Bethany Vance

Western Governors University

EFT5- Task 4
March 5, 2013
nce a st!"ent has #astere" the conce$t o% a""ition, they can &e'in to !n"erstan"
#!(ti$(ication) When si#i(ar n!#&ers are &ein' a""e" over an" over a'ain, the $ro&(e# can &e
chan'e" %ro# a""ition to #!(ti$(ication) For e*a#$(e, 4+4+4+4+4+4 can &e chan'e" to 4,-)
.nstea" o% a""in' 4 si* ti#es, the st!"ents can &e'in to see the $!r$ose o% #!(ti$(yin') /ho0in'
this vis!a((y 0i(( he($ st!"ents to see that it is easier an" %aster to #e#ori1e 0hat si* 'ro!$s o%
%o!r is than to co!nt a(( the 0ay !$ to 24 one &y one) 2(so, 0hi(e st!"ents ha" to #e#ori1e the
a""ition ta&(e, they #!st a(so #e#ori1e the #!(ti$(ication ta&(e) When this has &een #astere",
the st!"ents can &e'in to #!(ti$(y &y (ar'er n!#&ers s!ch as 5,34 an" (ater, t0o "o!&(e-"i'it
n!#&ers (ike 52,33) nce a'ain, the conce$t o% a""ition is nee"e" to co#$(ete the $ro&(e#)
2%ter #!(ti$(yin' the to$ &y &oth n!#&ers on the &otto#, one #!st a"" the t0o ans0ers to'ether
to 'et the %ina( ans0er)
Un"erstan"in' the re(ationshi$ &et0een #!(ti$(ication an" a""ition he($s st!"ents to
%oc!s on ho0 n!#&ers are re(ate") 2 'oo" 4!estion to enco!ra'e st!"ents to re(ate the t0o
$rocesses is to ask the# 0hy 2+254 an" 2,254, &!t 3+35- an" 3,356) This can &e so(ve" &y
!sin' #ani$!(atives to "e#onstrate each $ro&(e#) Vis!a((y sho0in' the st!"ents that 3,3 is
3+3+3 0i(( he($ the# to create a &etter !n"erstan"in' o% the s!&7ect) They can see that three
'ro!$s o% three are "i%%erent than a""in' three an" three) 8ortrayin' this vis!a((y 0i(( sho0
st!"ents the !se%!(ness o% #!(ti$(ication) To "e#onstrate this, the teacher can &e'in 0ith a $i(e
o% coins) /t!"ents can co!nt the# one &y one, &!t it is easy to (ose track 0hich 0o!(" #ean they
0o!(" have to start a(( over a'ain) The teacher 0i(( "e#onstrate the i"ea o% 'ro!$in') /t!"ents
sho!(" a(rea"y kno0 ho0 to co!nt &y 29s, 59s, an" 109s, so the teacher can !se one o% these
n!#&ers %or the 'ro!$s) :o0 the teacher can co!nt the n!#&er o% 'ro!$s instea" o% co!ntin'
each coin se$arate(y) This 0i(( e%%ective(y intro"!ce the $!r$ose an" e%%ectiveness o%
#!(ti$(ication) .% the teacher en"s !$ 0ith - 'ro!$s o% 10 coins, 0e kno0 there are -0 coins
tota()
The co##!tative $ro$erty #eans that the or"er o% a""in' n!#&ers can &e s0itche"
aro!n" as (on' as yo! kee$ the sa#e n!#&ers) For e*a#$(e, 2+3 is the sa#e as 3+2) The sa#e
'oes %or 3,2 an" 2,3) The or"er "oesn9t #atter) The associative $ro$erty a((o0s n!#&ers to &e
re'ro!$e") This $ro$erty can on(y &e !se" 0ith #ore than t0o n!#&ers) The 'ro!$in' is "one
0ith $arenthesis s!ch as 2+ ;3+4<) This can &e chan'e" to ;2+3< +4 accor"in' to this $ro$erty)
The "istri&!tive $ro$erty is a &it #ore co#$(icate") Usin' the "istri&!tive $ro$erty, the $ro&(e#
4;3+4< can &e re0ritten as 4,3+4,4) This 0i(( 'ive yo! the sa#e ans0er as i% yo! 0ere to "o the
a""ition 0ithin the $arenthesis %irst) This $ro$erty is #ore !se%!( 0hen "oin' a('e&raic
e*$ressions s!ch as 4;*+-<) .t a((o0s yo! to se$arate the n!#&ers in the $arenthesis to so(ve %or
the varia&(e *)
/t!"ents can !se these $ro$erties to think a&o!t $ro&(e#s in s(i'ht(y "i%%erent 0ays) With
the co##!tative $ro$erty, st!"ents #ay $re%er to start 0ith the (ar'er n!#&er an" a"" the
s#a((er one to it) When the teacher "e#onstrates that 2+= can &e re0ritten as =+2, st!"ents can
choose 0hich or"er they 0ant to a"") /tartin' 0ith =, the st!"ents can easi(y co!nt !$ t0o #ore
to reach the ans0er 6) Un"erstan"in' that these n!#&ers can &e s0itche" he($s st!"ents to
si#$(i%y $ro&(e#s) Teachin' the associative $ro$erty si#i(ar(y a((o0s st!"ents to re'ro!$
n!#&ers accor"in' to 0hat is easier) With the $ro&(e# 4+2+6, so#e st!"ents #ay $re%er to a"" 4
