EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

The following are key standards that will help students prepare to perform operations with complex numbers.
Algebra of Polynomials:
Explanation: There are different categories of numbers: real and complex numbers. Both forms of numbers can be simplified
with the basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Other properties of operations, such as the commutative
property, associative property, and the distribution property will be included.
Benchmark: Fluency with Fractions
By the end of Grade 6, students should be proficient with all operations involving positive and negative integers.
By the end of Grade 6, students should be proficient with all operations involving positive and negative fractions.
Kindergarten
Domain
Operations and
Algebraic Thinking

Cluster
Understanding addition
as putting together and
adding to, and
understanding
subtraction as taking
apart and taking from.

Operations and
Algebraic Thinking

Understanding addition
as putting together and
adding to, and
understanding
subtraction as taking
apart and taking from.

Standard
K.OA.1: Represent
addition and subtraction
with objects, fingers,
mental images,
drawings, sounds (e.g.,
claps), acting out
situations, verbal
explanations,
expressions, or
equations.
K.OA.5: Fluently add
and subtract within 5.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
add and subtract a
certain numbers using
different methods of
counting including using
objects, fingers, and
other manipulatives.

Justification
A large part of
operations with complex
numbers is being able to
combine like terms. This
includes counting like
objects in order to get
the total.

Students will be able to

easily add and subtract
numbers up to and
including 5.

For the concept of

operations with complex
numbers, students will
need to be able to
quickly add or subtract
smaller values in order
to properly combine like
terms.

Key Vocabulary: number, add, subtract, plus, minus, put together, take away, compose, decompose

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

First Grade
Domain
Operations with
Algebraic Thinking

Cluster
Understand and apply
properties of operations
and the relationship
between addition and
subtraction.

Standard
1. OA.3 Apply
properties of operations
as strategies to add and
subtract.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
use simple properties of
addition and subtraction
such as the commutative
property of addition,
associative property of
addition, and the
additive identity
property of zero.

Operations with
Algebraic Thinking

Add and subtract within

20.

1.OA.C.6 Add and

subtract within 20,
demonstrating fluency
for addition and
subtraction within 10.

Students will be able to

easily add and subtract
numbers up to an
including 10 using
multiple strategies such
as making ten, using the
relationship between
addition and
subtraction, etc.

Justification
Properties of addition
and subtraction relate to
numbers with
coefficients and without
coefficients. If students
can understand the
commutative and
associative property of
addition with whole
numbers, it will be easier
for them to understand
the same properties with
terms that have
variables.
Being able to mentally
add or subtract numbers
up to and including 10
will help students when
they are combining a
multiple-term
expression. They can use
any method that they
find the easiest.

Key Vocabulary: addition, subtraction, properties of operations, relationship, commutative property of addition, associative property of
addition, additive identity property of zero, whole number, number sentence, tens-group

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

Second Grade
Domain
Operations and
Algebraic Thinking

Cluster
Add and subtract within
20.

Standard
2.OA.B.2: Fluently add
and subtract within 20
using mental strategies.
By the end of Grade 2,
know from memory all
sums of two one-digit
numbers.

Learning Targets
Students will be able to
easily add and subtract
up to and including 20
using mental strategies.
Students will know all
sums of two one-digit
numbers from memory.

Justification
Adding and subtracting
numbers up to and
including 20 as well as
memorizing all sums of
two-digit numbers will
help students combining
like terms in longer
expressions.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
relate the operation
properties of addition to
the operation properties
of multiplication and
division, such as the
commutative property of
multiplication,
associative property of
multiplication,
distributive property,
and the multiplicative
identity.

Justification
Students will realize that
multiplication is a faster
way to do addition, so a
lot of the properties that
apply to addition will
apply to multiplication.
Being able to perform
these properties with
whole numbers will lead
students to applying the
properties to terms that
contain the imaginary
unit i.

Key Vocabulary: sum, difference, strategy, algorithm, one-digit, combine

Third Grade
Domain
Operations and
Algebraic Thinking

Cluster
Understand properties of
multiplication and the
relationship between
multiplication and
division.

Standard
3.OA.B.5: Apply
properties of operations
as strategies to multiply
and divide.

Key Vocabulary: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, properties of operations, commutative property of addition,
commutative property of multiplication, associative property of addition, associative property of multiplication, additive identity
property of zero, multiplicative identity property

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

Fourth Grade
Domain
Number and Operations
in Base Ten

Cluster
Use place value
understanding and
properties of operations
to perform multi-digit
arithmetic.

Standard
4.NBT.B.4: Fluently add
and subtract multi-digit
whole numbers using the
standard algorithm.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
easily add and subtract
multi-digit whole
numbers using a basic
algorithm.

Numbers and
Operations: Fractions

Build fractions from unit

fractions by applying
and extending previous
understandings of
operations on whole
numbers.

