LESSON PLAN 7
- Integers – adding and subtracting
- Mathematics (includes geometry, proportionality, finances ...), Science (includes physics, biology ...)
- ISCED 2 = Lower Secondary Education
Duration
4 hours/45 min each
Topic
Adding and subtracting integers, negative numbers
Synopsis
Understanding positive integers as something we have, and negative as something we need to give and calculate with them is something very close to everyday life and practical use of math.
Contributors
Math, Physics, Finances teachers
Framework
Material / Equipment
Paper or Monopoly money
Grocery/supplies list
Previous knowledge and skills
Adding and subtracting natural numbers, less than, greater than, negative integers, negative integers on number line
Learning Objectives
Learning goals and objectives:
Students will, on examples from everyday life, learn how to add and subtract positive and negative integers.
The students will participate in solving individual and group applications, with a progressive and differentiated degree of difficulty depending on the learning styles and the level of understanding aimed at:
- identifying the problems involving adding and subtracting
- finding real-life problems that can be solved with the help of adding/subtracting
- identifying some problem situations that can be transcribed in mathematical language
Learning outcomes and expected outcomes:
MAT Elementary School A.6.6. Shows and applies integers.
MAT Elementary School A.6.7. Calculates with integers
Methodology
Teacher should try to lead constructive debate, encourage each student to give their own opinion and examples. They should try to connect lesson with real life, finances they are familiar with. Here they can debate about what means to be in positive, or negative in bank account, what it means if you lack of money, how can we write and explain that…
Some materials can be published on platform even before so students can prepare. Assignment task and results (students work) should be published on platform so everybody involved in process can access them.
Also, assignments can be organized in pairs or smaller groups and platform can be used as way of communication and cooperation, and even tutoring. Groups or pairs can be formed in a way that each group contains at least one better student then rest of group so that he can be tutor to students in the group. In that case he is supposed to keep diary about instructions and directions he gave and how successful his “students” were.
Preparation & Resources
Resources
Paper/monopoly money; assignments made by teacher for group/pair work
Implementation
Plan requires 4 hours/ 45 min each.
First – Talking about finances, bank accounts, debt, negative integers and their position on number line (This can also be done on e-platform. In that case, plan requires 3×45 minutes.).
Explaining assignment and dividing student in groups/pairs.
Second and third – Students work in groups/pairs.
Fourth – exit cards or peer evaluation or evaluation for learning.
Correlation with other subjects
- Geography – altitude and sea depth, distance, what is greater the depth of the Mariana Trench or Mt Everest (what is the difference)
- Science – temperatures, boiling point and freezing point temperatures, Kelvins to Celsius
Outline of the Lesson
Students are divided into heterogeneous groups where the best student is “the banker”.
All get equal amount of money, and list with things to “buy” (groups can buy groceries for lunch, cake baking, birthday party, furniture, bikes, shoes, …) so they need to subtract each thing they buy from their amount of money. They can do so by subtracting one by one, or add everything they bought together and then subtract.
The banker has assignment to check their work and to give them things they must buy. Eventually, they will spend all of their money. So, they will need to borrow some in “the bank”. They will need to calculate how much are they missing to buy what they need, how much will they borrow from the bank, how much they need to give back; and so on, and so on, …
On the beginning of forth part, teacher writes down summary and gives them example how is the right way of notating and writing down their calculations.
Exit cards/exercises for peer evaluations are given for students to check what they have learned. (For instance – teacher gives students cards. On one side is only one number (solution), and on the other is given problem (subtracting/adding). Teacher writes first problem on the board; all students calculate and the one with the right solution comes to the board and writes it down. Student also writes it’s own problem on card, and students calculate to find solution, … That way all students participate in work).
Extension Activities
The students who are progressing faster are “the bankers”, they control and help students who are slow learners.
Each student has their own list of things to buy, so assignments are individually graduated.
