In Algebra II, it's hard to decide how to start the year. I want to review, but I don't want to keep us from moving forward. I need to know how much the students remember from Algebra I. My students were in Geometry last year. How much Algebra was incorporated into their Geometry class? I feel like my best bet is to begin by solving equations and inequalities. The activity that I will use, starts easy and gets progressively harder. The students will not be able to use a calculator because I need to know who REALLY knows how to solve equations without tricks or help. This activity is sold in my TpT Store:

Solving Equations and Inequalities

I really like this activity because there are options. I can make it fun by using the answer banks. The answer banks have the answers with an activity. A few of the activities have the students draw a picture. Another activity has the students fill in a movie title. There are progress checks along the way as well. I think that I will use the easiest page as a bellringer on the first day of class. I'll have them work through as much as they can on the rest and send it home to be finished. I can use the progress checks as quizzes or as pages for their interactive notebooks. This resource will give me an idea of where the students are and will be a nice segway into solving absolute value equations which is what I plan on doing next.