Big Numbers, Small Numbers

Appendix

Implementing District Standards-Common Core State Standards and Dine’ Content Standards

The Common Core State Standard (CCSS) is a research-based set of learning progressions detailing how students’ mathematical knowledge, skill, and understanding develop over time. The standards supports the development of knowledge and skills students need to prepare for mathematics in college, career, and in life.  These standards define what students should understand and be able to do at each grade level, but at our school, most students are usually not at grade level.  The standards encourage students to solve real-world problems using the components of mathematical practices.

The middle school math teachers at our school had the opportunity to participate in a Professional Development summer session.  In this session we aligned the math standards from Kindergarten to 8^th grade. In the number system strand we noticed that this particular strand aligned from Kindergarten to 8^th.  Number system starts at the Kindergarten level where they learn to count in sequence and compare numbers. In 1^st grade students begin to learn the base 10 concept.  In 2^nd grade students recognize that the digits in each place represent amounts of thousands, hundreds, tens and ones.  In 3^rd grade students use their knowledge of place value to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100s.  They fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value.  In 4^th grade students use place value to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.  They fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.  In 5^th grade students recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to the right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left. In 6^th grade students extend their previous understandings of number and the ordering of numbers to the full system of rational numbers, which includes negative rational numbers, and in particular negative integers. Therefore, my unit is created to review concepts starting from Kindergarten level because my students have not mastered these standards.  I am using this unit to help my students develop a concrete understanding of the number system.

Dine’ Content Standard-Student Objective: I will utilize the Navajo language and culture, I will listen, communicate, observe, and understand appropriately. In this unit students will learn to use their Navajo language for money (e.g. penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar and other money amounts.)