March 2024 Lesson of the Month -- Solving Two-Step Equations and Inequalities

The FREE Brick Math Lesson of the Month for March 2024 comes from Pre-Algebra. It uses bricks to model an ingenious way to teach students how to solve two-step equations and inequalities. To get the March 2024 Brick Math Lesson of the Month, "Solving Two-Step Equations and Inequalities" plus a new lesson each month, click here.  Each Lesson of the Month includes the Teacher Lesson Guide as well as the Student Workbook Pages that correspond to the lesson. 

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What's ingenious about the Brick Math method is the way specific bricks model specific parts of the equation. In the example shown, the green 1x2 bricks model two positive x terms. The red 1x1 brick models negative 1, and the green 1x1 bricks each model positive 1. The long yellow brick down the center models the equal sign. In this way, the model shows 2x - 1 = 7. Then the lesson shows how to manipulate the bricks to solve the equation. The lesson includes a chart of all the values each brick represents.

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Pre-Algebra sets the stage for all the high school math in the future, and many students learn the rote algorithms but never understand what they mean. Brick Math helps students develop a true understanding of math by approaching it in a concrete way.

​Brick Math is a complete math curriculum for kindergarten through 8th grade that models the math with bricks. The curriculum is divided into 13 separate content areas: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, 
​Basic Fractions,   Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, Decimals, Data and Statistics, and Pre-Algebra. Students can start anywhere in the curriculum. It can be used as a complete math curriculum or brought in as a supplement to help students who aren't having math success with other programs.

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​Brick Math works in many applications: for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable.

If you are a math teacher or a parent with a student at home who is learning K-8th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students' math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.