4. NF.4 Apply and

extend previous
understandings of
multiplication to
multiply a fraction by a
whole number
a. Understand a fraction
a/b as a multiple of 1/b.
b. Understand a multiple
of a/b as a multiple of
1/b, and use this
understanding to
multiply a fraction by a
whole number.

Students will be able to

multiply a fraction by a
whole number using
previous understandings
of multiplication.

Justification
Students will encounter
multi-digit numbers as
coefficients when
working with complex
numbers in the form a +
bi.
Students will encounter
fractions as coefficients
when working with
complex numbers in the
form a + bi.

Key Vocabulary: place value, multi-digit whole number, algorithm, properties of operations, fraction, reciprocal, multiplication

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

Fifth Grade
Domain
Operations and
Algebraic Thinking

Cluster
Write and interpret
numerical expressions.

Standard
5.OA.A.1: Use
parentheses, brackets, or
braces in numerical
expressions, and
evaluate expressions
with the symbols.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
identify and utilize
parenthesis in
expressions and evaluate
the operations related to
parentheses.

Number and Operations

in Base Ten

Perform operations with

multi-digit whole
numbers and with
decimals to the
hundredths.

5.NBT.B.5: Fluency
multiply multi-digit
whole numbers using the
standard algorithm.

Students will be able to

easily multiply multidigit whole numbers
using the basic
algorithm.

Justification
Order of operations is
essential in simplifying
expressions, especially
with complex numbers.
Students need to know
the properties/operations
of parentheses in order
to properly simplify.
When multiplying real
and imaginary numbers,
it is important for
students to be able to
easily multiply the
coefficients in order to
properly simplify.

Key Vocabulary: numerical expression, variable, coefficient, parentheses, bracket, braces, evaluate, simplify, symbol, order of
operations, properties of operations, algorithm, multi-digit whole number, place value

Sixth Grade
Domain
Expressions and
Equations

Cluster
Apply and extend
previous understandings
of arithmetic and
algebraic expressions.

Standard
6.EE.A.1: Write and
evaluate numerical
expressions involving
whole-number
exponents.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
write an expanded
expression as a term
with an exponent and
then evaluate.

Justification
The imaginary unit i can
be evaluated as part of a
pattern for a certain
exponent (i1, i2, i3, and
i4). It is important for
students to be able to
evaluate exponents to
see the pattern.

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

Expressions and
Equations

Apply and extend

previous understandings
of arithmetic and
algebraic expressions.

6.EE.A.3: Apply the

properties of operations
to generate equivalent
expressions.

Students will be able to

use properties of
operations in order to
show that two
expression are equal.

Expressions and
Equations

Apply and extend

previous understandings
of arithmetic and
algebraic expressions.

6.EE.A.4: Identify when

two expressions are
equivalent (i.e., when
the two expressions
name the same number
regardless of which
value is substituted into
them).

Students will be able to

recognize when one
expression is equivalent
to its expanded form.
For example, the
expressions y + y + y
and 3y are equivalent
because they name the
same number regardless
of which number y
stands for.

Using the properties of

operations that students
have learned so far to
show that two
expressions are
equivalent is great
practice for simplifying
two complex
expressions.
It is important for
students to recognize
when two expressions
can be substituted for
each other when
working with complex
numbers. Students need
to be able to know that i
+ i is the same as 2i.

Key Vocabulary: variable, expression, coefficient, properties of operations, equivalent, equal, substitution
Grade Seven
Domain
Expressions and
Equations

Cluster
Use properties of
operations to generate
equivalent expressions.

Standard
7.EE.A.1: Apply
properties of operations
as strategies to add,
subtract, factor, and
expand linear
expressions with rational
exponents.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
use the properties of
operations to expand
expressions with
exponents using the
distributive property.

Justification
When performing
operations with complex
numbers, it is important
to expand the
expressions fully in
order to add/subtract like
terms. For example, 3(2
+ 6i) is equivalent to (6
+ 18i).

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

The Number System

Apply and extend

previous understandings
of operations with
fractions.

Erin OHalloran
7.NS.A.1: Apply and
extend previous
understandings of
addition and subtraction
to add and subtract
rational numbers;
represent addition and
subtraction on a
horizontal or vertical
number line diagram.

Students will be able to

add and subtract rational
numbers.

It is important for
students to be able to
add and subtract both
positive and negative
numbers. For some
students, they need to
visualize a number line
in order to properly add
and subtract negative
numbers.

Key Vocabulary: linear expressions, rational numbers, exponents, properties of operations, distributive property, fractions, horizontal
number line, vertical number line, negative numbers, positive numbers
Grade Eight
Domain
Expressions and
Equations

Cluster
Expressions and
equations work with
radicals and integer
exponents.

