Upper Elementary Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Understand, and Respond to Social Injustice - Paperback

by Tonya Bartell (Author), Cathery Yeh (Author), Mathew D. Felton-Koestler (Author)

"A very compelling set of fresh ideas are offered that prepare educators to turn the corner on advocating for social justice in the mathematics classroom. Each book is full of engaging activities, frameworks and standards that centers instruction on community, worldview, and the developmental needs of all students, a must needed resource to reboot our commitment to the next generation."

Linda M. Fulmore
TODOS: Mathematics For ALL
Cave Creek, AZ

Empower students to be the change--join the teaching mathematics for social justice movement!

We live in an era in which students of all ages have--through media and their lived experiences-- a more visceral experience of social injustices. However, when people think of social justice, mathematics rarely comes to mind. With a teacher-friendly design, this book brings upper elementary mathematics content to life by connecting it to student curiosity, empathy, and issues students see or experience.

Tested in Grades 3-5 classrooms, the model lessons in this book walk teachers through the process of applying critical frameworks to instruction, using standards-based mathematics to explore, understand, and respond to social justice issues. Learn to plan instruction that engages students in mathematics explorations through age-appropriate, culturally relevant topics, such as valuing differences, health and pay inequality, bullying, voting rights, and environmental justice. Features include:

• Content cross-referenced by mathematical concept and social issues
• Connection to Learning for Justice's social justice standards
• Downloadable instructional materials and lesson resources
• Guidance for lessons driven by students' unique passions and challenges
• Connections between research and practice

Written for teachers committed to developing equitable and just practices through the lens of mathematics content and practice standards as well as social justice standards, this book will help connect content to students' daily lives, fortify their mathematical understanding, and expose them to issues that will support them in becoming active citizens and leaders.

Author Biography

Tonya Bartell is associate professor of Mathematics Education at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on issues of culture, race, and power in mathematics teaching and learning with attention to teachers' development of mathematics pedagogy for social justice and pedagogy integrating a focus on children′s multiple mathematical knowledge bases. She is a coeditor of the Journal of Teacher Education and editor of the monograph book Toward Equity and Justice in Mathematics Education. She was recently a co-keynote speaker with Gloriana Gonzalez at the Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education and hopes to attend and present next year at the annual meetings of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Robert Q. Berry, III, Ph.D. is Past President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Virginia in the Curry School of Education with an appointment in Curriculum Instruction and Special Education department. Dr. Berry teaches mathematics methods courses in the teacher education program and a geometry content course. His research focuses on equity issues in mathematics education, with a particular focus on Black boys. Additionally, he does research on mathematical teaching practices and uses qualitative metasynthesis methodology to make claims for evidence-based practices in mathematics teaching and learning. Berry has published nearly 100 articles, book chapters, and proceedings. His articles have appeared in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Journal of Teacher Education, American Educational Research Journal, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, Teaching Children Mathematics, and others. He was on the writing team for NCTM's landmark publication Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (2014). Berry served on the NCTM Board of Directors from 2011-2014, recipient of NCTM's Linking Research to Practice Publication Award for volume years 2010 and 2014, and in 2016 he received the Distinguish Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching from his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mathew D. Felton-Koestler is an associate professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Ohio. His research focuses on issues of equity, diversity, and social justice in mathematics teacher education. He also studies mathematical modeling, especially of students' out-of-school interests and social justice issues, and Complex Instruction in mathematics education. He is an author of Reflecting the World: A Guide to Incorporating Equity in Mathematics Teacher Education and has been published in Teaching Children Mathematics, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, and the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. He frequently presents at the annual meetings of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators and of the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Cathery Yeh is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at Chapman University, CA. As a scholar of color, her research centers on developing conceptual and methodological approaches to study and support mathematics teachers to develop teaching practices that draw on student strengths and lived experiences, particularly for students across language and ability status. Her scholarship builds on ten years of teaching in dual-language classrooms in the Los Angeles urban core and abroad in China, Chile, Peru, and Costa Rica. Yeh has 20+ years of experience in K-12 and higher education settings working with future and experienced teachers; presented at state, national, and international conferences; and published over 40 articles and two books: Reimagining the Mathematics Classroom: Creating and Sustaining Productive Learning Environments, K-6 and Catalyzing Change in Early Childhood and Elementary Mathematics. Cathery can usually be found in her favorite place - mathematics classrooms - working and learning with students and teachers. Brian R. Lawler is currently an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Kennesaw State University. Previously, he was a high school mathematics for nine years. He has worked with middle and high school teachers, schools, and districts to implement equity pedagogy in mathematics courses. Brian currently is directing a multi-institution research program to address equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice issues in the preparation of secondary mathematics teachers. He is a contributing author to the internationally acclaimed Interactive Mathematics Program, a comprehensive, problem-based high school mathematics curriculum designed specifically for detracked classrooms. He has published and presented internationally on social justice issues in mathematics education, specifically topics such as mathematical identity, personal epistemology, ethics, critical mathematics education, and district transformation of mathematics instruction.