Solving Linear Equations PowerPoint: Premium GCSE Lesson

A complete, ready to teach GCSE maths lesson on solving linear equations. Students learn the balance method, using a visual scale to see why whatever you do to one side you must do to the other. They move from one and two step equations to equations with brackets and with the unknown on both sides, then form and solve their own equations from real life problems.

• 30 slides
• About 60 minutes
• All answers included
• Teacher notes on every slide
• Editable diagrams

Download this PowerPoint free (.pptx)

What the lesson covers

1. Learning objectives at three levels: must, should and could.
2. Warm up on missing numbers, expanding a bracket, collecting like terms and negative numbers, with answers.
3. Key words: equation, unknown, solution and inverse operation.
4. Key idea: keep the balance, shown with a balance scale diagram, plus how inverse operations undo each other.
5. One and two step equations: three worked examples, including x/4 − 3 = 2 and a negative answer, then six your turn questions with answers.
6. Brackets and unknowns on both sides: a four step plan and three worked examples, up to 2(3x − 1) = 4(x + 3).
7. Practice set of six equations with a full answer slide.
8. Problem solving: an I think of a number puzzle, a rectangle perimeter and comparing two gym prices.
9. Exam style question (5 marks) on the angles in a triangle, including a show that part, with a mark scheme.
10. Common mistakes, an exit ticket with answers and a key points summary.

Who it is for

GCSE maths, Foundation and Higher tier, and Key Stage 3 classes meeting equations for the first time. It leads on well to our premium expanding and factorising quadratics lesson, and the problem solving uses the same skills as our premium circles lesson.

Download this PowerPoint free (.pptx)