We designed Math-Grade 6, Math-Grade 7, and Math-Grade 8 as a full curriculum to support middle school mathematics. These new resources are comprehensive, 100% TEKS-aligned curriculum designed for powerful student learning in the middle grades. Approved by the Texas State Board of Education as High-Quality Instructional Materials under the IMRA 2024 cycle, this curriculum combines the best features of our existing resources.
What Unit Support Is Provided for Middle School Mathematics?
We launch each unit with an overview page that shows the lessons in the unit with the TEKS and ELPS correlation for each lesson.
The Unit Introduction summarizes the big ideas that each unit addresses.
The Unit Overview shows the vertical flow of content from previous grades into the current grade and then future grades.
How Are Lessons Structured?
Each lesson has an overview page containing the following features.
The lesson structure for each lesson follows an inquiry model supported by direct instruction as appropriate.
- The Exploration phase of the lesson contains an investigation using hands-on materials, visual models, and technology as appropriate to the TEKS/SE addressed in the lesson. These materials come from our Focused Math™ and Mission Math™ resources.
- The Explanation phase of the lesson is a direct instruction piece where students acquire key vocabulary and connect concepts and skills, procedures, and processes. These materials come from our TEKS Companion Guide™ resource.
- The Performance Task phase of the lesson is a formative assessment opportunity for the students to demonstrate what they have learned about the mathematics. These materials come from our Performing Math™ resource.
- Units also include interactive Spiral Review activities as appropriate. In addition to skills practice, students engage in discourse, productive struggle, and other hands-on activities.
- Each lesson culminates in a Unit Test where students have the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the content from the unit. Question types include a variety of interactive constructed and selected response types that students may encounter on the STAAR® exam.
What Additional Teacher Supports Do You Provide for Effective Instruction?
Detailed Prior Learning Supports make direct connections between what students learned in previous grades and what they will be learning in this lesson. The support focuses on what students are learning in middle school mathematics but we know that some of the antecedent concepts and skills lie in elementary mathematics.
Vocabulary supports include partially completed Frayer models for key vocabulary terms students will encounter in the lesson. We provide a blank Frayer model template for teachers to use for additional vocabulary terms, including those from students’ unfinished prior learning.
View a Sample Lesson
STAAR® is a registered trademark of the Texas Education Agency. Our use of the term STAAR® does not imply endorsement by the Texas Education Agency.
