Rigor: Let the Standards be your Guide

Rigor: Let the Standards be your Guide

• Examine how the three aspects of rigor – Conceptual Understanding, Procedural Fluency, and Application – allow students to make sense of and use math

• Determine which aspects of rigor are required by grade-level standards, why, and how this should influence instructional decisions

Schedule:

5 minutes –     Settle in, take attendance, Intro question: How did this module’s definition of rigor compare to your own idea of rigor? 

10-15 minutes –     Participants’ implementation share-out

3-5 minutes –     Transition into current module, connection between concepts: What connections do you see between the ways the brain learns math, as described in the “How the Brain Learns Math” module, and the three pillars of rigor: conceptual understanding, procedural skill & fluency, and application?

10-20 minutes –     Workbook reflection: 

1. Before this module, had you ever seen students use the butterfly method for adding fractions? Can you think of any similar types of methods that help students remember procedures but might not connect to understanding? 

2. Like the activity in part 1 called “Conceptual Understanding in Standards”, how does identifying the aspect of rigor designated in a specific standard help in planning your instructional activities?

3. Were there any prompts in this section of the workbook that you wanted to discuss with the rest of the group? What about them were you looking to explore further?

20-30 minutes –     Application discussion prompts: 

1. Which pillar of rigor (conceptual understanding, procedural skill & fluency, and application) is emphasized most in your current classroom routines?  What benefit would there be to emphasizing the other aspects more?

2. Procedural skill and fluency are often conflated with memorizing math facts.  How does this module maintain the importance of having certain facts quickly accessible in working memory but differentiate that from procedural skill and fluency?  How is that reflected in your lesson plans?

3. How might your current instructional materials help in emphasizing the three aspects of rigor?  What facets of the materials help the most with each aspect?  Are there any aspects of rigor that aren’t supported as much as the others?  How could you make sure that your students are supported in all aspects?

5-10 minutes -     Wrap up: Each individual brainstorms "What can you do between now and our next meeting to incorporate or emphasize this topic more in your classroom?" and a few participants volunteer for the next session’s implementation share-out