Is There a Lesson for That?
Lindsey Gallas
We’re coming up on the two year anniversary of completing the full Math Medic curriculum! Over these two years we’ve received lots of feedback about the design of the lessons (Experience First, Formalize Later) and the design of the curriculum as a cohesive set of those lessons. In today’s blog post, we’d like to share how we designed the curriculum as well as provide some resources that will help you modify the curriculum to best suit your teaching situation.
Standards and Sequencing
When we created our curriculum for Math Medic, we spent a long time deciding on the scope and sequence of topics that would be included. We chose to use the Common Core standards and a traditional Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Precalculus sequence. We know every state and school is different and many will have a different set of standards to teach. But even if your state does not use Common Core, there are likely similarities between the standards you teach and the Common Core State Standards. Below are links showing the alignment of the Math Medic lessons to the Common Core State Standards.
CCSS Alignment to Math Medic Lessons
Math Medic Algebra 1 CCSS Alignment
Math Medic Geometry CCSS Alignment
Math Medic Algebra 2 CCSS Alignment
Math Medic Precalculus CCSS Alignment
Designing the Curriculum
As public high school teachers, we have worked with many different textbooks in the past. We have also been on curriculum committees ourselves, where we looked into pros and cons of a variety of available programs. This experience with lots of different programs was so helpful because over time we were able to identify what we liked best based on what worked well for students. What you now find on Math Medic is the culmination of our experience in the classroom. Our sequence of topics was created based on what had been helpful for developing conceptual understanding and cohesion and what we wish had been there to help students make better connections between topics. We wanted to build a sequence of topics and units that established a through line in the content so students could see how the topics built on each other and were connected. In the links below, you can view our Unit Overviews for all units in each course. These include every unit, lesson, and learning target for all courses.
Algebra 1 Learning Targets – Math Medic.pdf
Geometry Learning Targets – Math Medic.pdf
Algebra 2 Learning Targets – Math Medic.pdf
Precalculus Learning Targets – Math Medic.pdf
Learn more about how to use these documents in your classroom.
Need Help Finding a Lesson?
Can’t find a lesson you’re looking for? Use the Search feature in the upper right-hand corner of the site. Type in keywords to search the site for lessons and resources that you can use. This is also a great way to learn about how a particular concept is developed across grade levels and courses.
About the Author
Lindsey Gallas
As a former mathematics educator herself, Lindsey is proud to lead the Math Medic team, providing valuable resources for teachers across the country. Years ago, Lindsey and Luke met as colleagues at East Kentwood High School, the most diverse high school in Michigan. Sharing a discontent for the lack of quality teaching resources, Luke and Lindsey worked together to create their own. Creating and testing the “Experience First, Formalize Later” lesson model with great success, the two formally began “Stats Medic”, which would eventually be known as “Math Medic”, in 2015. Armed with a Bachelor’s in Secondary Mathematics and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Valley State University, Lindsey spends her time leading the Math Medic team – doing everything from writing weekly emails and answering teacher questions to dreaming up the next big idea. Outside of work, she loves to hang with her family, cook, and get into a juicy DIY design project.