Sidney Jones
Digital Portfolio
Improving My Knowledge of Algebraic & Linear Equations
I have grown in a lot of things in math this year. Especially my knowledge of algebraic and linear equations, because this is my first year and time taking algebra and we didn’t talk about anything related to algebra last year.
My first artifact is from the Moving Straight Ahead Unit. I think the overall purpose of the Moving Straight Ahead unit is to learn how to solve linear problems, which will use throughout our lives. The actual artifact are on pages 90 and 100 of my notebook. Page 90 is a FQ and FQA section. FQ stands for Focus Question, for that certain set of problems. FQA stands for Focus Question Answer, the answer to the question (FQ) for that investigation Page 100 is also an FQ and FQA section, the question is how a linear pattern is shown in a table, graph and equation, after the investigation we write the answer. The coefficient in an equation is the number in front of the variable. In the equation m is the coefficient, because it’s being multiplied by the variable x. Page 91, another FQ and FQA section, has been helpful for figuring out what each of the variables in the linear equation. y is the dependent variable, as you know m is the coefficient, x is the independent variable and b is the y-intercept. Before I started the 7th grade I didn’t know the setup of a linear equation and what each variable meant, I barely knew what a variable was.
On page 81 there is a foldable that explains GEMA. This foldable was helpful because the foldable explains GEMA’s steps, how you know you’re doing GEMA correctly, what the acronym GEMA stands for and more. Besides PEMDAS (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add and Subtract) there is another form of “Order of Operations” is GEMA (Grouping, Exponents, Multiplication & Division and Addition & Subtraction). The purpose of GEMA is to tell you how to solve an algebraic problem using operations in a step by step process. You use GEMA in solving equations, because if you do not follow the GEMA rules your equation will most likely be wrong.
This proves my growth, because before I started 7th grade algebra I thought there was only PEMDAS. Even though there different acronyms they mean almost the same thing. In class we got a foldable that explains each step of GEMA in page 81 of my notebook.
Lastly, my second artifact from the Moving Straight Ahead unit is my third artifact is my order of operations practice sheet. This combines how to do and use GEMA and the setup of an equation. My grade on the order of operations practice sheet, compared to my work on investigations that are about solving equations are completely different. Especially in investigation 3.4 I had to fix most of my problems. After my work on investigation 3.4 I got better, because after each investigation Mrs. Vazquez, along with the class, share their answers, why their right, etc.
Along with solving equations and knowing how linear equations are set up, I have to be able to create them. 3.2 of the Moving Straight Ahead unit is a great example of this, because I had to create equations that work not matter what numbers you plug in instead of your variable(s) of the equation.
Knowing algebraic and linear equations will help me in the future, because Ms. Vazquez says we will need algebra for the rest of our math lives. So I will need algebra in various situations. Even the problems in our math workbook are real life problems, like figuring out how much money you earn a week. I will keep developing this skill by practicing solving equations, practicing the concepts and studying the terms so I’ll remember how to do them. In all of the jobs I know of you’ll have to do some type of math. For example if I want to be a chef I’ll have to measure out ingredient, so there isn’t too much of an ingredient. This applies to all job but in different ways depending on the job.
