Algebra: The Early Years

1
Algebra The Early Years

• Elijah R. Swift, Jr.
• Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• Maricopa County Community College District, AZ
• Aline Wilson
• Lenora Braynon Smith Elementary School
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools FL
• John Roberts
• Leflore County P.S., MS

2
What do you do when a student asks, When am I
ever going to use this?
3
What do you do when a student says, Im just
not a math person?
4
What do you do to help struggling students
succeed?
5
Motivate Them!
6
Motivate them?

• This is easier said than done.

7
HOW????
8
Agenda

• Creed
• Introductions
• Giving/ Following Directions Activity
• What is Algebra? How does it look at the
  elementary school level?
• Whats My Rule?
• Pattern Play
• Puzzling Patterns

• Patterns of Penny Placement
• Just the Facts Song
• Find the Missing Number
• How Fast Are We Going?
• Find Perimeter and Area Using Straws and Fishing
  Line
• Creed

9
Creed
I AM LARGER THAN LIFE I WILL LEAD NOT FOLLOW I
WILL BELIEVE NOT DOUBT I WILL CREATE NOT
DESTROY I AM A FORCE FOR GOOD I WILL DEFY THE
ODDS I WILL SET A NEW STANDARD I WILL STEP UP I
AM WHAT I CHOOSE TO BE AND EVERY DAY, IN EVERY
WAY, I GET BETTER AND BETTER
10
Introductions Who are you?

• Think of an adjective that describes you.
• Stand. Tell us your adjective, why you chose it,
  and briefly tell us about yourself.

11
Giving/ Following Directions

• Do you give clear instructions?
• Are you able to follow directions?

• In this activity, you will work with a partner
  (groups of 2).
• Person 1 will give instructions. Person 2 will
  follow the given directives.

12
What is Algebra?
13
Algebraic Thinking
The NCTM has constantly emphasized that beginning
with the earliest grades, the curriculum should
stress patterns (Bassarear, 2005). More
specifically, students should be afforded
opportunities to focus on recognizing,
describing, and extending patterns.
14
Algebraic Thinking
The NCTM also states that elementary teachers
should have sufficient familiarity with the
ideas of algebra so that their students will
explore and develop, before they enter high
school, the concepts and skills that are
essential prerequisites to formal algebraic
thinking.
15
Patterns
16
Whats My Rule? Activity
17
Whats My Rule?

• Cut out shapes.
• Create a pattern using the shapes.
• Pair up with a partner. See can you figure out
  the rule for the pattern that your partner
  created.

18
Whats My Rule? Discussion

• Which patterns presented the least amount of
  challenge to figure out? Why?
• Which patterns presented the greatest amount of
  challenge to figure out? Why?
• Use/ Adapt for Use

19
Pattern Play Activity

• Noodlin With Numbers

20
Pattern Play Noodlin With Numbers

• Pattern detectives everywhere, we need your help!
  A dreadful number villain is vandalizing our
  town. No number is safe from his evil clutches.

21
Pattern Play Noodlin With Numbers

• This mysterious phantom is noodlin with our
  numbers and causing chaos in our town. You can
  imagine the confusion when highway 3 suddenly
  became highway 7 and the speed limit changed from
  20 to 41 miles per hour within minutes. Addresses
  are being changed. The ice cream shop isnt 127
  Cedar Avenue anymore. It is now 255 Cedar Avenue.

22
Pattern Play Noodlin With Numbers

• Were stumped. Please help us solve this mystery.
  Do you see a pattern? Maybe if you can discover
  the pattern, we can save the next town.

23
Pattern Play Schools In

• There are 20 fish in the school. There are
  three different colors of fish blue, green, and
  red. The school was lined up so that the pattern
  of fish was blue, blue, green, green, red, blue,
  blue, green, green, red
• What color is the last fish in the line?
• How many blue fish are in the school?

24
Pattern Play Pyramid of Pennies

• Chin built a pyramid of pennies. He had one penny
  on top. He had three pennies in the second row.
  He had five pennies in the third row and seven
  pennies in the fourth row.
• How many pennies did he have in the 10th row?
• Which row had 27 pennies?

25
Pattern Play? Discussion

• Which patterns presented the least amount of
  challenge to figure out? Why?
• Which patterns presented the greatest amount of
  challenge to figure out? Why?
• Use/ Adapt for Use

26
Puzzling Patterns
27
Puzzling Patterns

• Look at the Hundreds Chart.
• What patterns do you see?
• Record results on flip chart paper.

28
(No Transcript)
29
Puzzling Patterns

• Lets break the chart apart.

30
Puzzling Patterns? Discussion

• Which patterns presented the least amount of
  challenge to figure out? Why?
• Which patterns presented the greatest amount of
  challenge to figure out? Why?
• Use/ Adapt for Use

31
Patterns of Penny Placement
32
Just the Facts Song
33
Find the Missing Number Activity
34
Find the Missing Number Discussion

• Use/ Adapt for Use

35
How Fast Are We Going Activity
36
How Fast Are We Going Discussion

• Use/ Adapt for Use

37
Find Perimeter and Area Activity
38
Find Perimeter and Area Activity Discussion

• Use/ Adapt for Use

39
Wrap it Up
40
(No Transcript)
41
IF A CHILD DOES NOT LEARN
THE WAY YOU TEACH,
TEACH THE WAY THE CHILD
LEARNS.
42
Creed
I AM LARGER THAN LIFE I WILL LEAD NOT FOLLOW I
WILL BELIEVE NOT DOUBT I WILL CREATE NOT
DESTROY I AM A FORCE FOR GOOD I WILL DEFY THE
ODDS I WILL SET A NEW STANDARD I WILL STEP UP I
AM WHAT I CHOOSE TO BE AND EVERY DAY, IN EVERY
WAY, I GET BETTER AND BETTER
43
Contact Info

• elijah.swift_at_cgcmail.maricopa.edu
• awilson_at_dadeschools.net
• tony51156_at_aol.com
• This presentation can be found online at
• http//eport2.cgc.maricopa.edu/published/s/wi/swif
  t/collection/11/