Nov 22, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2023-2024

MATH 2120 - Number and Algebra for Middle School Teachers


Develops mathematical topics usually taught in grades 4-9 to a depth required for future middle grades mathematics teachers to establish professional expertise. The course is taught through an inquiry approach that focuses on problem solving and discussion. Key topics addressed include 1) explaining properties of the natural numbers (parity, primes, factorization, divisibility, converting to other bases, modular arithmetic); 2) explaining and justifying standard and alternative algorithms for basic arithmetic operations on whole and rational number learned in grades 4-9; 3) understanding different meanings of and uses for rational number (fractions, ratios, and proportions); and 4) explaining and using ideas of algebra (with an emphasis on graphing, solving, and modeling with linear, quadratic, and exponential functions).

Requisites: Education Majors only
Credit Hours: 3
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will be able to derive and compare processes for converting base ten numbers to other bases, and describe with real-world uses of non-base-ten number systems.
  • Students will be able to describe patterns within sets of numbers (rational, natural) and explain basic results of number theory.
  • Students will be able to explain and justify standard and nonstandard algorithms for arithmetic operations on integers, rational, and irrational numbers (with special attention to fraction) .
  • Students will be able to describe and give examples of relations and injective, surjective, and bijective functions.
  • Students will be able to model real world situations with linear, quadratic, and exponential functions using tables, graphs, equations, and with technology.
  • Students will be able to investigate and generalize patterns in sequences, geometric representations, equations, tables, and data.
  • Students will be able to explain slope as a rate of change and explain meaning of the equal sign in terms of equivalence.
  • Students will solve linear equations, inequalities, and systems in multiple ways and justify, interpret their solutions, and justify their strategies.
  • Students will be able to explain and justify rules for simiplifying expressions with exponents.


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