1 and 2.9 .2
l. 3.1 and 2.99 .11
5. There are many possibilities, examples are the set of even
5. Using words, describe 3 subsets of whole numbers that are each whole numbers, the set of odd whole numbers, the multiples
of 5. The multiples of 4 is a subset of the even numbers, whole
infinite. Describe another infinite subset of whole numbers that numbers ending in 1 form a subset of odd whole numbers etc.
We will use set notation for these sets in Exercise 19 in Section
is a subset of one of your first 3 subsets. 1.3.

9
 Chapter 1 Variables, Expressions and Equations

6. Copy the Venn Diagram from Example 1. For each condition

given below, find a number that satisfies the condition and then
place it on the Venn diagram.
a. A whole number that is not a natural number.
b. An integer that this not a whole number.
c. A rational number that is not an integer.
d. A rational number that is an integer, but not a whole
7. The first three examples given here are easy to find, the
number.
rest are more challenging. Ask the students to prove that
their examples are correct, point out that there are other
7. Find 3 numbers between each of the following pairs of numbers.
ways of comparing two fractions than finding the common Sketch a number line and plot the numbers on it.
denominator.
Answers will vary. 11 12 14 3 4 5 a. 23 and 1
15 , 15 , 15 will work; so will 4, 5, 6. Note
that 1 − 13 < 1 − 14 < . . .. b. 14 and 31
c. 2 43 and 3 15
13 14 15 2 2 2
48 , 48 , 48 , 7 are possibilities. Note that 8 < 7 < 26 .
2 78 , 3, 3 10
d. 15 5
1
2 45 , 3 16
31 32 34 1 1 1 7 and 2
14 , 14 , 14 will work; so will 2 6 , 2 5 , 2 3 .
8.
8. Compute the distance between each pair of the following list
1.01; 1.69;
3 1
=1 ;
23
=1
11 of numbers. Explain which pair is closest and which pair is the
2 2 12 12
greatest distance apart.
First is closest, last is greatest distance apart.

5 1 7 11
1.39 and 2.4 1.41 and 3.1 1 and 3 and
6 3 4 3
9. In each of the following problems, 3 numbers are given. Draw a
number line and mark and label the 3 numbers. Pay attention
to the distances between the numbers. Your picture should give
an approximate sense of where the 3 numbers lie in relation to
each other.
a. 1, 4, and 7
b. 5, 19, and 23
c. 2, 4, and −5
d. −2, −7, and −12
e. −10, 20, and 30
f. 6, 8, and −97

10
 Section: Variables on the Number Line

VARIABLES ON THE NUMBER LINE

Big Idea Visualize variables and expressions on a number line.

Key Objectives

• Represent arithmetic operations visually on the number line

• Use variables to state the properties of the integers, e.g. the
double opposite theorem
• Given an expression in a variable, perform operations that “undo”
the operations in the given expression

TEKS 8.1a, 8.2a, A3b

Revised TEKS 8.8C

Materials Needed String or cardstock for the students. Rulers are to

be substituted only when necessary, otherwise the students would
be tempted to use the scale on it instead of comparing distances.
It is more convenient to use cardstock for the number lines in the
book, however, it is easier to half a distance with a string. A number
line should also be drawn on the board or on a long strip of paper
and a string is to be used for comparing and copying distances.

Launch Students will be using a string of variable length to explore

variable expressions on a number line throughout this section. Using
a string of specific length to represent the value of a may be a new
concept for many students. Have several pieces of string of the same
length cut to represent a. The teacher should start by holding up
one piece of string and telling the class that we will call the length of
the string a. The teacher can then have a student volunteer to hold
up the second piece of string so that the two pieces of string line
up end to end. Then the teacher should ask the class what 2 pieces
of string would be called. (Answer: 2a). The teacher can then have
a third student volunteer to hold up a third piece of string so that
all 3 pieces of string line up end to end. Then the teacher should
ask the class what 3 pieces of string would be called. (Answer: 3a).
The 2 student volunteers may return to their seats and one piece
of string is again held up. This time the teacher should fold the
Chapter: Variables, Expressions and Equations

piece of string in half and ask the students what this length should
be called. The students should come up with answers such as “less
than 1a,” “one half of a” or “a over 2.” At this point the teacher
should tell the students that in mathematics we often use letters to
represent unknown quantities, such as the length of the string. From
this point have students divide into small groups (3–4 students) and
proceed to Exploration 1 for which they will use string to measure
multiples of a variable on a number line.