Standard
8.EE.A.1: Know and
apply the properties of
integer exponents to
generate equivalent
numerical expressions.

Expressions and
Equations

Analyze and solve linear

equations and pairs of
simultaneous linear
equations.

8.EE.C.7.B: Solve linear

equations with rational
number coefficients,
including equations
whose solutions require
expanding expressions
using the distributive
property and collecting
like terms.

Learning Target
Students will be able to
use the properties of
integer exponents in
order to show equivalent
terms.

Justification
Exponents are very
important to imaginary
numbers because they
can be simplified to
another from of i.
Distributive property
also would allow
exponents to be
combined and then
simplified.
Students will be able to
It is important for
solve linear equations by students to practice
expanding expressions
expanding expressions
and combining like
and combining like
terms.
terms for operations with
complex numbers. There
really is no way to solve
a complex expression
because it is in the form

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran
a + bi, but the process of
solving a linear equation
helps with simplifying
one-variable expression.

Key Vocabulary: exponent, properties of integer exponents, terms, equivalent, linear equations, linear expressions, one-variable
expressions, rational numbers, coefficient, variable, expanding expression, distributive properties, like terms, combining like terms
High School: Number and Quantity
Domain
The Complex Number
System

Cluster
Perform arithmetic
operations with complex
numbers.

Standard
HSN.CN.A.1: Know
there is a complex
number i such that i2 =
-1, and every complex
number has the form a
+ bi with a and b real.

Learning Target
Students will know of
the imaginary unit i and
how it relates to
complex numbers.
Students will be able to
identify the real and
imaginary parts of a
complex number in a +
bi form.

The Complex Number

System

Perform arithmetic
operations with complex
numbers.

HSN.CN.A.2: Use the

relation i2 = -1 and the
commutative,
associative, and
distributive properties to
add, subtract, and
multiply complex
numbers.

Students will be able to

use the property of i2 =
-1 with the properties of
operations, such as the
commutative property,
distributive property,
addition, subtraction,
and multiplication.

Justification
In order to perform
operations with complex
numbers, students will
need to know the
properties of the
imaginary unit i.
Realizing that there are
two different parts of
complex numbers will
help with combining
when adding and
subtracting complex
numbers.
The benchmark of
operations with complex
numbers relates directly
to this standard. Students
need to know that i2 = -1
so that the expressions
can be properly
simplified after a certain
operation.

Key Vocabulary: complex number, imaginary number, imaginary unit, real number, exponent, commutative property, associative
property, distributive property, addition, subtraction, multiplication, properties of exponents, combining like terms

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

Domain Progression Matrix

Domain
Operations and
Algebraic Thinking
Number and
Operations in Base Ten
Numbers and
Operations: Fractions
Expressions and
Equations
The Number System
The Complex Number
System

K
X

1
X

2
X

3
X

5
X

HS

X
X

Conclusion
Algebra can be a hard concept for students to understand, but it is also a great way to measure success. It requires memorization, logic,
and generalization, which are great for sharpening problem solving skills. Preparation for the subject of Algebra starts in kindergarten
and build on each learning target year after year.
In order to be successful in operations with complex numbers, students need a lot of the concepts in kindergarten to second grade. The
main concepts that relate to operations with complex numbers would be for students to be able to perform simple operations such as
adding and subtracting. Once students are in middle and high school, they will need to be able to mentally add and subtract whole
numbers, and practicing this in elementary school will make more complex learning targets easier. In first grade, students are
introduced to the concept of properties of operations. Introducing the commutative property and associative property in instruction so
early will show students that these properties are seen all throughout algebraic targets in their mathematical career. Throughout
second, third, and fourth grade, students will be practicing addition and subtraction with multi-digit numbers. In fourth grade, students
will be introduced to operations with fractions, which would come up with operations with complex numbers. Students will see
parentheses, brackets, and braces as operations in fifth grade. This idea will follow them throughout the rest of their algebraic studies
in mathematics and will definitely be seen in operations with complex numbers. Concepts in grades six, seven, and eight start having
students simplifying algebraic expressions to see equivalence. In sixth grade, students will be introduced to exponents, which is very
important to complex numbers when simplifying expressions. Seventh grade is when students practice operations with positive and

EDU 530 Moving through the Curriculum

Erin OHalloran

negative whole numbers, which students need to be able to do mentally when they are in high school. Students will also hit the
benchmark of adding and subtracting positive and negative fractions during this time as well. In addition to students being able to
expand and distribute expressions, it is important for students to be able to solve linear equations. Although for operations with
complex numbers there would not be much solving and more simplifying, the basics of that standard such as using the distributive
property and collecting like terms. Once students are in high school, they will be introduced to complex numbers and will see that the
same properties of operations for real numbers can be used for complex numbers.