6.EE.5: Understand solving an equation or inequality as a process of answering a question: which values from a specified set, if any, make the equation or inequality true? Use substitution to determine whether a given number in a specified set makes an equation or inequality true.

Hands-on Activities

1. Grocery Budget

Give your child a budget and a list of items to buy at the grocery store. Ask them to figure out if the total cost is less than or equal to the budget by setting up an inequality and substituting values.

2. Recipe Adjustment

Have your child help adjust a recipe's ingredient amounts for a different number of servings using proportions. They can use equations to solve for the unknown quantity of each ingredient.

3. Temperature Check

Ask your child to determine if a temperature in Fahrenheit is within a comfortable range for a specific activity by substituting values into an inequality, such as 70 <= T <= 85.

4. Distance Challenge

While traveling, have your child calculate the remaining distance to a destination and check if the car has enough fuel, forming an inequality like 'Fuel range >= Remaining distance'.

5. Saving Up

Work with your child to set a savings goal for a desired item and calculate weekly savings needed. They can create and solve an inequality to see if their plan meets or exceeds the goal by year's end.

Strategies When Your Child Struggles

1. Use Concrete Examples

Help your child understand abstract equations by using real objects like coins or blocks to represent variables and constants in equations.

2. Backtracking

Teach your child to plug their solution back into the original equation to check if it makes the equation true, reinforcing their understanding of the solution's validity.

3. Simplify

Encourage simplifying equations by combining like terms or using simpler numbers to test concepts before tackling more complex problems.

4. Drawing

Ask your child to draw a simple diagram or number line to visualize the relationships and solutions in an equation or inequality.

5-Minute Activities

Activity 1: Number Substitution

Quickly write down an equation and ask your child to substitute a number to see if it solves the equation.

Activity 2: True or False

Present your child with several equations and random solutions, and ask them to decide if each is true or false.

Activity 3: Flashcard Challenge

Create flashcards with different equations and potential solutions for quick review sessions.

Activity 4: Equation Bingo

Play a game of bingo where each spot on the bingo card is an equation and your child has to place markers on the correct solution.

Mid-Year Expectations

By the middle of 6th grade, your child should be able to:

• Students should be able to substitute given values into simple one-step equations and inequalities.
• Students understand the concept of making an equation or inequality true and can check simple cases.

End-of-Year Expectations

By the end of 6th grade, your child should be able to:

• Students can substitute values into more complex equations and inequalities with multiple steps.
• Students can explain why a particular value makes an equation or inequality true or false.

Mastery Signs

Your child has mastered this standard when they can:

• Confident in substituting values and verifying solutions in various equations and inequalities.
• Can independently solve real-world problems using equations and inequalities.

Questions to Ask:

Ask your child to solve these problems and explain their process:

• Does the value x = 3 solve the equation 2x + 5 = 11?
• Determine if x = 7 is a solution for the inequality x - 4 > 2.
• Substitute x = -1 into the equation 3x + 4 = 1. Is it a solution?
• Check if x = 5 solves the inequality 2x - 9 <= 1.