COMPLEX TEXT
IN THE
MATHEMATICS
CLASSROOM
Math and Literacy Meet
at the Corner of
Making Meaning and Learning Deeply
COMMON CORE
RELATIONSHIPS
Math
Practice
Standards
Literacy
Standards
DO MATH STANDARDS HAVE ANY THING
TO DO WITH LITERACY?
CONTEXTUAL LESSONS
“According to contextual learning theory,
learning occurs only when students (learners) process
new information or knowledge in such a way
that it makes sense to them in their own frames of
reference (their own inner worlds of memory
experience, and response).
This approach to learning and teaching assumes that
the mind naturally seeks meaning in context—
that is, in relation to the person’s current
environment—
and that it does so by searching for relationships that
make sense and appear useful.”
( Te a c hi n g M a t h e m a t ic s C o n te x t u a l ly, © 1 9 9 9 , C o r d )
IS A LESSON CONTEXTUAL?
Are new concepts
presented in real-life
(outside the classroom)
situations and
experiences that are
familiar to the
student?
Are concepts in
examples and
student exercises
presented in the
context of their use?
(Teaching Mathematics Contextually, ©1999, Cord)
IS A LESSON CONTEXTUAL?
Are new concepts presented
in the context of what the
student already knows?
Do examples and student exercises
include many real, believable problemsolving situations that students can
recognize as being important to their
current or possible future lives?
(Teaching Mathematics Contextually, ©1999, Cord)
IS A LESSON CONTEXTUAL?
Do examples and student
exercises cultivate an
attitude that says, “I need
to learn this”?
Do students gather and
analyze their own data as
they are guided in
discovery of the important
concepts?
(Teaching Mathematics Contextually, ©1999, Cord)
IS A LESSON CONTEXTUAL?
Are
opportunities
presented for
students to
gather and
analyze their
own data for
enrichment
and extension?
Do lessons and activities
encourage the student to
apply concepts and
information in useful
contexts, projecting the
student into imagined
futures (e.g., possible
careers) and unfamiliar
locations (e.g.,
workplaces)?
(Teaching Mathematics Contextually, ©1999, Cord)
IS A LESSON CONTEXTUAL?
Are students expected to participate
regularly in interactive groups where
sharing, communicating, and
responding to the important concepts
and decision making occur?
(Teaching Mathematics Contextually, ©1999, Cord)
IS A LESSON CONTEXTUAL?
Do lessons, exercises,
and labs improve
students’ reading and
other communication
skills in addition to
mathematical reasoning
and achievement?
(Teaching Mathematics Contextually, ©1999, Cord)
MATH IN CONTEXT
Using
Complex
Text
Math in Context
Set the Stage
USING
COMPLEX
TEXT IN
MATH
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/educate/mathtoday/reg_activities/taxes.pdf
DIRECTIONS
Individual Learning:
1. Go to
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/educate/mathtoday/reg_activities/taxes.pdf
2. Read the article.
3. As you read, mark your responses on the reading guide
Peer Learning/Discourse:
1.
Compare
API Discourse
1.
Text Complexity?
2. Evidence
2. Type of Scaffold?
3. Rationale
3. Value for Math Context?
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
 Do you have a part-time
job?
 Do you pay state and
federal income taxes on
your wages?
 Do you pay sales taxes?
 Are your taxes normal?
How does this task
require skills for
reading complex text?
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
Question 8
How did the median
and mean for the top
five states compare
to the median and
mean for all states?
How does this task use
Reading and Speaking
& Listening
Standards?
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
Question 8
How did the median and
mean for the top five
states compare to the
median and mean for all
states?
Which Math Practices
Standards does this
task help train
students to master?
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
Math Practices
1. Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and
quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and
critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools
strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of
structure.
8. Look for and express regularity
in repeated reasoning.
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
Question 8
How did the median
and mean for the
top five states
compare to the
median and mean
for all states?
How does this response
reveal the level of a
student’s understanding
of math?
Answer 1
The mean and median
for the top five states
were higher.
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
Answer 2
How does this response
reveal the level of a
student’s understanding
of math?
How does this task fulfill
CCSS Math Content,
Math Practice, AND
Literacy standards?
In 2001, the mean and median for
the top five states were significantly
higher than those statistics for all
the states. After calculation, the
mean of the top 5 states was
$2822, while the mean of all 50
states was $1950.94. Likewise,
the median of the top 5 states was
$ 2731 and of all 50 states was
$1844.50. Given these data
points, it is likely that the people of
the top 5 states enjoy a more robust
economy and higher standard of
living than in other states.
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
What kind of writing and
thinking does this task
require?
What roles do choices of
evidence, examples, and
counter-examples play in
revealing a student’s
deep understanding of
math?
Question 11
Do you think the
actual tax data
show a normal
distributions?
Why or Why not?
What ELA Literacy skills
overlap with the skills
needed to demonstrate
deep learning in math,
such as in this sample?
ARE TAXES NORMAL?
Extending Learning
How can this
lesson be extended
to include the
thinking skills in
Level 4 DOK?
FULL IMPLEMENTATION
Every Classroom, Every Week
Schoolwide Instructional Culture
PLT Lesson Design
PLT Response Rubrics
Peer Observation and Coaching
Evaluator Support for NCEES
Standards for Literacy,
Differentiation, and Content
Knowledge