Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks, K-5
Fostering Hope in the Elementary Classroom
Corwin Mathematics Series
Empower your students as they reimagine the world around them through mathematics
Culturally relevant mathematics teaching engages and empowers students, helping them learn and understand math more deeply and make connections to themselves, their communities, and the world around them. The mathematics task provides opportunities for a direct pathway to this goal; however, how can you find, adapt, and implement math tasks that build powerful learners?
Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks helps teachers to design and refine inspiring mathematics learning experiences driven by the kind of high-quality and culturally relevant mathematics tasks that connect students to their world. With the goal of inspiring all students to see themselves as doers of mathematics, this book provides intensive, in-the-moment guidance and practical classroom tools that empower educators to shape culturally relevant experiences while systematically building tasks that are standards-based. It includes
- A pathway for moving through the process of asking, imagining, planning, creating, and improving culturally relevant math tasks.
- Tools and strategies for designing culturally relevant math tasks that preservice, novice, and veteran teachers can use to grow their practice day by day.
- Research-based teaching practices seen through the lens of culturally relevant instruction that help students develop deep conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, fluency, and application in all K-5 mathematical content.
Examples, milestones, opportunities for reflection, and discussion questions guide educators to strengthen their classroom practices, and to reimagine math instruction in response. This book is for any educator who wants to teach mathematics in a more authentic, inclusive, and meaningful way, and it is especially beneficial for teachers whose students are culturally different from them.
Free resources
Responding with Hope
Learn about the Hope Wheel and how to use Hope Verbs to adapt content standards and create task goals.
Culturally Relevant Teaching Activity
This resource discusses tasks as opportunities to practice culturally relevant teaching and provides an activity for your classroom.
Culturally Relevant Mathematics Task-Building Actions
Read the culturally relevant mathematics task-building actions.
Culturally Relevant Mathematics Task Dimensions
View the three culturally relevant mathematics task dimensions.
Completed Revising a Math Task to Be Culturally Relevant Template
See what a completed template looks like.
Template: Revising a Math Task to Be Culturally Relevant
Use this template as a reflection tool.
Since the emergence of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as a pedagogical theory, teachers have been asking, ‘Yes, but how do we do it?’ Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks is the volume we need to answer that question. It belongs on every teacher’s bookshelf.
Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks is brilliant, bold, and absolutely beautiful! The authors remind us that equity and excellence draw on the brilliance of the students and communities we serve, and on the mathematics already present in students’ racial and cultural identities, communities, and history. The concepts and ideas shared here are a game-change in mathematics education! Both practical and inspirational, this book offers the perfect blueprint with in-the-moment guidance and practical classroom tools to make culturally responsive instruction attainable
Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks provides the rationale, practices, task design tools, and beautiful examples to learn how to engage children in culturally relevant math tasks. It is the first book that connects culturally relevant teaching and mathematics in an authentic way to help math educators, coaches, and leaders bring out the brilliance in all of their students!
Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks is a foundational resource for any educator seeking to engage their students in a culturally relevant math experience. In this resource educators will find practical tools, tips, and strategies that can be implemented immediately within their educational environment.
Engaging in Culturally Relevant Math Tasks is a powerful, practical resource for teachers wherever they might be on their teaching journey. It offers insightful guidance in developing and implementing CRMTasks that give students voice, empowers students, connects mathematics to family and community, and provides an approach where students see themselves in the mathematics—all while pushing mathematical complexity, relevance, and high expectations for all students. I found the focus on intentionality energizing in supporting students as they understand and critique their world. Thank you to the authors for sharing your vision and experience!
Engaging in Culturally Relevant Mathematics Tasks is a much-needed book for socially and culturally conscious teachers of mathematics. Drawing inspiration from the tasks will give teachers the opportunity to engage their elementary learners in becoming critical mathematical thinkers of the world around them. The treasures found in this book should be highly
cherished by all.
