Build collaborative teacher teams committed to fostering student self-efficacy and increasing achievement in mathematics. Part of the Every Student Can Learn Mathematics series, this practical resource provides a framework for collectively planning a unit of study in grades 3-5. Grade-level teams will learn how to work together to perform key tasks from unwrapping standards and creating team unit calendars to determining academic vocabulary and designing robust fraction units.
Help your team identify what students need to know by the end of each unit and build student self-efficacy:
- Understand how to collaboratively plan thematic units in grades 3-5.
- Study the seven unit-planning elements and learn how to incorporate each in essential unit design.
- Review the role of the PLC at Work® process in enhancing collaborative student learning and teacher collaboration.
- Observe three model fraction units, one for each grade level.
- Receive tools and templates for effective unit planning.
Contents:
Introduction by Timothy D. Kanold
Part 1: Mathematics Unit Planning and Design Elements
Chapter 1: Planning for Student Learning of Mathematics in Grades 3 5
Chapter 2: Unit Planning as a Collaborative Mathematics Team
Part 2: Fraction Unit Examples, Grades 3 5
Chapter 3: Grade 3 Unit Fraction Understanding
Chapter 4: Grade 4 Unit Fraction Equivalence, Addition, and Subtraction
Chapter 5: Grade 5 Unit Fraction Addition and Subtraction
Epilogue: Mathematics Team Organization
Appendix A: Create a Proficiency Map
Appendix B: Checklist and Questions for Mathematics Unit Planning
References and Resources
Sarah Schuhl is an educational coach and consultant specializing in mathematics, professional learning communities, common formative and summative assessments, school improvement, and response to intervention (RTI). She has worked in schools as a secondary mathematics teacher, high school instructional coach, and K-12 mathematics specialist.
Schuhl was instrumental in the creation of a PLC in the Centennial School District in Oregon, helping teachers make large gains in student achievement. She earned the Centennial School District Triple C Award in 2012.
Timothy D. Kanold, PhD, is an award-winning educator, author, and consultant and a national thought leader in mathematics. He is former director of mathematics and science and served as superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125, a model professional learning community (PLC) district in Lincolnshire, Illinois.
Dr. Kanold is committed to equity and excellence for students, faculty, and school administrators. He conducts highly motivational professional development leadership seminars worldwide with a focus on turning school vision into realized action that creates greater equity for students through the effective delivery of the PLC process by faculty and administrators.
Jennifer Deinhart is a K-8 mathematics specialist, currently teaching at Mason Crest Elementary School in Annandale, Virginia. Mason Crest is the first national model professional learning community school to receive the DuFour Award. A passionate educator with 20 years' experience working with diverse populations within Title 1 schools in Virginia, Indiana, and New York, she works collaboratively with teams of teachers to provide quality mathematics instruction.
Jennifer has been part of leadership teams at two national model professional learning community schools in Fairfax County, Virginia. She has worked with others to develop meaningful collaborative team structures that focus on student learning, reflecting on results, and designing instruction that meets the needs of all learners.
Matthew R. Larson, PhD, is an award-winning educator and author who served as the K-12 mathematics curriculum specialist for Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska for more than twenty years. He served as president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) from 2016-2018. Dr. Larson has taught mathematics at the elementary through college levels and has held an honorary appointment as a visiting associate professor of mathematics education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
He is coauthor of several mathematics textbooks, professional books, articles on mathematics education, and was a contributing writer on the influential publications Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (NCTM, 2014) and Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics: Initiating Critical Conversations (NCTM, 2018).
Mona Toncheff, an educational consultant and author, is also currently working as a project manager for the Arizona Mathematics Partnership (a National Science Foundation-funded grant). A passionate educator working with diverse populations in a Title 1 district, she previously worked as both a mathematics teacher and a mathematics content specialist for the Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona. In the latter role, she provided professional development to high school teachers and administrators related to quality mathematics teaching and learning and working in effective collaborative teams.