an" 2 to'ether &e%ore a""in' the 6) thers #ay $re%er to a"" 4 an" 6 then a"" co!nt !$ the (ast
2) 2 thir" o$tion is to a"" the 2 an" 6 &e%ore a""in' the 4) The teacher can sho0 the st!"ents a((
o$tions an" (et the# choose 0hich they think is easiest) /t!"ents sho!(" then !se $arenthesis to
sho0 the teacher 0hich n!#&ers 0ere a""e" to'ether %irst) The "istri&!tive $ro$erty is e*tre#e(y
he($%!( %or st!"ents 0ho on(y kno0 the #!(ti$(ication %acts !$ to a certain n!#&er) With the
$ro&(e# 4;2+4<, st!"ents can (earn to so(ve this $ro&(e# t0o "i%%erent 0ays) ne o$tion is to
#!(ti$(y o!t the %irst %o!r ;4,2< + ;4,4<) The other o$tion is to "o the a""ition %irst 4,-) This is
0hen the st!"ents 0ho "on9t kno0 4,- can !se the "istri&!tive $ro$erty to so(ve the $ro&(e#)
4,253 an" 4,45 1-) 2""in' these t0o ans0ers to'ether e4!a(s 24, the sa#e as #!(ti$(yin' 4,-
or -,4 ;co##!tative $ro$erty<) Gettin' st!"ents to !n"erstan" each o% these strate'ies 0i((
'reat(y increase their n!#&er sense) Thinkin' a&o!t each $ro&(e# in "i%%erent 0ays 'ives
st!"ents a &etter !n"erstan"in' o% ho0 #!(ti$(ication an" a""ition can 0ork to'ether)
ne #isconce$tion st!"ents can have is thinkin' that #!(ti$(ication is the sa#e as
a""ition) Even the + si'n an" the * !se" %or #!(ti$(yin' (ook very si#i(ar) 2%ter a((, 2+254 an"
2*254) /o 0hat9s the "i%%erence> /t!"ents sho!(" !se #o"e(s to sho0 0hat the "i%%erence is
&et0een #!(ti$(ication an" a""ition) 4*4 is %o!r 'ro!$s o% %o!r or 4+4+4+4, 0here 4+4 is ha(%
o% that) Makin' a c(ear "istinction &et0een the t0o %!nctions is necessary %or st!"ents to avoi"
this #istake) ?!rin' instr!ction, the teacher sho!(" !se the s$eci%ic voca&!(ary o% three 'ro!$s
o% si* to "i%%erentiate &et0een three #ore than si*) @avin' st!"ents "e%ine #!(ti$(ication an"
a""ition !sin' this sa#e voca&!(ary 0i(( a(so he($ st!"ents to avoi" con%!sion)
2 si#i(ar co##on #isconce$tion is the con%!sion o% #!(ti$(yin' &y 0) /i#i(ar to the
con%!sion &et0een #!(ti$(ication an" a""ition, !sin' the voca&!(ary o% 1ero 'ro!$s o% %o!r 0i((
he($ st!"ents to co#$rehen" that 1ero 'ro!$s is 1ero) There is nothin' there i% yo! have 1ero
'ro!$s) .n this case, the s$eci%ic voca&!(ary o% AB 'ro!$s o% BC #akes the $ro&(e# #!ch c(earer
%or the st!"ent) Vis!a((y sho0in' st!"ents the "i%%erence &et0een 4*4, 4*3, 4*2, 4*1, an" 4*0
0i(( a(so he($ the# to see ho0 #!(ti$(yin' &y 1ero 0orks)
M!(ti$(yin' &y #!(ti$(es o% ten can a(so &e con%!sin' %or st!"ents) Whi(e it see#s si#$(e
to a"" a 1ero to the en" o% the $revio!s n!#&er, st!"ents o%ten 'et ca!'ht !$ 0ith the other $arts
o% the $rocess that they %or'et to a"" the 1ero) The teacher can !se the associative $ro$erty to
"e#onstrate ho0 si#$(e it can &e) For e*a#$(e, -*30 is #!ch (ess con%!sin' i% the st!"ent
#!(ti$(ies - &y 3 an" #!(ti$(ies &y ten ;a""s the 1ero to the en"<) This is sho0n &y -*3*10)
Breakin' the thirty !$ into s#a((er $arts 0i(( he($ to avoi" con%!sion an" create a &etter
!n"erstan"in' o% ho0 the n!#&ers 0ork) The st!"ents #!st %irst have an !n"erstan"in' o% ho0
#!(ti$(yin' &y ten 0orks &e%ore they can #ove on to the #!(ti$(es o% ten ;20, 30, 40, etc)<) The
st!"ents #!st (earn to avoi" con%!sion 0hen $ro&(e#s are 0ritten in "i%%erent 0ays) .t is
i#$ortant to (earn that
- * 30, 30 * -, - * 10 * 3, 3 * 10 * -, 30, 10, or 13 are a(( &asica((y the sa#e $ro&(e# in vario!s
*- 3 *10
*-
sta'es)
.t is i#$ortant to "escri&e to the st!"ents #any "i%%erent 0ays to ta(k a&o!t a $ro&(e#)
/ince every st!"ent is "i%%erent, they 0i(( a(( choose "i%%erent strate'ies to so(ve the $ro&(e#s)
8rovi"in' the# 0ith the too(s %or !n"erstan"in' in a 0ay that #akes sense to the# 0i(( he($
the# to (earn &est)