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integers

Integer War

Math 9 poses the specific challenge of pre-assessment. The wave of administrative details (lockers, fees, photos, textbooks, tryouts, etc.) creates a logistical whirlwind for teachers. On top of that, you have no clue who (most) of these new students are, or what their mathematical history is. Our department gives a short pre-skills exam to help with this process, but I like to use the first week to work on integer tasks to really see how the newbies move mathematically–beyond a number on an exam.