Middle School Math Overview

In the Middle School, grades 5-8 utilize the Open Up Resources Illustrative Math curriculum. This problem-based curriculum makes rigorous mathematics accessible to all learners. This curriculum focuses on student-centered, problem-based learning with rich investigations and challenges that allow the students to take risks, notice and test patterns, form conjectures, brainstorm and collaborate strategies, make mistakes, analyze their responses for reasonableness, support their opinions and solutions orally and in writing, and, consequently, develop solid arithmetic, algebraic, geometric, statistical, and problem-solving skills. By encouraging students to solve real problems in authentic contexts, we strive to foster independence, creativity, flexibility, and self-confidence in our students. Teachers guide and facilitate student-led problem solving, help students identify salient ideas, key concepts, algorithms, and strategies, clarify their thinking, and provide opportunities for reinforcement and extension of concepts. The Middle School math curriculum encourages students to embrace a growth-mindset, and it respects and supports individual student learning styles.
In a problem-based curriculum, students spend most of their time in class working on carefully crafted and sequenced problems. Teachers help students understand the problems, ask questions to push their thinking, and orchestrate discussions to be sure that the mathematical takeaways are clear. Learners gain a rich and lasting understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures and experience applying this knowledge to new situations. Students frequently collaborate with their classmates—they talk about math, listen to each other’s ideas, justify their thinking, and critique the reasoning of others. They gain experience communicating their ideas both verbally and in writing, developing skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.