Background for Parents and Students

Grade 9 students for the 2007-08 school year at RCI have an interesting course on their timetable, titled, "OSA". This stands for "Other School Activities", and was put in place because the province no longer recognized the half credit grade 9 English course Rivers Collegiate offered for students in the past. So instead, we have decided to create a time where students can work on other assignments, as well as enrichment activities.

One of the two enrichment activities I have chosen is to review some more basic math skills, with the help of Mr. Acree. Based on his suggestions, students will be using part of OSA class, on a regular basis, to work on integers. Granted, most grade 9 students have integers "aced", but I have already realized that it is good practice for all students, regarless of whether they are "strong" or "weak" math students.

The process to date has been to start with a concept, check to see that each student has mastered it, and move onto the next.

Part A: Integer Addition
Example: (-3)+(+6)= +3

The entire class grasped this first concept quite quickly. The integer sheets we use have 54 questions, and I soon decided that "50/54" or better was the mastery level to move on. As an entire class, we moved onto the next concept after 4 quizzes.

Part B: Integer Subtraction
Example: (+6)-(-5)= +11

This concept has caught a few students out, in that they are finding it more difficult to remember the rules about, "subtracting negative numbers" (for example). In this case, some students have remained at the subtraction stage, in order to gain mastery before moving on to Part C. If you wish to review with your kids, the following guidelines are helpful.

• when you subtract a negative number, you are actually adding it
• when you add a negative number, you are actually subtracting it
• when you subtract a positive number, you are subtracting the number
• when you add a positive number, you are adding the number

I won't say that this is "simple", because many students struggle with integers -- that's why we are practicing it. Once students reach the mastery level, they will move onto...

Part C: Integer Multiplication

This is a good opportunity for students to review their times tables... at this stage, all of the numbers being multiplied are "9" or less. However, there are some integer rules to remember here:

• a negative times a positive is always a negative
• a negative times a negative is a positive
• a positive times a positive is a positive
• any integer times "0" is still zero

Part D, Integer Division, will come shortly...