A Curriculum Study: Teaching Integer Addition and Subtraction Using a Net Worth Concept

Abstract

The face of mathematics education in the United States is currently undergoing a paradigm shift. After many years of applying the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards, most states are now implementing the new set of national standards, The Common Core State Curriculum (CCSS). Because of this shift, teachers are working to align their materials with the practices and standards outlined in the CCSS. This thesis provides a discussion of the new CCSS and presents a unit plan for a seventh grade mathematics classroom on integer addition and subtraction. The unit plan provides an exemplar model of integer addition and subtraction and fulfills new requirements set forth in the CCSS. Using the concept of net worth, students have the opportunity to work within concrete scenarios and progressively move toward working with abstract number sentences detached of any context. This unit especially emphasizes the use of mathematical modeling, which is a particular piece in the CCSS.