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Standards for grades Pre-K–12
Number Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Algebra Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Geometry Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Measurement Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Data Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Problem Solving Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Reasoning Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Communication Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Connections Standard for grades Pre-K–12
Representation Standard for grades Pre-K–12


Table of Contents
Appendix
E-examples
Resources




Connections

Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to--
  • recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas;
  • understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole;
  • recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.

Mathematics is an integrated field of study, even though it is often partitioned into separate topics. Students from prekindergarten through grade 12 should see and experience the rich interplay among mathematical topics, between mathematics and other subjects, and between mathematics and their own interests. Viewing mathematics as a whole also helps students learn that mathematics is not a set of isolated skills and arbitrary rules.

An emphasis on mathematical connections helps students recognize how ideas in different areas are related. Students should come both to expect and to exploit connections, using insights gained in one context to verify conjectures in another. For example, elementary school students link their knowledge of the subtraction of whole numbers to the subtraction of decimals or fractions. Middle school students might collect and graph data for the circumference (C) and diameter (d) of various circles. They could extend their previous knowledge in algebra and data analysis to recognize that the values nearly form a straight line, so C/d is between 3.1 and 3.2 (a rough estimation of ).

Students at Computer The opportunity to experience mathematics in context is important. Students should connect mathematical concepts to their daily lives, as well as to situations from science, the social sciences, medicine, and commerce. For example, high school students worked with a drug store chain to determine where it should locate a new pharmacy in their neighborhood on the basis of analyses of demographic and economic data. Students should recognize the value of mathematics in examining personal and societal issues.

 
 

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