Setting Up Expressions and Inequalities

You'll build the vocabulary and reading habits that algebraic thinking rests on. You'll learn to spot what varies in a situation, assign variables that actually mean something, read an expression part by part, and tell expressions, equations, and inequalities apart before writing any model yourself.

You’ll turn everyday situations—like shopping, work, and travel—into expressions that represent real relationships. You’ll build expressions step by step, use grouping when needed, and recognize when different expressions represent the same situation.

You’ll translate real-world constraints into math. You’ll represent exact targets with equations, interpret everyday language into inequalities, and model limits and ranges from budgets, rules, and schedules.