They compare, order, and solve simple problems involving integers. The number line is used throughout the unit to model strategies for adding, subtracting, and multiplying integers. Adding Integers Students develop rules for adding integers. Subtracting Integers Students develop an understanding of subtraction as well as rules for subtracting integers. Number lines and chip boards are used to model the subtraction of positive and negative integers.
Students look for patterns and find rules for subtracting positive and negative integers.
As it is difficult to model multiplying or dividing a negative integer by a negative integer, students look for patterns and further develop their understanding of integers and of the operations of multiplication and division as a means for developing rules with integers. They continue to investigate the multiplication of integers by examining series of related equations and looking for patterns. They play a game with products in which the factors include positive and negative integers. Finally, they look at the relationship between multiplication and division and derive rules for dividing integers. In previous units, students graphed in the first quadrant of a coordinate grid.