The Mathematics Lesson-Planning Handbook, Grades 6-8

Book excerpt: Your blueprint to planning Grades 6-8 math lessons that lead to achievement for all learners When it comes to planning mathematics lessons, do you sometimes feel burdened? Have you ever scrambled for an activity to engage your students that aligns with your state standards? Do you ever look at a recommended mathematics lesson plan and think, "This will never work for my students"? The Mathematics Lesson-Planning Handbook: Your Blueprint for Building Cohesive Lessons, Grades 6–8 walks you step by step through the process of planning focused, research-based mathematics lessons that enhance the coherence, rigor, and purpose of state standards and address the unique learning needs of your individual students. This resource deepens the daily lesson-planning process for middle school teachers and offers practical guidance for merging routines, resources, and effective teaching techniques into an individualized and manageable set of lesson plans. The effective planning process helps you Identify learning intentions and connect goals to success criteria Select resources and worthwhile tasks that make the best use of instructional materials Structure lessons differently for traditional and block middle school schedules Anticipate student misconceptions and evaluate understanding using a variety of formative assessment techniques Facilitate questioning, encourage productive struggle, and close lessons with reflection techniques This author team of seasoned mathematics educators make lesson planning practical and doable with a useful lesson-planning template and real-life examples from Grades 6–8 classrooms. Chapter by chapter, the decision-making strategies empower teachers to plan mathematics lessons strategically, to teach with intention and confidence, and to build purposeful, rigorous, coherent lessons that lead to mathematics achievement for all learners.