A Sample Week 1 Algebra 1 Spiral Review

To help you get started on creating good spiral reviews, I've made a sample template for the first week of Algebra I.  Remember, the  first week of Algebra 1 is about more than just finding x; it’s about diagnosing what survived the "summer slide" and rebuilding the foundational confidence students need for higher-level abstraction. By implementing a Spiral Review on day one, you establish a routine that says: "We don't just learn this for the test; we learn this for life."

Following the "Rule of Five" (5 problems, 5-8 minutes), here is a sample template for your first week of Algebra 1. This sequence focuses on Pre-Algebra essentials: integer fluency, order of operations, and basic expression manipulation.

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📅 The Week 1 Daily Template

Monday: The Integer Reset

Focus: Addition/Subtraction of signed numbers.

1. $-8+15$

2. $-12-(-5)$

3. $3(4-7)$

4. Translate to an expression: "Five less than a number n."

5. Quick Challenge: Is −42 the same as (−4)2? Explain.

Tuesday: Order of Operations & Mult/Div

Focus: Handling negatives in multiplication and the hierarchy of operations.

1. $-6\times (-9)$

2. $24÷(-3)\times 2$ (Watch for the left-to-right trap!)

3. $10-2(5+3)$

4. Combine Like Terms: $4x+7-x+2$

5. Evaluate $3x+5$ when $x=-2$.

Wednesday: The Distributive Shift

Focus: Removing parentheses and managing the negative sign outside a group.

1. $-15÷(-5)+(-2)$

2. Simplify: $3(x+4)$

3. Simplify: $-2(x-5)$

4. Solve the one-step equation: $x-(-8)=15$

5. If $a=3$ and $b=-4$, find $a-b$.

Thursday: Two-Step Foundations

Focus: Bridging the gap between expressions and equations.

1. $\frac{-20}{4}-6$

2. Simplify: $5(2x-1)+3x$

3. Solve: $2x+5=13$

4. Write an equation: "Double a number y is 20."

5. What is the reciprocal of −32​?

Friday: The "Mix-It-Up" Review

Focus: Interleaving the week's skills to check for retention.

1. $-7+(-3)-(-10)$

2. Simplify: $-(4x-9)$

3. Evaluate $x^2-5$ when $x=-3$.

4. Solve: $\frac{x}{3}=-4$

5. The Thinking Task: Pick any number. Multiply it by 2, add 10, divide by 2, and subtract your original number. What is the result? Does it always work?

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💡 Implementation Best Practices

• The "No-Calculator" Zone: For this specific Week 1 review, encourage students to work without calculators. This allows you to see if their struggle is with the Algebraic concept or simple Integer fluency.

• Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces (VNPS): As we discussed in the "Building Thinking Classrooms" post, try having students do these five problems standing at the boards in their random groups on a Wednesday or Friday to keep the energy high.

• The Power of the Pen: Have students use a specific color (like red or green) to make corrections. This makes it easy for you to circulate and see common "hot spots" (like subtracting a negative) that might need a 2-minute mini-lesson.

📊 Why This Works

By the time you reach Friday, a student has practiced integer operations five days in a row. They aren't just "remembering" the rules; they are developing automaticity. This frees up their cognitive "RAM" to handle the harder concepts you'll introduce in Week 2, like multi-step equations and literal equations.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.