Inequalities – Grade 7 math lesson
Lesson 10 of 21 in the Grade 7 math course
US version. US grades, US spelling and dollars ($). · UK Maths Department
A complete 45-minute lesson for grade 7 (ages 12–13) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is graded right away, with a worked explanation.
- Time
- 45 minutes + 20 min homework
- Grade
- Grade 7 (ages 12–13)
- You need
- Paper, a pencil and this page
- Graded
- Instantly, with explanations
For parents: how to use this lesson
You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is graded straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to grade anything.
- Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
- Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
- Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
- Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “Why does the sign turn round when you divide by a negative?”
- Later that day or the next day: the homework (20 minutes), then a practice test.
Watch out for
- Forgetting to turn the sign when dividing by a negative. Test a number: −2x > 6 means x < −3.
- Using a filled circle for <. Filled means equal is allowed: ≤ or ≥.
Tip for home: Talk about age or height limits as inequalities.
What your child will learn
Learning goal: solve inequalities and show them on a number line.
Success looks like
- I can show inequalities on a number line.
- I can solve inequalities.
- I can list integers that satisfy an inequality.
Key words
- inequality
- a statement using <, >, ≤ or ≥
- integer
- a whole number
- solution set
- all the values that work
- number line
- a line showing the solutions
What to have ready
- Paper and a pencil
- This page on a computer, tablet or phone
- For the hands-on part: Show inequalities with string on a number line laid on the floor.
The big ideas (for the adult)
An inequality says one side is bigger or smaller: x > 3 means any number greater than 3.
On a number line, an open circle means not included (< or >); a filled circle means included (≤ or ≥).
Solve like an equation, but if you multiply or divide by a negative number, turn the inequality sign round.
The lesson, step by step
| Part | Time | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: quick recall | 5 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Teaching input | 10 min | Not assessed, self-checked |
| Worked examples and guided practice | 9 min | Not assessed, graded by Classfern |
| Independent practice | 15 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Closure and exit ticket | 6 min | Graded by Classfern, self-checked |
Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are graded by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.
The lesson
It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.
Homework and practice at home
20 minutes: 10 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all graded instantly.
More practice
More Grade 7 math lessons
- Ratios
- Percent
- Proportional relationships
- Operations with integers
- Repeating decimals
- Evaluating expressions
- Simplifying expressions
- Expanding expressions
- Solving equations
- Scale drawings and maps
- Angle relationships
- Area of triangles, parallelograms and trapezoids
- Circles: circumference and area
- Volume and surface area
- Cross sections of 3-D figures
- Probability
- Experimental probability
- Compound events
- Box plots and interquartile range
- Sampling and making inferences
Curriculum
Common Core State Standards 7.EE.B.4.b: “Solve word problems leading to inequalities of the form px + q > r or px + q r, where p, q, and r are specific rational numbers. Graph the solution set of the inequality and interpret it in the context of the problem. For example: As a salesperson, you are paid $50 per week plus $3 per sale. This week you want your pay to be at least $100. Write an inequality for the number of sales you need to make, and describe the solutions.”
Common Core State Standards HSA.CED.A.1: “Create equations and inequalities in one variable and use them to solve problems. Include equations arising from linear and quadratic functions, and simple rational and exponential functions.”
Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.