122CDuncan-Eliciting Algebraic Thinking PP

Eliciting Algebraic
Thinking
Supporting Pk-3 Students’ development of
algebraic thinking in the OA domain
Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Agenda
Goals and Outcomes!
Algebra Review!
Symbolic Meaning!
Part-Whole and Unknown Addends!
Math Practices!
Final Reflection
Why are we here?
Highlight some concepts that support algebraic

thinking.!
Explore elements of algebraic thinking within the

Operations and Algebraic Thinking Domain.!
Review instructional approaches that support

algebraic thinking.!
Engage with activities that elicit algebraic thinking.

When we leave . . .
We will understand algebraic concepts

embedded in K-3 standards!
We can identify K-3 standards that relate to

We have a toolkit of instructional strategies and

activities that support algebraic thinking.

What is algebra?
Record of algebraic ideas date back to 2000 BC in ancient Babylon. !
Other records throughout history.!
al-Kwarizmi (820 AD) is credited as naming algebra. He wrote The

compendious on Calculation by Completion and Balancing.!
The word “algebra” means restoration or completion.!
al-Kwarizmi was the first to think about algebra more abstractly.!
Focus on the idea of completing equations through balance of each side.!
Definition: The part of mathematics in which letters and other general

symbols are used to represent numbers and quantities in formulae and
equations.
Khan Academy - Origins of Algebra
Why does algebra
matter?
Advanced math equals career opportunity.!
STEM jobs (17% growth) are growing at almost twice the rate of non-STEM jobs (10%
growth).!
“- regardless
Simply taking advanced math hasof family
a directbackground
impact on grades
future and collegeapart
earnings, degrees.”
from any other
factors. Students who take advanced math have higher incomes ten years after graduating
—regardless of family background, grades and college degrees.!
“included A
. . little over half
. are about 45% of
of all
lowU.S. occupations
skills jobs . . .” require a significant level of “knowledge of
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.” Included in these
nearly 500 occupations are about 45% of low skills jobs, about half of middle skills jobs,
and over 80% of high skills jobs.9!
Many “blue collar” jobs also require advanced math: One study found that the math skills
required by electricians, construction workers, upholsterers and plumbers match what’s
necessary to do well in college courses.10 The International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers’ test for prospective apprentices “Many ‘blue
includes collar’problems.
algebra jobs also require advanced math . . .”
http://www.achieve.org/files/MathWorks-AllStudentsNeedAdvancedMath.pdf
What primary skills and
concepts underlie algebra and
algebraic thinking?
Conceptual Understanding of
and procedural fluency
with . . . !
Operations!
Properties!
Symbols!
Quantity

Understanding Symbols

Understanding Symbols
🙋❤️🎲
What does this string of symbols mean? Are you able to
make sense of it?!
Teaching students to work with equations requires that

students attach meaning to the symbols we use.
Symbols that indicate a

Symbols that indicate
comparison should be
an action is required:! made:!
➕➖✖️➗ < = >

Supporting
Understanding of Symbols
Language!
Think about the words you use associated
with equation symbols.!
What kind of meaning do those words hold?!
What words might we use that evoke stronger

understanding?

Supporting
Understanding of Symbols
Especially confusing is the equal sign.!
“Children as young as kindergarten may have appropriate understanding

of objects but have difficulty relating this understanding to symbolic
representations involving the equals sign. A concerted effort over an
extended period of time is required to establish appropriate notations of
equality. Teachers should also be concerned about children’s conceptions
of equality as soon as symbols for representing number operations are
introduced.”!
What words do you use to evoke understanding of =?!
! “. . . IS THE SAME VALUE AS . . . ”
Teaching Children Mathematics, Falkner, K., Dec. 1999, p. 233

mposite, comprehensive view of successful mathematics learning. Recog-
ing that no term captures completely all aspects of expertise, competence,
Why is this important?

owledge, and facility in mathematics, we have chosen mathematical profi-
cy to capture what we think it means for anyone to learn mathematics
cessfully. Mathematical proficiency, as we see it, has five strands:
• conceptual understanding—comprehension of math-

Conceptual
atical concepts, operations, and relations Understanding
• procedural fluency—skill in carrying out procedures Strategic

