Starting the year off right is SO important for any class, but especially in Algebra 1, in particular. That’s why I call our first unit The Foundations of Algebra.
Everything that is done in the first unit lays the foundation for everything to come throughout the rest of the year (and for the rest of their entire HS math career) so there is a lot riding on starting the year strong. No pressure, right?
This is part of my Unit 1 Interactive Notebook for Algebra 1. You can view the rest of it here.
There’s nothing trickier than picking the very first topic to cover in all of Algebra 1. So many options, so what goes first?
To start the very first unit of Algebra 1 off, I begin by talking about the real number system and how we classify numbers.
Why oh why, is this where I start, you might ask?
Instilling this vocabulary is very important in helping students be able to hold fluent conversations about math. I can’t tell you how many students I’ve had in Algebra 2 (or Pre-Calc!) over the years that have asked “what’s an integer?” and they are unable to complete a problem that they otherwise would know how to do solely because they lack the basic vocabulary and don’t understand what the question is asking.
This is silly, and I want to prevent these things from happening as much as possible. Math really is its own language, and helping students learn it will allow them to be more confident and much more successful in the long run.
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Math by the Mountain 