Math Operations and Algebraic Thinking

Introduction to the Unit/Math Facts

This is a unit on addition and subtraction. With the common core standards, we take a
holistic approach to these concepts, learning about addition facts, subtraction facts,
and addition and subtraction in the context of word problems as we go along, instead
of doing one at a time in isolation. The idea is to create true mathematical thinkers,
rather than just students who can add and subtract without really understanding what
they are doing. We will start with fairly simple addition and subtraction problems in
order to teach key strategies. Those strategies will then stay with students for years
to come as they work problems with higher and higher numbers. More information
about specific strategies will come home at a later date.
Having said that, students do still need to become fluent with basic addition and
subtraction facts up to 20. A certain level of speed with problems such as 3 + 5 = 8
will help students feel comfortable and confident as we move forward. A great way for
students to practice their facts is through online practice. Below are some free
websites you can use at home, and there are plenty others that you can find as well.
We will take a timed math fact test once a week for the remainder of the year to see
how the students are progressing with their math fluency, although these will not be
graded (per FCBOE policy). Students will track their progress on these timed tests by
making their own graph of the results.
Here are some websites that contain math fact practice, among other things:
www.mathfactcafe.com
www.Aplusmath.com
www.gamequarium.com
www.AAAmath.com
www.sheppardsoftware.com
Solving Word Problems:
We will spend a great deal of time during this unit solving word problems, which are
sometimes called story problems. The thinking about solving these problems has
changed over the years. We no longer focus on finding key words to determine if you
need to add or subtract. Because addition and subtraction are related, one person
might say that a problem is an addition problem, while another might see it as a
subtraction problem, and they are both correct.
With any basic problem, there are three parts: the start of the problem, the change
(either up or down), and the result. Two of those are always known, and one is
unknown.

Read this example problem:

Sally found several shells on the ground on Monday. Then on Tuesday she found 3
more. When she counted all of them together, she had 12 shells. How many shells
did she find on Monday?
In this problem, the start is unknown. You know the change (3 more), and you know
the result (12). We teach students that the biggest number in the problem is the
whole, and the two smaller numbers are the parts. Students use the diagram
below to fill in the parts of the problem that they know (either the whole and one part
or both parts) and then can find the missing part, either by counting up or counting
back. In the case of Sally and her shells, 12 is the whole, and 3 is a part. You
need to find the other part.
Students will compete this thinking by drawing and completing a box that looks like
this:

whole
part

part

Problems are a story, so students may also think about the problem as having a
beginning (the start), a middle (the change, either up or down) and the end (the
result). With this kind of thinking, the box would look more like a comic strip:
Beginning

Middle

End

Here is another example of the part-part-whole method of solving a problem. For

instance, if the problem says, Cindy had 2 cookies, then her brother gave her 5 more.
How many cookies does she have in all? she has part, and part, but not the whole.
The whole, again, is the biggest number, which in this case is the total number of
pennies. Students can start at 5 and count up 2 to determine the answer (the whole),
which is 7.
If the problem says Bob has 8 pennies. Six of them are in his piggy bank and he
cannot spend those. How many pennies does he have to spend? then you have the
whole (8) and one part (6), but need the other part. Students can either start at 8 and
count back to 6 to find the answer, or they can start at 6 and count up to 8. Either
way will get them the correct answer, which is 2, one of the parts of the problem.

Once students finish completing the boxes, they will often be asked to write a number
sentence to represent the problem. Again, this could be a subtraction problem or an
addition problem, as long as it is correct and it matches the numbers in the word
problem.
Finally, students write their answer and attach a label. So, if the problem is about
balls, then the word balls needs to be a part of the answer.
Fact Families
In math we talk about addition and subtraction fact families. If you take any two
numbers that you can add together to get a third number, such as 6, 5, and 11, you
can make a fact family. The family of those three numbers can form four separate
addition and subtraction equations as a team. In this case, they would be:
6 + 5 = 11
5 + 6 = 11
11 5 = 6
11 6 = 5
The great thing about fact families is that if you know one fact, you really know four!
The concept of fact families also helps us show children how addition and subtraction
are closely connected.
Completing Equations With Missing Information
Students need to solve addition and subtraction problems where the result, start, and
change are unknown.
Example of result unknown: 3 + 4 = ___;
12 4 = ___
Example of start unknown:
___ + 4 = 7;
___ - 4 = 8
Example of change unknown: 3 + ___ = 7;
12 - ___ = 8
The blank will sometimes be represented by a large shape to fill in, such as a large
square, large circle, or large rectangle. Sometimes the blank could be a letter
standing in for a number. This is all algebra, after all, just at a first grade level.
Students need to use a strategy to solve the problems above. They can count up or
count back, and can also use a number line. We will practice all of these strategies in
class.
Strategies for Learning Basic Math Facts

Students need to recall basic facts up to 20 accurately and fluently. They dont have
to memorize them all, however. If they memorize a few facts, they will realize they
know so much more! For instance, they only need to memorize one key fact from
each fact family. If they know that 3 + 4 = 7, then they actually know four facts, not
just one, since they know the rest of the fact family.
If students memorize all of the doubles up through 10 (1 + 1 = 2, 2 + 2 = 4, etc.,
through 10 + 10 = 20), then they will also know what we call the doubles plus one.
This means that if you know that 6 + 6 = 12, then you know that 6 + 7 = 13.
Students need to memorize the combinations of numbers that make 10: 9 + 1; 8 + 2;
7 + 3; 6 + 4, and of course 5 + 5, which is also a double. That way they can use our
strategy called making ten or bridging to 10 to learn lots of other facts. If the
problem is 9 + 4, and students know that 9 + 3 = 10, then there is just one left over
once they have reached 10, so 9 + 4 must be 11. In other words, they see how much
of the smaller number is needed to get to 10, and how much is leftover, put the 10
and the leftover amount together, and thats the answer.
Balancing Equations
Students will be expected to balance equations in first grade. This is a skill that we
most likely learned when we were much older, but first graders are up for the
challenge. For instance, they might be presented with 10 4 = 5 + ___. They need to
figure out what goes in the blank. We teach them that the equal side means that the
same total amount is on each side of the equation. So, they learn to total up whats
on the side with no blanks, in this case 10 4. Once they know that it is 6, they see
they need to make the other side of the equation equal 6 as well.
True and False Equations
Building on the balancing of equations, students will have to look at complete
equations and decide if they are balanced (called true equations), or not balanced
(called false equations). For example, 2 + 5 + 7 = 6 + 8 is a true equation, while
20 10 = 8 + 1 is a false equation.