2025
Imagine IM

6th to 8th Grade - Gateway 3

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See the series overview page to confirm the review tool version used to create this report.

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Gateway Ratings Summary

Teacher and Student Supports

Gateway 3 - Meets Expectations
100%
Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports
10 / 10
Criterion 3.2: Student Supports
6 / 6
Criterion 3.3: Intentional Design
Narrative Only

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM, Grade 6 through 8 meet expectations for Teacher & Student Supports. The materials meet expectations for Criterion 1, Teacher Supports, Criterion 2, Student Supports and Criterion 3, Intentional Design.

Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports

10 / 10

Information on Multilingual Learner (MLL) Supports in This Criterion

For some indicators in this criterion, we also display evidence and scores for pair MLL indicators.

While MLL indicators are scored, these scores are reported separately from core content scores. MLL scores do not currently impact core content scores at any level—whether indicator, criterion, gateway, or series.

To view all MLL evidence and scores for this grade band or grade level, select the "Multilingual Learner Supports" view from the left navigation panel.

Materials include opportunities for teachers to effectively plan and utilize with integrity to further develop their own understanding of the content.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM, Grade 6 through 8 meet expectations for Teacher Supports. The materials provide clear guidance through useful annotations and suggestions for enacting both student and ancillary materials. They include explanations and examples of grade-level concepts and standards, along with how these connect to prior and future grade levels, supporting teacher content knowledge. A year-long scope and sequence is provided, along with standards correlation information. The materials offer strategies for communicating with stakeholders and suggestions to support student progress. Additionally, they explain the program’s instructional approaches, identify research-based strategies, and clarify the role of the standards. A comprehensive list of required supplies is included, as well as multiple opportunities for assessing student learning, guidance for interpreting performance, and suggestions for follow-up instruction.

Narrative Only
Narrative Only
Narrative Only

Indicator 3a

2 / 2

Materials provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in engaging students to guide their mathematical development.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for providing teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in order to guide their mathematical development. 

The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) contains sections titled What’s in an Imagine IM Lesson, Key Structures in This Course, Scope and Sequence, and Pacing Guides and Dependency Diagrams which provide instructional guidance related to the use of student and ancillary materials. Examples include:

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Coherent Progression states, “Each unit starts with an invitation to the mathematics. The first few lessons provide an accessible entry point for all students and offer the opportunity to observe students’ prior understandings. Each lesson starts with a Warm-Up to activate students’ prior knowledge and to set up the work of the day. This is followed by instructional activities in which students are introduced to new concepts, procedures, contexts, or representations, or make connections between them. The Lesson Synthesis at the end consolidates understanding and makes the learning goals of the lesson explicit. In the Cool-Down that follows, students apply what they learned. Each activity starts with a Launch that gives all students access to the task. Independent work time follows, allowing them to grapple with problems individually before working in small groups. In the Activity Synthesis at the end, students consolidate their learning by making connections between their work and the mathematical goals. Each activity includes carefully chosen contexts and numbers that support the coherent sequence of learning goals in the lesson.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Using the 5 Practices For Orchestrating Productive Discussions states, "Promoting productive and meaningful conversations between students and teachers is essential to success in a problem-based classroom. To facilitate these conversations, the IM curriculum incorporates the framework presented in 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions (Smith & Stein, 2011). The 5 Practices are: anticipate, monitor, select, sequence, and make connections between students’ responses. All IM lessons support the practices of anticipating, monitoring, and selecting students’ work to share during whole-group discussions. In lessons in which students make connections between representations, strategies, concepts, and procedures, the Lesson Narrative and the Activity Narrative support the practices of sequencing and connecting as well, and the lesson is tagged so that these opportunities are easily identifiable. For additional opportunities to connect students’ work, look for activities tagged with MLR7 Compare and Connect. Similar to the 5 Practices routine, Compare and Connect supports the practices of monitoring, selecting, and making connections. In curriculum workshops and PLCs, rehearse and reflect on enacting the 5 Practices."

  • Imagine IM 6-8 Curriculum Guide, How do you use the materials? What’s in an Imagine IM Lesson states, “The story of each grade is told across the units in the narratives. Each unit has a narrative that describes the mathematical work that will unfold in that unit. Each section within a unit has a narrative that describes the mathematical work in the section. Each lesson and each activity in a unit also have narratives. The Lesson Narrative explains: The mathematical content of the lesson and its place in the learning sequence.The meaning of any new terms introduced in the lesson. How the mathematical practices come into play, as appropriate.The Activity Narrative explains:The mathematical purpose of the activity and its place in the learning sequence. What students are doing during the activity.What to look for, while students are working on an activity, to orchestrate an effective Activity Synthesis. Connections to the mathematical practices, when appropriate.”

