To encourage higher-order thinking, I created eight integer rules stations where I give students pre-solved integer computation problems and ask them to notice patterns to create a rule that would work for any integer problem of that type. Each station includes guiding questions for students to answer prior to attempting to write their rules. Partners then create a brochure that could be used to teach younger students how to solve integer problems. A rubric for the brochure is included in the zip file.

To help make students' mathematical writing more coherent, introduce phrases like 'same sign' and 'different sign'. Also, review vocabulary such as addends, sum, factors, product, dividend, divisor, and quotient. I have students write their rules as if/then statements to create consistency for grading.

I teach students that subtraction is the same as adding a negative, so problems such as -8 - 3 are included as part of the addition stations. The special case of subtracting a negative is addressed as a class separate from this stations activity.

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