Most units begin with a central problem that students explore over the course of six to eight weeks. Some of these central problems are based on practical, real-world situations, such as maximizing profits for a business or studying population growth. Others are more fanciful, involving such situations as a pennant race or a circus act. As students work through smaller problems in the unit, they develop the mathematical concepts and techniques they need to solve the central problem. A particular unit may combine several branches of mathematics so that students see how important ideas are related to one another.
Students examine new concepts through in-class activities, working in groups and individually.
Homework assignments reinforce and extend concepts introduced in class. POWs are open-ended problems, often mathematical classics, that cannot be solved easily in a very short period of time. In POW write-ups, students describe how they worked on the problem and explain their reasoning. Each unit also includes a collection of supplemental problems, both to reinforce concepts and skills and to extend ideas beyond the basic curriculum. These problems provide a way to tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of individual students.