6th grade students should develop critical skills in algebra and other areas of math by gaining fluency in solving one-step equations using addition and subtraction. One step equations are of the form ax + b = c, where a, b, and c are known numbers, and x is the unknown variable. Students are required to find the value of x such that the equation becomes true.
Solving an equation involves applying inverse operations to isolate the variable on one side and the constant on the other side. The inverse operation for addition is subtraction of the same amount from both sides of the equation and the inverse operation for subtraction is addition of the same amount to both sides of the equation.