MATH JUST GOT REAL: ABSOLUTE VALUE INEQUALITIES PROJECT

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​Absolute value inequalities was not a topic my Algebra 2 students remembered from Algebra 1 AT ALL! I know that they hadn’t seen it in two years, but still, I felt like it was a completely brand new topic for them. This got me thinking that I need to have an absolute value inequalities project in Algebra 1 to help solidify this concept long term. So, I did some research on the Internet to find some ideas on a fun way to tackle this concept. I created the following project and my students had a lot of fun with it because it combines technology, shopping (who doesn’t love to shop?!), and of course math. Below is an overview of this project…

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SHOPPING ON A BUDGET
 
OBJECTIVE
Every project needs to have a focus and goal. In this project, students are to…

• Define absolute deviation
• Research a type of product and record the various prices
• Find the mean of the prices
• Create and solve an absolute value inequality based on the mean price and the absolute deviation
• Graph the results on a number line
• Analyze the results
• Record all of the above information in a Google Slide Presentation

RESEARCH
Students choose a product line to research, such as different types of cars, phones, computers, clothes, etc. They also are to find the definition of math terms to help with their understanding. They record the prices and copy and paste pictures of each type.
 
RESULTS
Students use the absolute deviation and mean price to create an absolute value inequality. Then, they solve and graph their solution on a number line. Finally, they determine which product(s) meet the requirements.
 
VISUALS
The Google Slides template is provided, so students can type in their information in the specific location. They then can easily turn their project into you via Google Classroom or email.

GRADING
As with any project, I do use a rubric, which is 100% editable for teachers. I also include a Google Sheet where you can type in each student’s product price and it will calculate the mean and deviation range, so you can easily check each project. I dread grading projects, as they can take a long time, but this rubric and spreadsheet make it so simple and fast!
 
This project is very easy to integrate into any Algebra course, gives students some freedom of what product to research, and is mathtastically fun!  Here is a video that shows the example project I show my students before they begin: 

Click on the cover below to go directly to this project:

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