Welcome! Middle School Math LINKS is an interactive, technology assisted professional development and student learning program. Sixteen professional development lessons covering Functions, Geometry, Data and Statistics, and Algebra/Equations are provided. An additional Overview lesson includes a research summary of the middle school math curriculum and information about what is covered in each lesson.

Math LINKS Lab contains 14 interactive tutorials covering the four subjects listed above. The tutorials are within a games format that assesses students learning. Check this out. Try it, you will like it!

Professional Development Lessons
There are sixteen professional development lessons Middle School Math program, one Overview of the Middle School Mathematics curriculum, and one interactive student CD with lessons formatted in games. Each of the sixteen professional development lessons provide the following.

1. Math LINKS Guide: Provides background information about mathematics learning and instruction.
2. Lesson Introduction: Provides research information about mathematics instruction and student learning, an animated glossary and introductory activities.
3. Lesson(s): Provides classroom lessons and pre and post interviews with the teacher(s).
4. Resources: Includes Teaching Tips and Lesson Plans.
5. Illustrated Lesson(s): Includes animated and interactive instruction of mathematics concepts included in the lesson with an assessment of the learnings.

Middle School Math Overview
The Overview lesson provides research on the middle school mathematics curriculum and the importance of students’ development of proportional reasoning, video interviews with teachers and students, and in-depth information on the content of each lesson and sample videos of the sixteen professional development lessons. Listings of the NCTM standards under which each lesson will contribute learnings is also provided.

Functions
Pattern to Functions

Understanding functions is an important and necessary concept for students making the transition to higher mathematics. This lesson features two demonstrations of how students investigate the connections between patterns and functions.

There are various representations of functions. Two lessons designed to help students move fluidly between representations are provided in this program.

Calculating Kids provides two lessons demonstrating how students learn about graphing and the connections between patterns and functions.

Walk That Graph demonstrates the use of technologies in providing “hands on” learning of graphing principles.

The Big Picture of functions lesson includes an explanation of the mathematical definition of functions as well as the families of functions.

Geometry
Similar Figures

Similar Figures introduces the mathematical concept of similar figures and provides activities for teaching and learning about similar figures.

Geometric Proportions introduces the concept of proportion and includes activities designed to help students develop understandings of proportion.

The concepts of ratio and proportion are developed and students work through real life problems involving ratio and proportion.

Data and Statistics
Population Sampling

Population Sampling provides a simulation of a real life tag and release activity of estimating the number of sharks in a lagoon using proportional reasoning.

Students are engaged in learning and applying the basic concepts of measures of central tendency.

Ratio and proportion concepts are featured in solving a word problem involving speed and time.

Data regarding the amount of rainfall over time is used to introduce students to data analysis. Students create scatter plots of the data, estimate the linear regression for the data, and then make predictions based on the estimated line.

Algebra/Equations
Number Puzzles

Algebraic reasoning is introduced as students explore the concept of variable, learn how algebra is the basis for number puzzles, and then apply their learning to develop their own number puzzles.

Using Lab Gear manipulatives, the students learn how to combining positive and negative terms necessary for simplifying algebraic expressions.

Pattern Blocks are used to teach students how to develop equations. A number of common equations are also provided and discussed.

Using Lab Gear manipulatives, students learn how to solve/equations and use algebraic notations.