Irwin Integer is an explorer. He was sent to find four wooden boxes, because Dr. Lime has his special explorer hat. Without it, he feels he has no confidence to explore. Finding the four wooden boxes is his only chance to regain his confidence! Each wooden box contains an integer question. Irwin began his quest for the wooden boxes in Integer Island. Irwin slung his backpack over his shoulder, as he started walking around. It was then, when he spotted an enormous tree. "That is one big tree,” Irwin commented. He started walking again, and then tripped on what he thought was a large root from the large tree. "Stupid root,” Irwin tried to get up, when he realized he had actually tripped on a wooden box! "It’s a wooden box!” Irwin exclaimed. Hastily, Irwin opened the box, gripping the note inside. It said... 
"How am I going to figure this out?” Irwin asked himself. After thinking about how to add integers, Irwin said "Oh right! The Have and Owe method! Let me think, hmm ... If I owe 7 dollars, but I have 3 dollars, I still owe 4 dollars. So, the answer must be (-4)!" Irwin wrote ‘= (-4)’ beside the integer question with a pen, and quickly stuck the wooden box into his backpack. He continued his journey for the remaining three wooden boxes.
Irwin started marking where he had already been, so he would not become lost. He marked the 
trees with red tape, because red contrasts from the brown and emerald leaves. Irwin started to turn on left now. "Hey, a cave, " Irwin said noticing a cave, facing south. Irwin decided to venture inside the cave, hoping to find another wooden box. He walked deep into the cave, and looked around meaningfully. "Hey, a box,” Irwin said, running toward the wooden box beside a rock. It said...
As shown in the illustration above, that is what Irwin did to answer the question. Irwin started with numbering a line from (-7) to (+7), a zero (0) in the middle. He then drew a line to the left from the 0, until it hit (-3). Then, from the (-3) Irwin drew a line until it moved (-4) ticks. The answer is (-7). "I'm so good at adding integers. I'm super professional,"Irwin congratulated himself.Irwin stuck the box and answers in his backpack and walked out of the cave, to continue his hunt
for the remaining two wooden boxes. He began walking south, until he started running out of red tape to mark where he had been. "Oh, no! I have no tape!" Irwin said, kicking the ground in frustration.*Click* *Thud*
"Wait a minute... Dirt doesn't click and thud, "Irwin said, looking down.”Hey, "Irwin knelt down on his knees to look more closely at the object that caused the thud and click."It's a box!" Irwin realized. He dug up the box, and opened it up.
"Okay, (+2)+(-2). I'll try to use algebra tiles,"Irwin exclaimed. 
Irwin, ecstatic that he needed only one wooden box left, started skipping and trotting along. "I just need to find one more box!”Irwin continued to sing those words, skipping, and trotting along, not noticing where he was even walking! "I need one more box!” Irwin continued until ... BOOM! Irwin tripped ... again! "What did I trip on?”Irwin looked up. "It’s a box!”Irwin opened it. 
"A positive and a positive integer question,” Irwin said. "I know 3 plus 5 is 8, so 8 is the answer. I solved the integer question using standard math!”Irwin chucked the fourth and final wooden box into his backpack, and grabbed his phone out of it. He dialled Dr. Lime’s number. "Dr. Lime, I found the four wooden boxes!” Irwin said. "No!" Dr. Lime replied. “Okay. I'll give you your explorer hat back,” Dr. Lime said glumly.
One day, after Irwin went to the park to inspect the scenery, Irwin left his backpack on the kitchen table. Irwin was going out to buy some apples to make a pie, but he forgot his fanny pack. As Irwin turned back to get his fanny pack, his back pack was missing! In it's place was a note. It said...
Irwin Integer,
I have stolen your precious backpack... There is only ONE way you can regain your backpack back. What you need to do is look around your city to find four wooden boxes. One box contains
a subtracting integer question, and the other an adding and subtracting integers question. I hope you don't find them, Irwin !
-Dr. Lime
Irwin decided to begin his search at the park. Irwin thought to look by the great big water
fountain. The fountain was in the center of the circular park. He strode to the fountain, his hopes high. Irwin noticed a brown corner. He looked more closely at it. It was a box !
"Alright! I figured it out," Irwin exclaimed gleefully.
Irwin decided to look for the last remaining box at Tim Horton's. Irwin walked down the street.
There were twenty Tim Horton's coffee shops on one street. Irwin chose the nearest one. He stepped inside, and sniffed the intoxicating aroma. He ordered a French Vanilla Iced Cappuccino and sat down at a table. Irwin started drinking, and swinging his feet around under the table. *Clunk*
"Hurray! I figured it out!" Irwin finished his Iced Cappuccino, grabbed the two wooden boxes, and dashed home. As soon as Irwin arrived home, he immediately called Dr. Lime. "Lime residents, this is Dr. Lime speaking," Dr. Lime said, lazily. "Dr. Lime ! It's me, Irwin ! Listen, can I have my backpack back? I found the two boxes, and I solved the answers," Irwin urged.
"Rats! Foiled again!" Dr. Lime hung up. All of a sudden, Irwin's backpack dropped from the ceiling into Irwin's arms. "Thanks Dr. Lime !"
hey Linda, great integer story!
October 27, 2008 at 4:54 PM
Hey LD, nice pictures Good job:)
October 30, 2008 at 5:25 PM
Hi Linda! Good job! I like your pictures, they're very colorful. . . Now, time to comment, NickyD. style.
On the end of the last paragraph it said, "Hastily, Irwin opened the box, gripping note inside." I think you forgot the word THE in between GRIPPING and INSIDE. For the have and owe picture I got confused. I see the question is (-7) + (+3) but on the picture there is 7 I owes and 4 I haves. Some parts on the paragraph for the third question also confused me. It says,
"Wait a minute... Dirt doesn't click and thud, "Irwin said, looking down.”Hey, "Irwin knelt down on his knees to look for closely at the object that caused the thud, and click, "It's a box!" Irwin realized.
I think you meant, "Wait a minute... dirt doesn't click and thud", Irwin said, looking down. "Hey", Irwin knelt down on his knees to look closely at the object that caused the thud, and click, "It's a box!" Irwin realized. On the last paragraph dialled is suppose to be with one L.
Well, that's all the mistakes I've spotted. Again, good job! Your pictures are not only colorful, but detailed too!
November 1, 2008 at 9:47 PM