Entrepreneurship · Lesson Plan
Using Algebra to Make Business Decisions
Algebra isn’t just for math class — businesses use it to plan. Through the example of a bicycle company growing production by a set amount each year, this lesson shows students how to translate a real business goal into an equation and solve it: identifying the givens, building the expression, and finding how many years it takes to reach a production target. A worked solution models each step.
For Teachers
Lesson at a glance
- Topic
- Entrepreneurship
- Grade Level
- Grades 7–12
- Resource Type
- Lesson + Worksheet
- Estimated Time
- 45–60 minutes
- Format
- Lesson + worked example
- Materials
- Printable lesson, activity sheet, pencils
What Students Learn
Learning objectives
- Translate a business goal into an equation
- Identify the givens in a word problem
- Build an expression from a real-world situation
- Solve for an unknown number of years
- Apply algebra to a business-planning decision
Materials
What you’ll need
- Printed lesson and worksheet (one per student)
- Calculator
- Pencils
Key Terms
Vocabulary
- Variable
- A symbol standing for an unknown number.
- Equation
- A statement that two expressions are equal.
- Given
- A known value stated in a problem.
- Expression
- A combination of numbers and variables.
- Solve
- To find the value that makes an equation true.
- Production goal
- A target amount a business plans to make.
For Teachers
Lesson plan
Estimated time: one 45–60 minute class period.
Lesson sequence
- The business problem (10 min). A bicycle company’s production-growth goal.
- Set it up (15 min). Identify the givens and build the equation.
- Solve (10 min). Work through the solution step by step.
- Worksheet (13 min). Students solve a similar business-planning problem.
Assessment
Assess the worksheet for a correctly built equation and an accurate, well-shown solution.
Discussion
Discussion questions
- How can a business use algebra to plan ahead?
- What are the ‘givens’ in a word problem?
- How do you turn a goal into an equation?
- What does it mean to solve for an unknown?
- Where else might a business use algebra?
Printable Lesson & Activity
Using Algebra to Make Business Decisions — Lesson & Worksheet
A printable lesson and worksheet that applies algebra to a business-planning problem: building an equation from a production goal and solving it step by step.
Unlock the full Money Instructor library
Members get unlimited access to worksheets, lesson plans, and teacher resources across every financial literacy topic — budgeting, taxes, credit, banking, and more.
More Entrepreneurship resources
Browse all Entrepreneurship resources →
Business Law: Crimes
Students learn the criminal-law terms that apply to business — felony, misdemeanor, mens rea, duress, forgery — with business examples.
Lesson · Grades 7–12Business Tort Law
Students learn intentional torts and their defenses, plus the elements of negligence, to understand a business's civil liability.
Lesson · Grades 7–12Introduction to Law
Students learn basic legal vocabulary and the role law plays in society — the foundation for business law.
Lesson · Grades 7–12