Pre-Algebra FLEX: Full Year Middle School Mastery Math: Part 1 of 4

* An eight-week IXL math subscription is included in the cost of this FLEX class ($20 value)!
A full year of rigorous, individualized mastery method middle school Pre-Algebra curriculum without the stress or fixed time commitment of pre-scheduled live meetings! This is the first session of a FLEXIBLE SCHEDULED year-long Pre-Algebra mastery method math course. There are NO live meetings for this class. Pre-recorded videos, interactive google slide presentations and links to Nearpod lessons, Desmos activities and review games will all be posted in the Outschool Classroom, along with weekly graded lesson quizzes and special interactive assignments such as math scavenger hunts or emoji puzzles. I will respond individually to each student with detailed video explanations and corrections to homework and quizzes that are turned in, as well as provide written responses. Because of the small class size (8 students maximum), individual attention and individualized instruction is guaranteed!  This is a self paced class with each week's learning materials posted in the classroom at the beginning of the week.

In this first 8-week session, students will gain a deep understanding of negative numbers and how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with negative and positive numbers. We will also review exponents, place value, and exponential notation. These concepts and operations will be explored through visual slide presentations, interactive Nearpod lessons, student practice, real world problem solving and fun activities and games! 

We will utilize the Outschool Classroom to facilitate interaction and discussion. I will do this by posting critical thinking and math strategy questions, and expecting students to respond to both my questions and each others' responses. In addition to posting completed homework and quizzes, learners will be asked to post a response to the weekly special assignment (scavenger hunts, puzzles, activities or games). This class is the equivalent of a class that meets three times per week, and I recommend that learners split their weekly math workload into at least 2-3 sessions, but learners are free to create their own weekly schedules for completing the work.

This session is Part 1 of a larger series titled, “Full Year of FLEX Middle School Mastery Math: Pre-Algebra”. Taken as a whole, this will offer a full year's worth of Pre-Algebra for the middle school student. This is a Mastery approach to math--each concept will be demonstrated, explained and practiced in a meaningful, in-depth way to achieve full understanding before moving on and connecting to the next topic. This approach is ideal both for students who love math and want to take a deep dive into each concept, as well as anxious math learners who get easily overwhelmed by jumping quickly between concepts and prefer to take their time to fully learn and understand each concept. In both cases, the mastery method can build confidence, create a positive math identity and set students on a trajectory of math success. Because of the small size of this class,  I will be able to give each student the individual attention needed to ensure mastery. Additionally, because this is a FLEX class, students can complete work at their own pace without the stress of comparing themselves to other students. This course is geared towards the middle school student (most typically 7th grade), but because the mastery method builds on previously internalized concepts and skills, specific age or assigned grade level is not as important as the prerequisite foundations of mathematical understanding. 

**Specifically for this class, students should come with a solid number sense for whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents, and a thorough grasp of how to apply the four basic operations to each of these.

I want my students to feel fully engaged in the learning process--to find meaning, confidence (and yes, even joy!) in mathematical problem solving. To make math fun and engaging, I will be presenting lessons through interactive slides, which will include clear visual representations, virtual manipulatives, and connections to math in the real world. Additionally, I will be using applications such as Nearpod (nearpod.com) and Desmos (desmos.com) to create further opportunities for students to engage with the material and with one another. Activities will include collaborative idea boards, typed or drawn responses, polls, matching games, quizzes, graphing activities, and  embedded games. These activities provide not only engagement and fun for students, but also give me as the teacher the opportunity for ongoing, informal assessment.

