Mathematics and Science
Mathematics and Science support services are available to all local districts in Char-Em ISD. Our goal is to ensure leadership and instruction that results in the development of students’ mathematical and science competencies and applications. Districts may choose from a range of Pre-K through 12th grade services which all support the Michigan State Standards for mathematics and science.
The state standards expect that all students who are college and career ready in mathematics exhibit not only content knowledge, but also specific mathematical practices:
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
- Model with mathematics
- Use appropriate tools strategically
- Attend to precision
- Look for and make use of structure
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
Students who achieve these standards will have the mathematical knowledge and skills necessary to become mathematically literate citizens who find success in college, career, and lifelong learning.
Services are available through area-wide professional learning and extended support as needed at a building or district level. All mathematics support has a foundation in current research. These services align with research in the areas of developmentally appropriate practices, the use of assessment to inform instruction, and a balanced approach to mathematics instructional strategies.
Foundations of Math
Char-Em ISD is currently providing onsite support for districts interested in implementing the Foundations of Math approach to improving instructional strategies. The Foundations of Math initiative develops the mathematical knowledge of special education and general education teachers who work with all students including students with disabilities or students who struggle in math. The work is designed to deepen teachers’ content knowledge and connect procedural knowledge to conceptual understanding. An emphasis is placed on formatting lesson construction to develop strong mathematical foundations in students.
Char-Em ISD is committed to working with districts interested in implementing the Foundations of Math. We will work with each district to create support systems that best meet the needs of the district’s current staff and areas of need. The training component of the Foundations of Math will be provided to the district via an onsite model that allows teachers within the district to learn together and support each other’s implementation. Char-Em ISD’s Coach will provide support to the district’s Coach during the training and implementation phases of the initiative.
For further information please contact Ben Hicks or Scott Koziol.
Online Resources:
Foundations of Math playlist on YouTube (looks at benefits, learning, student outcomes, etc.)
Web Resources:
Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Michigan Department of Education
- Early Math
- Early Science
- M-Step
- Math Standards
- Michigan K-12 Mathematics Standards
- MME and High School Assessments
- Science Standards
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
National Science Teachers Association
Next Generation Science Standards
Lesson, Task, and Assessment Resources
- Illustrative Mathematics
- Inside Mathematics
- K-5 Math Teaching Resources
- Mathematics Assessment Project
- PBS Learning Media
- YouCubed at Stanford University
Livebinders and Similar
Math Resources (Elementary, Middle, and High School)
Elementary Math
Middle/High School Math
High School Math
- Purplemath
For help with Algebra - TI-Tutors for the Web
Graphing calculator How-To tutorial
Summer Math Resources
- Adventures with Mathematics
Under Shop tab to the far right and Publications - Bedtime Math
- National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
Interactive tools for students that need visuals to aid in solving problems - Parent Toolkit
- Webmath
Webmath is a math-help web site that generates answers to specific math questions and problems
Science Resources (Elementary and Middle School)
Elementary Science
Middle School Science
Other Frequently Used Resources
- Michigan Mathematics and Science Center Networks
- Michigan Science Teachers Association (MSTA)
- Shodar Education Foundation – Project Interactive
Interactive java-based courseware for exploration in science and mathematics