Algebra Review – Don’t Be Clueless

This activity reviews the following algebra 1topics:

  • Combining like terms in polynomials
  • Finding slope from graphs, points, and equations
  • Solving multi-step equations
  • Exponent Rules
  • Evaluating expressions using the order of operations
  • Factoring Trinomials

It was a long night in the library and a large group of students were gathering to study for the upcoming Algebra test. As the hours dragged on, the group became restless and the algebra teacher stopped by to check on them. And then it happened! The lights went out and one student snapped. There was a scream and when the lights came back on, the teacher was lying dead on the floor. Who did it? Which student is the killer? To find the guilty person, solve the following groups of questions to reveal 6 clues. --- The guilty is among you. Was it you?

The Suspects

Number / Name / Sex / Right/Left / Hat / Hair / Driver? / Shirt
1 / F / Right / Yes / Dark / No / Purple
2 / F / Right / Yes / Fair / No / Green
3 / M / Right / Yes / Dark / No / Blue
4 / M / Left / No / Dark / Yes / Blue
5 / F / Right / No / Dark / Yes / Green
6 / F / Left / No / Fair / No / Purple
7 / M / Left / Yes / Red / Yes / Purple
8 / F / Left / Yes / Red / Yes / Purple
9 / F / Right / No / Red / Yes / Green
10 / M / Right / No / Red / Yes / Green
11 / F / Left / Yes / Dark / Yes / Blue
12 / M / Right / Yes / Dark / Yes / Blue
13 / F / Left / Yes / Dark / No / Purple
14 / F / Left / No / Dark / No / Purple
15 / M / Right / No / Dark / Yes / Purple
16 / F / Left / Yes / Fair / No / Blue
17 / F / Right / Yes / Dark / Yes / Green
18 / M / Left / Yes / Fair / No / Green
19 / F / Right / No / Fair / No / Blue
20 / M / Left / Yes / Dark / Yes / Blue
21 / F / Right / No / Dark / No / Blue
22 / M / Right / No / Fair / No / Green
23 / M / Right / No / Dark / No / Green
24 / M / Left / No / Red / Yes / Purple
25 / F / Left / No / Dark / Yes / Purple
26 / M / Right / Yes / Red / Yes / Purple
27 / M / Right / Yes / Fair / No / Blue
28 / M / Left / No / Fair / No / Blue
29 / M / Left / Yes / Dark / No / Green
30 / F / Left / No / Red / Yes / Green
31 / M / Left / No / Dark / No / Blue
32 / F / Right / Yes / Red / Yes / Green
33 / F / Right / Yes / Dark / No / Purple
34 / F / Right / Yes / Fair / No / Purple
35 / M / Right / Yes / Dark / No / Purple
36 / M / Left / No / Dark / Yes / Green
37 / F / Right / No / Dark / Yes / Blue
38 / F / Left / No / Fair / No / Blue
39 / M / Left / Yes / Red / Yes / Blue
40 / F / Left / Yes / Red / Yes / Green
41 / F / Right / No / Red / Yes / Purple
42 / M / Right / No / Red / Yes / Purple
43 / F / Left / Yes / Dark / Yes / Green
44 / M / Right / Yes / Dark / Yes / Green
45 / F / Left / Yes / Dark / No / Blue
46 / F / Left / No / Dark / No / Green
47 / M / Right / No / Dark / Yes / Blue
48 / F / Left / Yes / Fair / No / Blue
49 / M / Left / Yes / Fair / No / Green
50 / F / Right / No / Fair / No / Purple

Clue #1: Collect all the facts.

Collect like terms and arrange in descending order. Then match each polynomial with an answer to spell out a clue.

Code Letter / Answer
A /
B /
C /
D /
E /
F /
G /
H /
I /
J /
K /
L /
M /
N /
O /
P /
R /
S /
T /
U /
W /

Clue #2: Crime is a slippery slope.

Find the slope for each question. Then use the code to uncover the clue.

A / 3/4
B / 4
C / 1
D / -5/4
E / -1/4
F / 0
G / 1/3
H / -3
I / 12
J / 9/2
K / 4/3
L / 1/4
M / 2
N / -1/3
O / -2/9
P / -1
Q / -4
R / -1/2
S / 5/7
T / 5/8
U / 7/5
V / Undefined
W / -3/2
X / 5
Y / 1/12
Z / 1/9

Find the slope of the line from the graph.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Find the slope of the line that passes through the given points.

6. (1, 9) and (3, 8) 7. (10, -3) and (-2, 0)

8. (1, 5) and (-3, 7) 9. (11, -5) and (7, 0)

10. (4, -13) and (6, -14) 11. (7, 1) and (-2, 3)

12. (9, 25) and (9, 20) 13. (10, -17) and (2, -15)

14. (4, -2) and (-5, 0) 15. (-6, 3) and (13, 3)

Find the slope line from the given equation.

16. 17.

18. 19.

20. 21.

Find the slope of the line perpendicular to the given equation.

22. 23.

24. 25.

Clue #3:This criminal has found and X-it!

Place the letter next to the correct answer in the blank to spell out a clue.

