Systems of Equations Unit: Electric vs. Gas Cars
Synopsis
This Algebra 1 unit uses systems of linear equations to investigate whether electric cars are actually better for the environment and worth the price compared to gas cars, weighing both emissions and cost trade-offs.
Across seven lessons, students estimate solutions with tables and graphs, solve systems by substitution and elimination, work with systems of inequalities and feasible regions, and compare quantitative variables using dotplots, five-number summaries, and boxplots.
Teaching Materials
Preparation:
An account is required to access the unit materials.
Teachers can assign this via Desmos with an account.
Prerequisites:
Ensure students are able to graph equations and inequalities and are familiar with box plots and dot plots.
Ensure students are familiar with the concept of greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the planet.
Scientist's Notes:
Additional problems at the end of the lesson (formalizing and fluency problems) reinforce the math concepts and are unrelated to the electric vs. gas car topic. Some basic background familiarity with climate change and carbon emissions is needed.
Scientist Reviewed
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