Competence
Productive
Disposition
xibly, accurately, efficiently, and appropriately Adaptive Procedural
Without a firm
• strategic competence—ability grasp ofrepre-
to formulate,
Reasoning Fluency
what theproblems
t, and solve mathematical symbols mean
• adaptive reasoning—capacity for logical thought,
in equations, students
ection, explanation, and justification
lack the conceptual
• productive disposition—habitual inclination to see
understanding
thematics as sensible, neededcoupled
useful, and worthwhile, to
h a belief in diligence
engage andin
one’s
theown efficacy.
other four
strands of proficiency.
The most important observation we make about these
e strands is that they are interwoven and interdependent.
is observation has implications for how students acquire Intertwined Strands of Proficiency
thematical proficiency, how teachers develop that profi-

ncy in their students, and how teachers are educated Adding it up : helping children learn mathematics; Kilpatric, J, 2001
achieve that goal.

How does this connect
to algebraic thinking?
“Understanding equality as a
relationship is important
[because] . . . a lack of such
understanding is one of the major
stumbling blocks for students when
they move from arithmetic to
algebra.”!
Teaching Children Mathematics, Falkner, K., Dec. 1999, p. 234

Activities to Support
Symbolic Understanding

Naughty Bears
!
This activity emphasizes
using either side of the equal
sign to indicate the parts and
the whole.
!
Addresses the K.OA.2
standard (Both Addends
Unknown problem type).
!
Can be modified with
quantity for older grades.
Let’s try it out!

We’ll choose 10 as our number.
Use the bears to model your story and really try to write
an equation that matches the sequence of the story.

Number Rack
Detectives
Important Points
Rekenreks (number racks)
!
Emphasis: Equations can be written with the
whole before the equal sign.
!
First grade lesson supporting 1.OA.6 but can also
support K.OA.3 or 2.OA.2

Equal Sums,
Different
Arrays
Second grade activity that
addresses 2.OA.4 and 2.OA.2
!
Also supports 3.OA.7
!
Emphasizes comparing
equality of expressions
through a visual model.

Connections & Ideas
With table mates, spend a few minutes sharing

connections and ideas you’ve made after playing
some of these games.!
What ideas do you have for eliciting symbolic

understanding in your instruction?!
What new ideas are you pondering?

Implications for Pre-K
Given that research shows that very young children
can understand equality but misunderstand the
equality symbol, how can Pre-K teachers/programs set
the stage for increased understanding?!
Comparison Activities!
Balance Concepts!
Fair Share Activities!
Language

Part-Whole
Relationships
Decomposition &
Unknown
Addends

What does this look
like?
K.OA.3 - Partners to 9.!
K.OA.4 - How many more to make 10?!
1.OA.4 - Understand subtraction as an unknown

addend problem.

Why is Part-Whole
understanding important?
Supports Level 3 addition and subtraction
strategies.!
Make a Ten [8+5=(8+2)+3=10+3=13]!
Doubles +/- 1 or 2 [7+8=(7+7)+1=14+1=15]!
Level 3 strategies support flexibility and

procedural fluency.

Why is the +/-
relationship important?
Relating addition and subtraction equations to

other known equations is another Level 3
method.!
Is addition easier than subtraction? YES!

Why is the +/-
relationship important?
Are students more successful when counting forward or
backward when using a counting method to add/subtract?!
9+4= !
13-4= !
“Learning to think of and solve subtractions as unknown

addend problems makes subtraction as easy as addition (or
even easier), and it emphasizes the relationship between
addition and subtraction.”
K-2 OA Progressions, p.15

How does part-whole and
unknown addend understanding
work together?
“Students can solve some unknown addend
problems by trial and error or by knowing the
relevant decomposition of the total.”!
Example:!
13-4= ! ! ! ! 13!! ! ! 13!! ! 4+ =13!
! ! ! ! ! 4! ! ! ! 4! +
K-2 OA Progressions, p.14

How does this understanding
support algebraic thinking?
Understanding subtraction as an unknown
addend problem makes equations dynamic and
flexible.!
Potential “rearrangements and manipulations

are ever present.”!
“The standards emphasize purposeful

transformation of expressions into equivalent
forms that are suitable for the purpose at hand.”
Algebra Progressions, p. 4-5

