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

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. What kinds of things can be learned from these stories?

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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), doi: /mathteacmiddscho