Middle School
Curriculum Programs for 6th, 7th, & 8th Grades
Inspiring Connections
Core Connections
Two Unique Middle School Programs
And Support Class
Middle School Math Curriculum that Centers Student Problem Solving
- The three pillars of CPM course design lead to conceptual understanding.
- Problem-based lessons with embedded mathematical practices to engage student
- Collaborative student work
- Mixed, spaced practice
- Research has shown that when students talk about the mathematics, they gain a deeper understanding and remember it longer. In every lesson, CPM embeds work in study teams to encourage students to explain, justify, and critique their reasoning.
- When “teamwork is baked-into CPM tasks” and lessons provide “low floors and high ceilings,” students can work together to get started and persevere in complex problem-solving.
Inspiring Connections
• Meaningful Mathematics
• Multimodal program utilizing both digital & print materials
• Dynamic teacher-guided pacing technology
• Intentional mix of digital, print, and manipulatives
• Consumable student book called the Mathematician’s Notebook
Core Connections
• CPM’s time-tested program
• Based on research & CPM’s Three Pillars
• Option of digital and/or print materials
• English and Spanish
Inspirations & Ideas
• A support class for students who sometimes struggle with mathematics
• Students should be concurrently enrolled in Core Connections, Course 3
• Designed to have:
• No grading
• No homework
• No summative assessments
Inspiring Conections Middle School Curriculum
Resources
Blend of Print & Digital
What does a full blend of print and digital look like? In this multimodal series, digital and print materials work in tandem to maximize student engagement. The choice of medium for each aspect of a lesson is based on how and where students learn best.
- Since digital components, like pacing, eTools, and eWorkspace, and print components, like the Mathematician’s Notebook, are used strategically for engaging students in their mathematical thinking, both media are essential.
- Students will split time between different venues, such as vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPSs) and devices with an internet connection that provide access to technology-enhanced lessons.
A Student Companion: The Mathematician’s Notebook
A personal notebook where students record the messy work of learning as they highlight key concepts, questions, rough draft thinking, mistakes, corrections, and their inspirations. Diagrams and graphs are included for students to work with, and plenty of space is provided to give students room for error and experimentation.
Learning Targets
Concise goals for each lesson are presented to the teacher and to students in the chapter introductions, referenced in the Reflection & Practice problems, and revisited in Chapter Closures. The Mathematician’s Notebook contains a printed copy of the Learning Targets where students can keep track of their progress throughout the course.
A Variety of Venues
Problems are designed to facilitate student learning per the learning intent. To maximize student sensemaking and engagement, lessons have been intentionally constructed using a variety of Venues for student work, such as vertical non-permanent surfaces, external links, embedded technology-enhanced activities, and the Mathematician’s Notebook.
Here are examples of different venues:
- Paper-based Mathematician’s Notebook
- Vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPSs)
- Technology-enhanced lessons
- Work with manipulatives at a table/desk
Teacher Guides
Inspiring Connections guides teachers through lessons.
Authors’ Vision
The authors describe how they envision the lesson progressing. These notes are summarized into brief descriptions, which can serve as a reminder after reading the full Authors’ Vision.
Lesson at a Glance
The Lesson at a Glance provides a quick orientation to the lesson. It lists things to consider as you begin to prepare to teach the lesson: the overview, learning intent, materials needed for the lesson, aligning standards, and additional resources.
Lessons Designed from Beginning to End
Lessons are designed for students to work in teams during a 45-minute period.
- Door Questionsinvite students to share a little about themselves. This daily practice builds community and helps the teacher get to know the students.
- Launch begins each lesson to engage students and awaken their curiosity. The Launch may introduce the mathematical content for the day or it may be a part of one of the larger threads that run throughout the course, including number sense, data science, and community building.
- Explore provides a variety of engaging activities. Students work together to solve problems in teams using various venues.
- Closure summarizes critical concepts explored during the lesson. Students reflect on either the key learning for the day or a social-emotional learning thread.
- Reflection & Practice provides mixed, spaced problems designed for independent practice.
Team Roles & Strategies
Team Roles
Students collaborate in teams for the large majority of class time. As a means to help all students have a voice and be an integral part of their team, four roles are presented in the Prelude and referred to throughout the curriculum. The roles are Representative, Coordinator, Organizer, and Investigator.
Strategies
A variety of Study Team and Teaching Strategies (STTS) are suggested in the Authors’ Vision throughout Inspiring Connections. These strategies may be used to help structure team interactions and facilitate engagement. As you gain experience with the curriculum and your students, you will likely develop your own favorite strategies to use regularly.
Table of Contents
Inspiring Connections Course 1-3
Inspiring Connections Testimonials
Core Connection Middle School Curriculum
Resources
Study Teams
- Students work in teams of two or four
- Creates environment for student discussion, sharing of ideas, and articulate their thinking
- Provides security to allow students to take risks to refine their ideas, questions, and approaches
eTools for Exploration
- Activities to build conceptual understanding
- CPM proprietary tools, algebra tiles and integer tiles, and Integrated digital activities
Learning Logs
- Prompts students to reflect on their learning
- Students describe their understanding in their own words
- Provide closure to a lesson or clarification of a concept
Tool Kits
- Consumable items and working documents for student learning
- Includes Learning Log entries, Math Notes, images from student edition
- Students create personal reference tools
Mixed Spaced Practice with Homework Help
- Provides students practice with past material
- Lays a foundation for future learning
- Multiple opportunities for students to revisit skills
- Homework help linked from eBook provides support for students’ emerging understanding of new topics
- Includes solved problems, hints to get started, and references to previously solved problems
Puzzle Investigator
- Students focus on the process of solving complex problems
- Interesting complex problems
- Students develop skills to show, explain, and justify their work and thoughts
Parent Guide
- Alternative explanation of key ideas
- Additional practice problems
- Arranged by chapter and topic
- Includes a brief restatement of the idea, typical examples, practice problems, and the answers to those problems
Lesson Math Casts for Teachers
- Aide in preparing lessons
- Outlines the lesson problems
- Gives suggestions for facilitating the teams
Table of Contents
Core Connections, Course 1-3
Core Connections Correlations
Inspirations & Ideas
8th Grade Support Class
- Support students in CPM’s Core Connections, Course 3 who sometimes struggle with mathematics.
- Sudents in Inspirations & Ideas will be concurrently enrolled in Core Connections
- A non-graded course, with no homework, and no summative assessments.
Course Structure
- Incorrect ideas are often necessary to develop correct ideas.
- Incorrect ideas are often necessary to develop correct ideas.
- Effective communication in mathematics should be practiced.
- Problem solving strategies make problems accessible.
- Building relationships is vital to a positive classroom environment.
- Students can re-engage with mathematics in new ways.