This is part of my Unit 1 Interactive Notebook for Algebra 1. You can view the rest of it here.

1.2 – Properties of Real Numbers

Properties of real numbers. What a snooze fest, am I right? WRONG!

This set of notes turns that notion upside down and gets students involved in creating their own examples to demonstrate each property to make a lively and memorable lesson.

You might wonder, “why would I want to teach properties of real numbers?” It’s a simple way to help students start thinking algebraically and flexibly, especially after having a long summer off from math. These properties demonstrate nice rules for manipulating and moving numbers and variables around in expressions and will help them understand why certain moves are “legal” when we start solving equations. Helping students think flexibly and understand the structure of an expression is a huge step in their journey toward mathematical fluency.

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