Classroom-Ready Rich Algebra Tasks, Grades 6-12
Engaging Students in Doing Math
- Barbara J. Dougherty - University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA
- Linda C. Venenciano
Foreword by Kevin Dykema
Corwin Mathematics Series
Stop algebra from being a mathematical gatekeeper. With rich math tasks, all students can succeed.
Every teacher strives to make instruction effective and interesting, yet traditional methods of teaching algebra are not working for many students! That’s a problem. But the answer isn’t to supplement the curriculum with random tasks. Classroom Ready-Rich Math Tasks for Grades 6-12 equips you with a cohesive solution--50+ mathematical tasks that are rich, research-based, standards-aligned, and classroom-tested. The tasks:
- Are organized into learning progressions that help all students make the leap from arithmetic to algebra
- Offer students interesting mathematics problems to think about and solve so math is investigative, interactive, and engaging
- Provide opportunities for you to connect new content to prior knowledge or focus on an underdeveloped concept
- Engage students in conceptual understanding, procedural practice, and problem solving through critical thinking and application
- Come with downloadable planning tools, student resource pages, and extension questions
- Include additional support for students who may be struggling
Every learner deserves opportunities to engage in meaningful, rigorous mathematics. And every teacher can develop mathematical thinking and reasoning abilities in students. Part of the bestselling series spanning elementary and middle school, Classroom-Ready Rich Algebra Tasks, Grades 6-12 is a powerful add-on to any core mathematics program at your school.
In this astounding book, Dougherty and Venenciano skillfully illustrate tasks that develop students’
reasoning, problem-solving, and communication skills. They thoughtfully include guiding and reflective
questions along with suggestions for differentiation and extensions of each task. The wide range of topics
makes this perfect for any algebra course!
Bring the love of learning mathematics back into your classroom by implementing effective
mathematical practices, building numeracy skills in your students, and providing rich algebra tasks that
are engaging. Dougherty and Venenciano have done some great work to support educators that will
enhance students’ learning and grit.
Dougherty and Venenciano provoke us to reframe our thinking from, “can my students get the correct
answer for this task?” to “how can I use this task to help further my students’ understanding of the
mathematics?” The authors provide a vision, tools, and practical advice for strategically using engaging
tasks to enhance students’ understanding of mathematical ideas and processes.
This is a treasure trove of amazing tasks and supporting materials! Framing the tasks in an overview of
research-grounded practices promotes fidelity and provides access for all students. Tasks presented in Part
2 spell out the mathematical topics, content and practice alignments, watch-fors, anticipated solutions,
prompts, and post-task notes that allow them to be efficiently integrated.
It’s important to implement rich tasks that support students’ math proficiency, drawing from their
strengths and assets. It can be difficult locating or creating math tasks that are both rich and assetbased.
I am excited to use tasks from this book in my work at the university with preservice teachers, in
professional development with in-service teachers, and working with grades 6–12 students.
Classroom-Ready Rich Algebra Tasks is a must-have resource for all algebra teachers. Dougherty and
Venenciano outline how to implement these tasks in your classroom and give numerous examples that
could be used today. After more than a decade of teaching algebra and supporting algebra teachers, this
is a resource I wish I had when I started.