Getting Started

Type of Unit: Introduction

Prior Knowledge

Students should be able to:

Solve and write numerical equations for whole number addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.
Use parentheses to evaluate numerical expressions.
Identify and use the properties of operations.

Lesson Flow

In this unit, students are introduced to the rituals and routines that build a successful classroom math community and they are introduced to the basic features of the digital course that they will use throughout the year.

An introductory card sort activity matches students with their partner for the week. Then over the course of the week, students learn about the lesson routines: Opening, Work Time, Ways of Thinking, Apply the Learning, Summary of the Math, and Reflection. Students learn how to present their work to the class, the importance of taking responsibility for their own learning, and how to effectively participate in the classroom math community.

Students then work on Gallery problems to further explore the program’s technology resources and tools and learn how to organize their work.

The mathematical work of the unit focuses on numerical expressions, including card sort activities in which students identify equivalent expressions and match an expression card to a word card that describes its meaning. Students use the properties of operations to identify equivalent expressions and to find unknown values in equations.

Students are introduced to classroom routines and expectations, and complete a full mathematics lesson. The class discusses how to clearly present work to classmates. Partner work is modeled, and partners then work to match numerical expressions to corresponding word descriptions. Students read and discuss a summary of the math in the lesson, and then write a reflection about their thoughts.Key ConceptsStudents match a numerical expression to its corresponding description in words. Students interpret parentheses and brackets in numerical expressions and they construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Students learn to use the exponent 2 to represent squaring.Goals and Learning ObjectivesDescribe the classroom routines and expectations.Consider how to present work clearly to classmates.Collaborate with a partner.Critique a partner’s reasoning.Connect a numerical expression to its corresponding word description.Learn to use an exponent of 2 to represent squaring.