___ 1. H)8 T) 4 S) M) 1 G)

___ 2. H) 7 O) -7 A) 28 I) 8 E) 0

___ 3. N) D) 0 L) -1 R) E)

___ 4. T) -17 W) 6 M) 120 K) 8 C)-8

___ 5. I) U) A) -12 Y) W) 5

___ 6. D) -1 N) E) P) L) -20

___ 7. D) L) T) S) P) 8

___8. A) 0 E) -3I) 3 O) Y)

___ 9. S) R) N) 0 T) -2 F) 5

___ 10. H) 7 I) 6 W) -5 F) 4 D) -6

___ 11. R) -56 U) -26 I) 26 E) 56 N) 11

___ 12. A) 1 N) O) -2 L) 2 G) 0

____13. N) 3 P) -10 T) 10 C) -5 S) 5

___ 14. P) E) -3 A) 5 L) -4 N) -5

___ 15. I) 1 G) -1 M) 10 R) -6 E) 11

___ 16. D) E) 36 O) -36 C) 0 A) -2

___ 17. R) 0 S) T) O) A) 25

___18. R) 3 L) -3 H) -5 C) 4 D) -1

___ 19. E) -2 O) I) A) Y) 3

___ 20. M) 42 S) G) T) D) 10

Clue #4: The clues are powerful!

Simplify the expression and match with the correct answer to reveal a clue.

_____ 1. T) B) V) K)

_____ 2. H) I) C) A)

_____ 3. A) N) E) L)

_____ 4. C) M) L) A)

_____ 5. E) B) I) H)

_____ 6. E) T) A) N)

_____ 7. I) N) W) C)

_____ 8. R) N) U) D)

_____ 9. W) O) S) D)

_____ 10. A) T) M) E)

_____ 11. T) B) C) I)

_____ 12. S) R) N) D)

_____ 13. A) K) C) B)

_____ 14. H) L) C) D)

_____ 15. A) E) L) U)

_____ 16. T) B) E) D)

Clue #5: Get the facts in order!

Use the order of operations to evaluate the questions.

Then swap your letters in for new letters to uncover the clue.

______1. T) 10 H) -54 U) 49 X)54 F) -490

______2. J) 73 F) -73 S) 30 A) -30 M) 13

______3. G) 2 W) 33 J) 55 Y) 16 N) 22

______4. G) 19 S) 25 A) 31 W) 5 U) 61

______5. J) 11 R) 45 M) 29 Y) 24 S) 21

______6. W) -2 S) 4 T) 0 Y) 37 M) 2

______7. W) 0 J) 2 H) -6 Y) -2 L) 1

______8. S) 1 J) -9 A) 225 N) 25 M) 10

______9. T) 95 S) -158 Y) -98 B) 10 X) -86

______10. J) -63 D) 15 G) 268 L) -128 N) 52

______11. G) 126 W) -189 K) -18 N) -59 A) -20

______12. A) 24 W) 2 J) 48 Y) 0 N) -48

______13. Y) 14 L) 86 H) 127 X) 95 C) 456

______14. G) 190 I) 16 R) 24 K) 5 W) 14

______15. J) 5 S) 101 A) 216 T) 12 P) 136 N) 41

______16. W) 5 Y) -17O) -12 C) -89 L) 15

______17. B) 9 S) 44 A) 42 M) 29 P) -11

______18. G) -1 Y) -5 B) 5 K) 16 M) 10 W) 2

______19. G)1 S) 10 N) 12 T) 6 B) 5 J) 7

______20. G)2 U) -1 G) 65 D) 7 X) 24

______21. Y) 14 J) 9 X) 18 L) -6 I) 26

______22. J) 48 Y) -12 X) 71 F) 12 P) 68

Top row is YOUR answer. Swap it out for the letter below in the second row.

S / M / L / K / J / D / C / B / A / E / F / G / H / I / N / U / V / W / X / Y / T / Z / R / Q / P / O
A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z

Clue #6:Don’t give up! Try to get all the facts of the case.

Factor the trinomial. Then match your answer to a letter and fill in the blank. Your answers will spell out a clue.

A / (x+5)(x+12)
B / (x+6)(x-2)
C / (x+7)(x+9)
D / (x-7)(x+9)
E / (x-5)(x-12)
E / (x-10)(x-2)
E / (x+7)(x+7)
G / (x-6)(x-2)
H / (x-2)(x+2)
I / (x+9)(x+9)
I / (x+7)(x-5)
I / (x+12)(x+1)
J / (x+13)(x-1)
K / (x-11)(x+1)
L / (x+3)(x+4)
M / (x+4)(x+10)
N / (x-7)(x-9)
N / (x+5)(x+7)
O / (x+1)(x+1)
O / (x+2)(x-1)
R / (x+12)(x-1)
R / (x-6)(x+2)
S / (x+5)(x+4)
T / (x-1)(x-9)
T / (x+4)(x-3)
U / (x-9)(x-9)
V / (x+7)(x-1)
W / (x-9)(x+1)

_____ 1.

_____ 2.

_____ 3.

_____ 4.

_____ 5.

_____ 6.

_____ 7.

_____ 8.

_____ 9.

_____ 10.

_____ 11.

_____ 12.

_____ 13.

_____ 14.

_____ 15.

_____ 16.

_____ 17.

_____ 18.

Team Name ______

Team Members

______

______

______

______

______

______

Clue #1: ______

Clue #2: ______

Clue #3: ______

Clue #4: ______

Clue #5: ______

Clue #6: ______

The Killer is: ______