Part-Whole & Unknown Addend
Activities
Sort the Sum
(Grade 1)
What’s Missing? Bingo

(Grade 3)
Drop the Beans

(Grade K/1)
Activity Extensions -
Sort the Sum
Use double 9 or double 12 dominoes for more possibilities.!
Careful record of equations!
9=4+5! Supports
understanding of
the equal sign.
9=3+6!
=
Connect dominoes (visual model)
to equations with expressions on
4+5 = 6+3
each side) to support understanding
of equations.
Drop the Beans
Modify for kindergarten (work within 5) and

second grade (work beyond 10)!
Connect to other representations & incorporate

equations!
Number Frames app

What’s Missing? Bingo
Geoboard app!
Provides a lasting record of thinking!
Can tie other concepts used on the geoboard

(geometry, fractions, etc. to multiplication/
division)

Connections & Ideas
With table mates, spend a few minutes sharing

connections and ideas you’ve made after playing
some of these games.!
What ideas do you have for eliciting symbolic

understanding in your instruction?!
What new ideas are you pondering?

Math Practices
“The algebra standards are fertile ground for the Standards for
Mathematical Practice. Two in particular that stand out are MP.
7, ‘Look for and make use of structure’ and MP.8 ‘Look for and
express regularity in repeated reasoning.’”!
Example:! 3(5x? - 4) + 2 = 20
! ! ! ! !
3 (5x?- 4) = 18
5x
? -4=6
Algebra Progressions, p. 3 and www.thinkmath.edc.ort 5x = 10

Why are we here?
Highlight some concepts that support algebraic

thinking.!
Explore elements of algebraic thinking within the

Operations and Algebraic Thinking Domain.!
Review instructional approaches that support

Engage with activities that elicit algebraic thinking.

When we leave . . .
We will understand what algebraic concepts

relate to K-3.!
We can identify K-3 standards that relate to

We have a toolkit of instructional strategies and

activities that support algebraic thinking.

Please take your number
rack and a resource sheet.
Questions?
Please take a minute to complete the evaluation.
Thank you for attending!

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Eliciting Algebraic

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Part-Whole and Unknown Addends!

Highlight some concepts that support algebraic

Explore elements of algebraic thinking within the

Review instructional approaches that support

Engage with activities that elicit algebraic thinking.

We will understand algebraic concepts

We can identify K-3 standards that relate to

We have a toolkit of instructional strategies and

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Other records throughout history.!

al-Kwarizmi (820 AD) is credited as naming algebra. He wrote The

The word “algebra” means restoration or completion.!

al-Kwarizmi was the first to think about algebra more abstractly.!

Focus on the idea of completing equations through balance of each side.!

Definition: The part of mathematics in which letters and other general

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Teaching students to work with equations requires that

Symbols that indicate a

➕➖✖️➗ < = >

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

What kind of meaning do those words hold?!

What words might we use that evoke stronger

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

“Children as young as kindergarten may have appropriate understanding

What words do you use to evoke understanding of =?!

! “. . . IS THE SAME VALUE AS . . . ”

Teaching Children Mathematics, Falkner, K., Dec. 1999, p. 233

Why is this important?

• conceptual understanding—comprehension of math-

• procedural fluency—skill in carrying out procedures Strategic

thematical proficiency, how teachers develop that profi-

achieve that goal.

Teaching Children Mathematics, Falkner, K., Dec. 1999, p. 234

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Let’s try it out!

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

With table mates, spend a few minutes sharing

What ideas do you have for eliciting symbolic

What new ideas are you pondering?

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Fair Share Activities!

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

K.OA.3 - Partners to 9.!

K.OA.4 - How many more to make 10?!

1.OA.4 - Understand subtraction as an unknown

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Make a Ten [8+5=(8+2)+3=10+3=13]!

Doubles +/- 1 or 2 [7+8=(7+7)+1=14+1=15]!

Level 3 strategies support flexibility and

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

Relating addition and subtraction equations to

Is addition easier than subtraction? YES!

Caitlin Duncan, May 2015

“Learning to think of and solve subtractions as unknown

K-2 OA Progressions, p.15

13-4= ! ! ! ! 13!! ! ! 13!! ! 4+ =13!

K-2 OA Progressions, p.14

Potential “rearrangements and manipulations