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Fun with Algebra, #3
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Introduction
After allowing students a few minutes to think about the problem, ask them to share their ideas. Encourage them to record their suggestions using expressions with variables.
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Fran takes S steps when she walks a mile. How can you estimate the length of her step in feet? In inches?
Possible student responses
- You need to know how many feet are in a mile (and how many inches are in a foot).
- There are 5,280 feet in a mile, so divide 5,280 by S to estimate the length of Fran’s step in feet: (5,280 ÷ S).
- Multiply that answer by 12 (since there are 12 inches in a foot) to estimate the length in inches.
- You could also start with the number of inches in a mile (5,280 × 12 = 63,630) and divide that by S to find the length of Fran’s step in inches: 63,630 ÷ S.
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