The NCTM Standards includes 13 curriculum standards. This section outlines how Math Trailblazers complements these standards. Problem Solving A strong emphasis on problem solving is evident in the NCTM recommendations. Therefore, throughout Math Trailblazers, students are immersed in complex problem situations in which they both apply the mathematics they know and construct new mathematics as required. Skills, procedures, and concepts are developed as students work on the problems.
Students also make and test predictions and generalize their results.
Putting problems first is a different and difficult way to organize a mathematics curriculum. If the focus is on problems, then careful design, meticulous planning, and continual assessment are required to ensure the timely development of skills and concepts. It is a common experience for people to understand an idea truly when they try to explain it to others. Such communication and representations are integral to Math Trailblazers. In many activities, students handle manipulatives, draw pictures, make graphs, and grapple with mathematical ideas.