Elizabeth M. E. Nelson
This unit includes strategies and activities that can be used in the K-2 classroom, as well as adapted for 3-12 classrooms, that address all of the Mathematical Practices (MP) outlined in the CCSS, particularly the following:
- MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. The establishment of a mathematical community, a routine for solving math problems, as well as all of the activities described help to support this standard.
- MP4: Model with mathematics. All of the work throughout this unit provides students the opportunities to apply the mathematics they know and understand.
- MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically. Suggestions are made to provide students with a variety of tools when solving mathematical problems, as well as representing them. In particular, Activity #2 facilitates opportunities for students to evaluate the efficiency with their use of these tools when solving problems.
- MP8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. When students are provided with multiple opportunities to solve a variety of problems, they become increasingly familiar with general methods they can use. More specifically, Activity #2 allows for students to identify which of their methods may be viewed as viable shortcuts.
While the above mathematical practices can be connected to any of the Standards of Mathematical Content, the activities in this unit focus on using them with K-2 standards within the domain of "Operations & Algebraic Thinking." More specifically, the following standards are addressed:
- K.OA.A.3: Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way, e.g. by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5=2+3 and 5=4+1). Addressed in Activity #1.
- 1.OA.A, 2.OA.A: Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction. Addressed throughout unit, within routine for solving story problems, and in all 3 activities.
- 2.OA.A.1: Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem. Addressed in Activity #3.
25