The Math Design Collaborative

 The other day, I was searching for something quite specific and ended up at the Math Design Collaborative from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

The first thing I found were class outlines for grades 6 to 8, Algebra I and II, and Geometry.

These outlines begin with outlines comparing the material in grades 6, 7, and 8 or Algebra I, II, and Geometry and a list of the eight mathematical practices.  Then you get the actual list of content with formative assessments and how long each section should take.  In other words it has a nice pacing guide built in.

Once you get to the main part of the guide, it gives additional break downs for each lesson from a general introduction to the lessons, links to the appropriate material, tasks, books, and information on the formative assessments.  Everything you need for the lessons.  The best thing about the lessons, is they've listed the standards each lesson addresses so you don't have to sit there and figure that out.

Every lesson has tasks associated with them.  The tasks are all labeled so you know if they are designed for the novice, an apprentice or expert so you know who they are suitable for and if you need to add some scaffolding.

Under each grade level or course outline there is a list of each individual formative assessment. For instance in the Algebra I course, there is a section on linear equations with something on simple and compound interest rates where students compare a linear function with an exponential function.  The outline provides an overall view but when you click on the comparing interests link, it takes you to the actual lesson module.

Although there are links for every section of the lesson, not all of them work correctly. The one link I found that did work, was the one that sent me to The Mathematics Assessment Project lesson on representing Linear and Exponential Growth.  This comes with the necessary resources including the lesson and a power point. 

The other problem with the detailed lessons is they often refer to pages that are in the material from the Mathematics Assessment Project and if you don't know that, it can make you wonder where the material is.  Otherwise, the information is there to follow step by step from pre-assessment through to follow-ups. 

I like the whole concept because I don't always have the time to write a lesson from beginning to end.  I found a nice lesson on classifying systems of equations I can use next week in my Algebra I class. 

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.