Have you ever wondered if you could do algebra in middle school and not in high school? Well you have entered the right place. This reflection is going to talk about how I used the elimination method and how I grew in persistence and inquiry while doing the grid. The grid was a way for us to go in our own pace and we can learn on our own. The grid specifically helped me learn more in a fun way because I got to learn by myself and in my own pace. This is where we used PBL because when you were stuck on something you can ask the teacher and learn something new while doing the project. Then I did the elimination method and I knew I had to use persistence and inquiry to finish that part in the grid.

 

​One artifact is the 2D elimination method and this part of the grid I was very confused about and I did many things to pass the quiz for 2D. There was an activity called Desmos where we had to use the elimination method to figure out how many are left in the wafers and crème. Then we had to do Khan Academy and takes notes on the videos. Then we had to do a practice on a worksheet that we had to finish to go do the assessment. The big idea of the elimination method is to eliminate one of the variables, so it is easy to find variables. You can then find y or x if you eliminate one of those variables, then you can plug in y for the number you got to, so you can find x. One example would be 6x+3y=6 and 3x+2y=8. In this you can multiply one of the equation to eliminate x. You can multiply the 3x+2y=8 by -2 so the equation will look like -6x-4y=-16. Then you can put the two equations bottom to top and you can see that 6-6=0 so there cannot be any variable because it is 0, so you just eliminated the x. I failed the first two of the assessment, so I had to get help, so I get a 100 on the third time I do it. I came in to advisory one day and I got help from the teacher. The next day I took the assessment again and I passed it with full marks. You can see that I grew in inquiry because I asked the teacher for help and the next day I got full marks on it.

 

​My second artifact is the workbook and I had to do two problems in it. This was to practice, and the teacher gave me two questions which were 2t+3n=9, and 5t-3n=5. In this question, you can eliminate n because 3-3=0 so there cannot be any variables for n anymore. You are left with 2t=9 and 5t=5 you can add them together to get 7t=14 and t should equal 2. To find n on the first question you plug in 2 for t and you can use one of the equations to find n. To do that you can plug 2(2) +3n=9. You get 4+3n=9, then you can take the four to the other side and subtract it to 9. Then you will be left with 3n=5 so the definitive answer would be n=5/3. The second problem was 7a+6b=0 and 15a-6b=0. This problem is very easy because you can eliminate b because 6-6=0 so there cannot be any more variables for b anymore. You are left with 7a=0 and 15a=0 then you can do the same thing we did with the first problem to get the answer for a and b. The answer you should’ve gotten was supposed to be a=0 and b=0. This shows growth in inquiry because I asked the teacher for more practice problems and then after these problems I aced the assessment. The first time the teacher gave me practice problems I didn’t get it and I had to do it again, so I asked her for help. This shows the growth in inquiry from not knowing anything about the elimination method and now I am very good at it.

 

​After reading this reflection you know how algebra works and how you can use the elimination method to find two unknown variables. DRSS has made me a better student because as I was growing in inquiry I noticed that if you ask questions right now you will not need any help in the future. When we are doing stuff that relates to what I did in 8th grade. I have grown in inquiry last year too but not as much in math class this year. When I grow up I want to be a computer engineer, and this uses a lot of inquiry because if you don’t know something you will have to ask your boss. If you don’t ask your boss, then you might do something wrong and everyone will blame you. DRSS has helped me think about inquiry and the other qualities so in the future I can incorporate these and have a good life.