Mathematics / Year 7 / Algebra

Curriculum content descriptions

recognise and use variables to represent everyday formulas algebraically and substitute values into formulas to determine an unknown (AC9M7A01)

Elaborations
  • linking variables to attributes and measures being modelled when using formulas, such as the area of a rectangle is equal to the length x width as \(A\;=\;l\;\times\;w\) or using \(p\;=\;6g\;+\;b\) to describe a total of points expressed as goals (worth \(6\) points) and behinds (worth one point)
  • interpreting and using formulas obtained from other sources; for example, maximum heart rates and target heart rates for moderate exercise
  • substituting numerical values for variables when using formulas and calculating the value of an unknown in practical situations; for example, calculating weekly wage \(W\) given base wage \(b\) and overtime hours \(h\) at \(1.5\) times rate \(r\), \(W\;=\;b+1.5\times h\times r\), using values for mass \(m\) and volume \(v\) to determine density \(d\) of a substance where \(d\;=\;\frac mv\)
  • using everyday formulas and their application to contexts on Country/Place, investigating the relationships between variables
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Substitution,  Variables (Mathematics),  Equations

Online

Use variables: Year 7 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 7 is for the topic of Use variables. Students students recognise pronumerals and variables in formulas they have been exposed to. They are presented real-life scenarios and explore the relationship between variables using algebraic notation as a representation.

Online

Introduction to algebra

This is a website designed for both teachers and students that addresses the introduction of algebra. It is particularly relevant for introducing the idea of the use of a variable as a way of representing numbers. There are pages for both teachers and students. The student pages contain interactive questions for students ...

Online

reSolve: Algebra - Prisms and pyramids

This lesson engages students in investigating the relationship between the number of faces, edges and vertices of pyramids and prisms. Students construct their own 3D shapes, systematically record the properties of the shape and develop an algebraic formula to generalise the relationships discovered. The lesson is outlined ...

Video

Algebra basics video

Use this video as a springboard to introduce algebraic thinking, and to apply that thinking to a financial context, drawing on reasoning.

Online

Expressions, formulas and substitution

In the lesson ‘Formulating algebraic expressions’, students were introduced to variables and forming algebraic expressions. In this lesson, students continue to develop these skills and will explore substituting values into familiar and unfamiliar formulas to determine an unknown. Students explore substitution in a range ...

Online

Formulating algebraic expressions

This lesson encompasses students’ introduction to formal algebraic concepts. Students will be introduced to the concept of variables and will explore the construction of algebraic expressions using concrete materials. Students explore a range of authentic contexts and hands-on materials in this lesson to ensure their initial ...

Online

Human landscapes – inquiry-based learning through Sydney Metro – Stage 4

This inquiry-based unit of work was created, trialled and peer reviewed as part of a professional learning program in inquiry-based learning for school teachers. The professional learning courses were part of a pilot partnership between the NSW Government’s Sydney Metro transport agency and Western Sydney University. Students ...

Online

ABS: agricultural resource management practices, Australia, 2011-12

This is a digital resource containing data on various agricultural practices used on Australian farms, and was collected in a 2011-2012 Australian Bureau of Statistics survey. This resource provides information about farming practices including pasture and crop cultivation, livestock and feral animal management, fertiliser ...

Online

reSolve: Paint with Numbers

This sequence of three lessons explores ratios through the context of mixing paint. Students investigate how ratios express a multiplicative relationship between two measures and under what conditions the proportions remain constant when the numerical values of both quantities change. The lessons are outlined in detail ...

Online

reSolve: Modelling Motion - Year 7

This sequence of seven lessons challenges students to use simple equipment to predict, observe and represent motion. They create a series of graphs to represent motion and construct instruments to measure forces in one and then two dimensions. They interpret these representations to develop concepts of force and motion. ...

Online

Trade and Investment at a Glance

Using an illustrated report from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, this Teacher guide provides ten learning sequences that engage students in the analysis and interpretation of data about Australian imports and exports. Students: identify Australia's major exports and imports; investigate international trade ...

Online

Australia's Trade through Time

Using an interactive timeline created by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, this Teacher guide provides 12 series of learning experiences that engage students in the analysis and interpretation of data about Australian trade from 1900 to the present day. Students study videos, tables, images and texts in order ...

Online

Making a positive difference in numeracy

This teacher resource describes strategies used in a whole-school initiative to improve numeracy outcomes in Two Wells Primary School, South Australia. Strategies include: using a numeracy coach to help implement the Big Ideas in Number program (Siemon 2006); using diagnostic tools to identify students needing numeracy ...

Online

Secondary mathematics: different representations

These seven learning activities, which focus on 'representations' using a variety of tools (software) and devices (hardware), illustrate the ways in which content, pedagogy and technology can be successfully and effectively integrated in order to promote learning. In the activities, teachers use different representations ...

Online

Literacy and numeracy improvement: a whole-school approach

This teacher resource describes how 74 public schools in metropolitan, regional and rural Western Australia used three major components of the school improvement cycle to achieve significant improvement in the literacy and numeracy learning outcomes of their students. The resource is organised in nine sections: Summary, ...

Online

ReSolve: What's In A Name

This sequence of two lessons examines trends in the names of students in the class, as well as trends in popular names from 2017 and 1957. Students explore data associated with these names and decide whether the mean, median or mode might be a suitable measure of central tendency. They develop their skills with spreadsheets ...

Online

Data in Gapminder world

This resource is a dataset providing data for a number of indicators of development over time for more than 200 countries. The indicators fall into the following categories: population, health, economy, environment, work, infrastructure, energy and education, with over 500 sets of data in total. Each set of data can be ...

Text

Mental computation

This is a website designed for both teachers and students that discusses methods of mental computation. In particular, applying the associative, commutative and distributive laws to aid mental and written computation is discussed. These are important ideas for the introduction of algebra. There are pages for both teachers ...

Online

Geometric reasoning including parallel lines and angle sum of a triangle

This is a website designed for both teachers and students that addresses geometry from the Australian Curriculum for year 9 students. It contains material on geometry and includes information regarding parallel lines and the angle sum of triangles. There are pages for both teachers and students. The student pages contain ...

Online

The laws of arithmetic and their use in algebra

This is a website designed for both teachers and students that refers to algebraic notation, the laws of arithmetic and the use of these laws in algebra from the Australian Curriculum for year 7 students. It contains material on algebraic notation, the commutative and associative laws, the use of brackets and the orders ...