Goals & Purpose
Session 1 – Introduction to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
- Understand how the Common Core State Standards were developed
- Recognize the difference between the Mathematical Content Standards and the Standards for Mathematical Practice
- Take stock of your current level of comfort with implementing the Common Core
- Hear from authors of the Common Core
- Begin to consider implications of the Standards for Mathematical Content for your practice
Session 2 – Understanding the Structure of the Standards for Mathematical Content
- How the Common Core’s Standards for Mathematical Content are organized
- What focus and coherence mean with regard to the content standards
- The importance of conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application in a rigorous mathematics program
- Hear from authors of the Common Core
- Review a sample student task
- Begin to examine one of the domains of the grade 6-8 content standards
Session 3 – Learning Progressions
- Background behind the Common Core learning progressions
- How big mathematical ideas are situated within a learning progression
- How middle school-level clusters within a domain relate to elementary-level and high school-level clusters
- Learn about the role of learning progressions in the development of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
- Look at an example of a middle school learning progression
- Examine how the middle school progression builds on an elementary-level progression and prepares students for the following high school-level progression
Session 4 – Connecting the Standards for Mathematical Content to the Standards for Mathematical Practice
- How the Standards for Mathematical Content can be connected to the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs)
- How the SMPs are integrated in a learning progression
- Review SMPs and their connection to a learning progression
- Examine how the content standards can be supported by the SMPs
- Revisit the Pool Border task and video
Session 5 – Standards for Mathematical Content Summary
- Know how the Common Core’s Standards for Mathematical Content are organized
- Describe how the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice are different from each other and how they complement each other
- Discuss what focus and coherence mean with regard to the content standards
- Understand how big mathematical ideas are situated within a learning progression
- Create learning opportunities in which students engage in the SMPs as they deepen their understanding of the mathematical content
- Review information and/or activities you completed in earlier sessions
- Reflect on strategies for supporting students in developing proficiency in the content standards and SMPs
- Take stock of what you've learned about the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Content and how comfortable you feel with implementing them in your classroom
