This lesson teaches students how to use multi-step equations to solve word problems. The guided notes include a step-by-step process that includes looking for key words in the problem, defining the variable, writing and solving the equation, checking the answer, and writing the answer in a complete sentence (because “x = 52” doesn’t mean anything in a word problem). I also suggest trying to “read” the equation in terms of the problem to see if it makes sense. The guided notes include four proble