Ask a Math Geek: numbers

Showing posts with label numbers. Show all posts

August 27, 2011

Negative Numbers

I see issues with negative numbers all the time, even from calculus students.
I think I can pinpoint three key things that really helped me understand negative numbers. Hopefully they will help you, too.

Here is a free online game to practice negative numbers:
http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/casey-runner.html

Qualifications

The Math Geek (that's me) is a student in her junior (third) year of college. She graduated with an Associate's Degree (and a 4.0 GPA) in Adolescent Mathematics Education and is two years away from obtaining a Bachelor's Degree and Teacher Certification in New York State. Her mathematics background involves Algebra, Trigonometry, and Geometry (ages 13-15); Precalculus (ages 15-16); Single-Variable Calculus (ages 16-18); Multi-Variable Calculus, Differential Equations, Proofs, Discrete Math, Linear Algebra, Statistics, and Physics (ages 18-20).
She has been tutoring for pay for two years, as well as volunteering for countless years previous. Most of the students she tutors are at the pre-algebra, algebra, or pre-calculus level.