In this meeting, Amy introduced the story table, which is a teaching tool for solving algebraic equations. Story tables allow us to use guess and check and then analyze patterns in the results, in order to find values of x that make equations true.
To get us started, Amy shared the following algebraic equation:
3x - 2 = 10
And asked us to tell the story of x. To find a solution in this story, Amy asked us for the moment not use other ways of solving equations.
We started with a guess that x might be 2. If x is 2, then 3x is 6, and 3x – 2 is 4. Our target is 10, so we write no in the last column, since 4 is not the same as 10.
Khom suggested 4 for the value for x. We tried 4 and found out that it was true. Maya mentioned that she had tried 5 and saw that it wasn’t true. Amy added both answers to the table so that we could see what happened with each choice.
Amy then shared a different equation to use with a story table:
(3x + 2)/5 = a whole number
We tried 4 and 9 as values of x to see if we would get a whole number. No luck.
After working together for a while, we found a few solutions for x (highlighted in blue):
The group then did some noticing and wondering based on the story tables we have already created, followed by work in breakout groups looking at story tables for some of the following equations:
You can see Amy’s introduction to story tables here:
From our breakout groups:
Resources for learning more about story tables:
- Best Algebraic Reasoning Tool You’ve Never Heard of: Story Tables 101 – Webinar where Amy learned about story tables
- Story Tables in Middle School – Henri Picciotto
- Using the formula for the volume of the sphere to find the radius, given the volume: p. 119 of Three-Dimensional Geometry, Part 1 (NYSED/CUNY Fast Track Math Packet).