On Sunday evening of each week, I will post the following week's work. This will include:

1. Recorded lesson #1- A recorded visual google slide presentation introducing the week’s math concept through concrete models and real world examples and connections
2. A link to the corresponding student-paced Nearpod lesson
3. Recorded lesson #2- In this lesson, I will model written practice of the week’s concept using a variety of math strategies
4. Corresponding student-paced Nearpod lesson with example written and practice problems
5. Special assignments (such as math scavenger hunts, emoji puzzles or honors challenge pages) will be assigned
7. Links to fun, individualized practice games such as Blooket games

Students will be expected to:

1. Watch the entire first recorded lesson of the google slide presentation introducing the week’s concept
2. Complete the interactive Nearpod activity (no subscription needed)
3. Complete the second recorded lesson with corresponding Nearpod activity
4. Ask questions via the classroom (written or video) if he or she doesn’t understand something from the video or Nearpod lessons
5. Post either a written, photo, or video response to the Week’s Special Math assignment
7. Choose 1 problem from the homework each week to teach/explain to other students. This can be through video and/or presentation slides, or with a detailed, step-by-step written explanation.

**Once students post their homework from lessons #1 and 2, I will post the third and final video recording, which will include the answer key for the practice problems. It will also include the weekly Lesson Quiz and a google form link to fill in quiz answers. 
Students should use this 3rd recording to carefully check their work and then post any questions they may still have to the classroom.

Week-by-Week content for this first 8-week session:

Week 1: Adding with Negative Numbers
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Introduction to Pre-Algebra and how the class will work, introduction/tutorial on Nearpod and Blooket, Pre-test
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: Guided Discovery of negative numbers as owing (positive as having); Adding negative and positive numbers with corresponding Nearpod lesson 
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #3: Review Work (finding a fraction of a number) and answer keys for Parts 1 and 2; Lesson 1 Quiz
*Special Assignment: Negative Number Scavenger Hunt, Optional Enrichment Challenge

Week 2: Subtracting with Negative Numbers
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Subtracting with negatives as “opposite of the opposite” or canceling a debt, with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: Guided Practice subtracting with negative numbers; Review adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators, corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #3: Review work and answer keys for Parts 1 and 2; Lesson 2 Quiz 
*Special Assignment: Create your subtracting negatives model or story problem; Optional Enrichment Challenge

Week 3: Multiplying with Negative Numbers
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Introduction to multiplying with negatives (same sign=positive, different = negative)  with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: Guided practice multipying with negatives; Review adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators, corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #3: Review work and answer keys for Parts 1 and 2; Lesson 3 Quiz
*Special Assignment: Desmos Intro; Optional Enrichment Challenge

Week 4: Dividing with Negative Numbers
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Interactive Introduction to dividing with negative numbers, corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: More practice dividing with negative numbers; Review work: simplifying fractions, with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #3:  Review work and answer keys for Parts 1 and 2; Lesson 4 Quiz
*Special Assignment: Emoji Puzzle; Optional Enrichment Challenge

Week 5: Exponents 
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Interactive Intro to exponents as repeated multiplication, with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: Guided practice evaluating exponents; Review work: Comparing fractions with different denominators, corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #3: Review work and answer keys for Parts 1 and 2; Lesson 5 Quiz
*Special Assignment: Explaining Exponents; Optional Enrichment Challenge

Week 6: Place Value with decimals
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Interactive Introduction to decimal place value using fractions to name place value, with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: Guided Practice recognizing and naming decimal notation, exponential notation, and standard notation, with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #3: Review work and answer keys for Parts 1 and 2; Lesson 5 Quiz
*Special Assignment: Place Value Game, Enrichment Challenge

Week 7: Exponents with negative bases
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Applying rules of multiplying with negative numbers to exponents with negative bases, with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: Guided practice evaluating exponents with negative bases, Review multiplying fractions (using the word “of”), with corresponding Nearpod lesson
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #3: Review work and answer keys for Parts 1 and 2; Lesson 5 Quiz
*Special Assignment: Exponent Scavenger Hunt, Enrichment Challenge

Week 8: Unit 1 Test and Review
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #1: Review of week 1-7 material, Unit 1 Test directions
Recorded Video Slide Presentation #2: (Unique video for each student) : Individual Corrections and Feedback on Unit 1 Test
*Special Assignment: What have you learned dominoes