Lesson 2

Words and Symbols

  • Let’s use symbols to represent words in a math problem.

2.1: Math Talk: Perceiving Percents

Evaluate mentally:

50% of 80

75% of 80

1% of 80

7.5% of 80

2.2: Identify and Represent

For each problem, identify any important quantities. If it’s a known quantity, write the number and a short description of what it represents. If it’s an unknown quantity, assign a variable to represent it and write a short description of what that variable represents.

  1. Clare is in charge of getting snacks for a road trip with her friends and her dog. She has $35 to go to the store to get some supplies. The snacks for herself and her friends cost $3.25 each, and her dog's snacks costs $9 each. 
  2. Tyler is packing his bags for vacation. He plans to pack two outfits for each day of vacation.
  3. Mai's teacher orders tickets to the local carnival for herself, the entire class, and 3 more chaperones. Student tickets are $4.50.
  4. Jada wants to prepare the fabric for the bridesmaids' dresses she is creating for a wedding party. She plans to use about 16 square feet of fabric on each dress. 
  5. Elena is going to mow lawns for the summer to make some extra money. She will charge $20 for every lawn she mows and plans on mowing several lawns each week.

2.3: Matching Expressions

Your teacher will give you a set of cards. Group them into pairs by matching each situation with an algebraic expression. Some cards do not have matches. Use the blank cards to create your own expression or situation so that all cards have an accurate match. 

Summary