Resources for Conceptualizing the Curriculum and Teaching Particular Math Units

The Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP), published by Everyday Learning in Chicago, Illinois. This is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded integrated mathematics curriculum project that provides lots of ideas for student investigation. It has provided me with interesting class activities that complement the portfolio strands.

Functions Modeling Change, a book by Connelly, Hughes-Hallett, Gleason et al; published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This text emerged from collaboration among professors at Harvard University and has been used by college professors interested in revising higher education in mathematics, and addressing current student needs. The authors also wrote Calculus??”Single Variable, 2nd edition, a text that contains more applications than most calculus textbooks. It was a product of the Consortium at Harvard University, funded by the National Science Foundation, published by John Wiley & Sons, 1998. Both of these have provided ideas for my own courses, particularly around mathematical modeling and appropriate applications of functions.

The Workshop Mathematics Project, published by Key College Publishing. I have used their pre-calculus book, Workshop Precalculus, and their statistics book, Workshop Statistics. Both have given me some interesting examples and applications to modify for my own classes. These books diverge from traditional texts in that they provide more hands-on activities to engage students.

On the Shoulders of Giants: New Approaches to Numeracy, a book edited by Lynn Steen/National Research Council and published by the National Academy of Sciences in 1990. This book has been an invaluable resource in thinking about the strands – big picture ideas.

The Systemic Initiative for Montana Mathematics and Science (SIMMS), an NSF funded curricular project developed by the Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics and published by (Simon & Schuster Custom Publishing, 1998). Interesting ideas spiraling through many mathematics fields. Not too much on skill development for students but provides nice experiments and activities.

The Interactive Mathematics Project (IMP), another NSF funded project, published by Key Curriculum Press. The books provide units that are revisited at different points throughout the students’ experience over three years. Schools that use this and some of the other NSF funded projects typically are trained specifically for their implementation; our school uses these more as resources for ideas.

Mathematics: Modeling Our World, a project developed by The Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP); offers many ideas for teaching mathematical modeling/real-world applications.

Contemporary Precalculus through Applications, a publication of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, published by Janson Publications, Inc., 1991. Inspiring collaboration between a high school and Duke University. Many interesting ideas and well-organized text. The last section in the book provides projects that integrate scientific, social, and ethical problems with mathematics. Very good resource.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics publishes yearbooks that inform emerging ideas in math education. The journal, Mathematics Teacher, is also published by NCTM – very interesting and useful, giving specific problems to be used in classrooms.

Thinking Mathematically, by Mason, Stacey and Burton, published by Prentice Hall, 1961. This has been useful in scaffolding the Problem Solving portfolio strand over the four- year student experience. It outlines phases involved in solving problems.

Problem-Solving, by the School Mathematics Project and published by Cambridge University Press. Much like Thinking Mathematically, it outlines meta-cognitive phases used in solving math problems.

The Nuts and Bolts of Proofs, by Antonella Cupillari, published by the Academic Press 2001. Delineates methods of proof along with examples. Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics, by Liping Ma, LEA Publishers, 1999. Interesting connections among mathematics taught in China and mathematics taught in the US.

Why Math?, by R.D. Driver. Published in 1984 by Springer-Verlag. Very accessible publication; encourages deeper thinking about why math is important.

Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, published by ASCD, 1998. This source has helped the school in curriculum design by formulating essential questions and “planning backwards.”