Elevator Integers Anna Jarrett – ajarrett@duplinschools.net Mathematics stories Elevator Integers Anna Jarrett – ajarrett@duplinschools.net

Conceptual mathematics It is vital for students to understand math conceptually – they need to understand the what, how, and the why Procedures (what/how) have a place and they do need to be learned, but after students have experienced the why in mathematics So how can we get students to learn math conceptually? There are many ways, but one way is to incorporate math stories Math stories are a way for students to analyze math in real world and use different strategies to solve and think and math

Integers Conceptual strategies with integers: Chips Models: Using two color chips to represent positive and negative, students manipulate these chips to represent and solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems Number line: Often times, our number lines are underutilized. This is the perfect tool to use to carry out operations and model what the number sentence is telling students Math Stories: Using real-life examples to reason and think through numbers Use a math story to reason through a problem Have students write their own math stories for problems – can reveal a lot about their thinking

Adding and Subtracting Integer Stories Given a problem like -5 + = 3 Would your students be able to write a story? What would the story be like?

What kinds of things can be learned from these stories?

NCTM - Illuminations Elevator Aritimitic 7.NS.3 – Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers. MP: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them and model with mathematics. This lesson is for adding and subtracting integers. The common “story” throughout this lesson is the elevator

Elevator Arithimic Concepts: Skills/Performances Integers Use visuals and numbers to represent integers Number line Adding of integers Investigate how to add and subtract integers Subtraction of integers Use this process to allow students to draw their own conclusions about methods to add and subtract integers Writing expressions Evaluating expressions Visualization of expressions

Representations Students will be using vertical number lines to represent an elevator in order to add and subtract integers Students will be drawing their own vertical number lines, “elevators” in order to represent an expression Students can have large printed elevator on their own to move their pencil as if they were riding an elevator Project elevator in SmartBoard and use a small person to move up and down the elevator

Action and Expression Making sure students can verbalize and represent integer operations on a number line Questioning students throughout Asking what they are thinking as they are moving up and down the number line Asking them to demonstrate getting their answer What patterns are they noticing Etc.. End of lesson, we will summarize learnings to add to Toolbox section of notebook

Engagement Students will work in pairs in encourage collaboration Will be circulating asking everyone questions May ask students to draw their elevator on large whiteboards for certain problems May ask some pairs to ”act out” the elevator movements for the class – students could be given expression and then act it out or they could act it out and then come up with the expression Could assign partner roles One is the speaker – the one who is verbalizing the work for the pair One is the writer – the one who is writing down the work on the paper

References NCTM – Illuminations – Elevator Aritimitic Nicole M. Wessman-Enzinger, & Edward S. Mooney. (2014). Making Sense of Integers through Storytelling. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 20(4), 202-205. doi:10.5951/mathteacmiddscho.20.4.0202