Unit 2

Linear Equations, Inequalities, and Systems ALGEBRA 1

Lesson 21
Graphing Linear Inequalities in Two Variables
(Part 1)
 Unit 2 ● Lesson 21

Learning Let’s find out how to use

Goal graphs to represent
solutions to inequalities in
two variables.

Algebra
1
Less Than, Equal to, or More Than 12?
Warm-up: Math Talk

Here is an expression: 2x + 3y.

Decide if the values in each ordered pair, (x, y) make the
value of the expression less than, greater than, or equal
to 12.

(0, 5)

(6, 0)

(-1, -1)

(-5, 10)

Unit 2 ● Lesson ● Activity 1

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Solutions and Not Solutions

2x + 3y ≤ 12

● Identify three
coordinate pairs
that are solutions
and three pairs
that are not
solutions to the
inequality.
● What do you
notice about the
plotted points?

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 2

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Solutions and Not Solutions
Here are four inequalities. Study each inequality assigned to your group and
work with your group to:
● Find some coordinate pairs that represent solutions to the inequality and
some coordinate pairs that do not represent solutions.
● Plot both sets of points. Either use two different colors or two different
symbols like X and O.
● Plot enough points until you start to see the region that contains solutions
and the region that contains non-solutions. Look for a pattern describing
the region where solutions are plotted.
x≥y -2y > -4

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 2

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Solutions and Not Solutions

3x < 0 x + y > 10

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 2

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Solutions and Not Solutions

● What do the two sets of points represent?

● If we plot a new point somewhere on the coordinate
plane, how can we tell if it is or is not a solution?
● What might be a good way to show all the possible
solutions to a linear inequality in two variables? Is
there a better way other than plotting individual
points?
● How can we tell where exactly the solution region
stops and non-solution region starts?

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 2

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Solutions and Not Solutions
x≥y -2y > -4

3x < 0 x + y > 10

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 2

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Sketching Solutions to Inequalities

x≥y x>y
Are the points below solutions to either of the
inequalities?
1. (5, 4)
2. (5, 4.9)
3. (5, 5)

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 2

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Sketching Solutions to Inequalities

Which graph do you think represents the solution to each of the

inequalities: x ≥ y and x > y?

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 3

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Sketching Solutions to Inequalities

1. Here is a graph that represents solutions to the

equation x – y = 5.

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 3

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Sketching Solutions to Inequalities
Sketch 4 quick graphs representing the solutions to each of
these inequalities:

x–y<5 x–y≤5

x–y>5 x–y≥5

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 3

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Sketching Solutions to Inequalities
2. For each graph, write an inequality whose solutions are
represented by the shaded part of the graph.

A B

D
C

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21 ● Activity 3

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Graphing Linear Inequalities in Two Variables (Part 1)
Lesson Synthesis

● Once you knew where the boundary line is, how did
you decide which side of the line represents the
solution region?
● How did you decide whether the boundary line
should be solid or dashed?
● When you have the graph showing the solution
region, how did you determine the inequality symbol
to use?

Unit 2 ● Lesson 21
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Unit 2 ● Lesson 21

● Given a two-variable
inequality and the graph of
Learning
the related equation, I can
Targets
determine which side of the
line the solutions to the
inequality will fall.
● I can describe the graph that
represents the solutions to a Algebra
linear inequality in two
variables.
1
Pick a Graph
LessonCool-down
Synthesis

1. The line in each

graph represents
y = 2x. Which graph
represents 2x > y ?
2. Explain your
reasons for
choosing that
graph.

Unit 2● Lesson 21 ● Activity 4

Slides are CC BY NC Kendall Hunt Publishing. Curriculum excerpts are CC BY Illustrative Mathematics.
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