Algebra in Elementary School 4/26/2020

Project Objective
Developing algebraic math curriculum for students in elementary grade level
to prepare them for Algebra and higher levels of math.

Algebra in Elementary School Focus: Prepare elementary teachers to

be familiar with lessons that they
currently teach and connect it to
Bicky Nguyen algebraic/arithmetic methods. Many
Saint Norbert Faculty elementary teachers and students do
April 26,2020 not see the hidden algebra methods
used in the math lessons.

CA Content Standards ISTE Standards

Common Core State Standards - Mathematics Grades 2- 5

● Operations & Algebraic thinking ● Learner: teachers are learning new

○ Solving equations involving adding/subtraction math methods
& multiplication/division
● Collaborator: teachers working
● Number and Operations - Fractions
together to improve teaching methods
○ Understanding fractions as a division problem
● Measurements and Data ● Leader: finding different opportunities
○ Solving problems involving measurement to improve student learning
conversions

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Algebra in Elementary School 4/26/2020

NBPTS Standards Benefits of Algebra in Elementary school

Proposition #1: Elementary Level High school level Future Careers
● Committed to student learning.
● Builds a solid ● Better prepared for ● Abstract reasoning
algebraic math higher level math skills
Proposition #2:
foundation courses ● Problem solving
● Understanding math ● Higher achievements skills
● Knows the subject well and how to
language in calculus, ● Logical thinkers
teach it.
● Allows students to trigonometry, and ● Higher education
think outside of the logarithm
Proposition #5:
box and be engaged ● Higher SAT scores
● Member of a learning community.

Understanding Algebra

● Teachers from grades 2nd to

5th at Saint Norbert Catholic
School.
● Students in grade levels 2nd
to 5th at Saint Norbert
Catholic School.

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Algebra in Elementary School 4/26/2020

Methods of teaching math Proposed Grade levels

Normal math method Algebraic method
● Working to show that each side of the equal sign are
● Adding and subtracting to equal ● Showing that math is like a balance equal groups to build for understanding of
Grade 2 multiplication
something beam, as long as both sides are equal
● Recognizing that it should equal to one then it is an equation ○ 20 + __ = 15+9 → 20 + a = 15 +9
solution ○ Ex: 2 +3 = 6-1
○ Ex: 2+3 = 5 ● Introducing variables earlier on instead
● Using properties to define math of using blanks ● Building the idea of the equal sign represents a
methods ○ 5+2 = 3 + b balance beam. Introducing multiplication using
● Explaining math methods by using Grade 3 variables
properties ○ 5 x 3 = 5 +5 +5 → 5 x a = 5 +5+ 5

Proposed Grade Level Three Big Ideas of Algebra

● Understanding patterns and developing a rule that
is written as an equation.
○ 2, 4, 6, 8, 10… the pattern is to multiply each term by
Grade 4 2 so the rule would be 2x where x represents the
term.
● Changing addition patterns to multiplication
○ 5+5+5+5+5 +5 = 5 x 6
● Interpreting and simplifying numerical expressions
with variables using PEMDAS
○ 4x + 5x → 9x where x is the unknown number
Grade 5 ○ (3y +6y) - (5y - 2y) → (9y) - (3y) → 6y
● Understanding prime factorization
○ 72 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 3x 3 and vice versa
● Variables
○ Using letters to represent unknown values
Ex: car + car = $4 and car + bear = $6
x + x = 4 → x represents car
2x = 4
x = 2 → each car is $2 so you can now figure out how much the bear cost
● Patterns and Functions
○ Understanding the pattern and coming up with an equation for the rule
Ex: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 → the pattern is x + 1 where x is the term
y = x + 1 will be the equation or rule.
● Proportions and Reasoning
○ Understanding proportions must equal when reduced to lowest terms.
Ex: 200 ones is equal to 2 hundreds, (2 x 100), then 400 ones will equal what?
200 = 400 for this proportion to be true x must equal 4
2 x

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Algebra in Elementary School 4/26/2020

Timeline Activity
2019-2020
Teachers will be paired up 2nd with 3rd and 4th with 5th. Each group will be given
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug normal math problems and you will need to work together to change how it needs to
Introduce project to teachers Implement algebraic methods be taught to embed algebraic concepts.
and start their training. within the classroom .

Assessing students’ understanding along the way 2nd & 3rd Grade Math Problems 4th & 5th Grade Math Problems

2020-2021 Advancd projects 1. 24 + 42 = 66 1. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 the pattern is adding 3

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
2. If 12 inches equals 1 foot, then how many
2. __ - 9 = 37 feet is 72 inches?
3. Popcorn + popcorn + popcorn = $15 then
Continue to implement algebraic methods within the classroom . 3. 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 =32
find the cost of the at movie ticket if
4. 4 x 7 = 28 Popcorn + ticket = $17
Assessing students’ understanding along the way. 4. 9 x 9 x9 = 27

Resources
https://www.quora.com/Why-teach-maths-in-primary-school

http://mathandreadinghelp.org/elementary_school_algebra.html

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/why-algebra/

https://demmelearning.com/learning-blog/why-we-learn-algebra/

http://thinkmath.edc.org/resource/early-algebra-little-kids

https://qrc.depaul.edu/algebrainitiative/Articles/Algebra_Elementary_Article_Carole_Greene.pdf

https://pact.tarleton.edu/tcert/Content/Documents/Patterns%20and%20Algebra.pdf

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