  • Imagine IM 6-8 Curriculum Guide, Scope and Sequence Information, lists each of the nine units, explains connections to prior learning, describes the progression of learning throughout the unit, and the integration of new terminology/vocabulary throughout each unit.

  • Imagine IM 6-8 Curriculum Guide, Scope and Sequence Information, Unit Dependencies, shows the interconnectedness between lessons and units within Grade 6 and across all grades.

  • Grade-Level Resources, Glossary provides a visual glossary for teachers that includes both definitions and illustrations.

Materials include sufficient annotations and suggestions presented within the context of the specific learning objectives. Examples include:

  • Grade 6, Unit 2, Introducing Ratios, Lesson 11, Activity 1, Narrative states, “In this activity, students are asked to find missing values for significantly scaled-up ratios. The work serves several purposes: to uncover a limitation of a double number line (namely, that it is not always practical to extend it to find significantly scaled-up equivalent ratios); to reinforce the multiplicative reasoning needed to find equivalent ratios (especially in cases when drawing diagrams or skip counting is inefficient); to introduce a table as a way to represent equivalent ratios. Monitor for the different ways students find equivalent ratios involving large values. Here are some strategies they may use, from less practical or less flexible to more accommodating: extend the given double number line and then try to squeeze numbers on the extreme right end, ignoring the previously equal intervals; draw a new double number line diagram that is longer or where the intervals represent multiples of 4 and 5 (rather than 4 and 5); use multiplication (or division) and write expressions or equations to represent the given scenarios. Select students who use different strategies to share later, including those who find the given double number line inadequate—not long enough to accommodate large numbers, requiring more marking or writing, and so on—and are consequently motivated to find a more efficient strategy.”

  • Grade 7, Unit 4, Proportional Relationships and Percentages, Lesson 10, Lesson Synthesis states, “Share with students, ‘Today we calculated sales tax and tips. These are two different examples of percent increase.’ To review the meanings of these terms, consider asking students: ‘What is sales tax?’ (Sales tax is an extra amount of money, added to the price of an item, that is paid to the government.) ‘If the tax rate is 7%, how can you calculate the price of an item including sales tax?’ (I multiply the price by 1.07.) ‘What is a tip?’ (A tip is an extra amount of money, added to the price of a meal, that is given to the server at a restaurant.) ‘If you want to leave a 15% tip, how can you calculate the total amount to pay for a meal?’ (I multiply the bill by 1.15.)”

  • Grade 8, Unit 4, Linear Equations and Linear Systems, 8.4 Plan Overview, Full Unit Narrative states, “In this unit, students work with writing equivalent equations and use reasoning to solve equations for a variable. Then students solve systems of linear equations using graphic and algebraic methods. The unit begins with a focus on moves that can be done to write equivalent equations. At first, students use hanger diagrams as an intuitive representation of equality and represent their reasoning by labeling arrows that connect equivalent representations. With the reintroduction of negative values, students move away from hanger diagrams to algebraic equations and writing equivalent equations with the intention of solving for a variable. Next, students examine the conditions under which equations could have 0, 1, or infinite solutions as a transition to thinking about similar situations involving systems of equations. Students finish the unit by examining systems of equations graphically and then finding solutions algebraically. They build on their understanding that the line representing an equation with 2 variables is made up of coordinate pairs that make the equation true. They find that the intersection of 2 lines is the point that makes both equations for the system true. Students also recognize when systems have no solution or infinite solutions based on the graphs and the slope and intercept.”

Indicator 3b

2 / 2

Materials contain explanations and examples of grade-level/course-level concepts and/or standards and how the concepts and/or standards align to other grade/course levels so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for containing adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade-level concepts and concepts beyond the current grade so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. 

The Further Reading section, located within the Grade 6 Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), connects research to pedagogy. It includes explanations and examples of both grade-level and above-grade-level content to support teacher understanding. Additionally, Unit Narrative, Lesson Narratives, and Activity Synthesis sections throughout the lessons provide similar support, offering explanations and examples of how grade-level concepts connect to content in other grade levels.

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Further Reading, “Unit 8, A Thread Through Early Algebra 1”, supports teachers with context for work beyond the grade. “In this blog post, Petersen and Black illustrate how the statistics work in middle school sets students up for success in Algebra 1.”

  • In Grade 6, Unit 2, Introducing Ratios, 6.2 Plan, Full Unit Narrative states, “This unit introduces students to ratios and equivalent ratios. It builds on previous experiences students had with relating two quantities, such as converting measurements starting in grade 3, multiplicative comparison in grade 4, and interpreting multiplication as scaling in grade 5. The work prepares students to reason about unit rates and percentages in the next unit, proportional relationships in grade 7, and linear relationships in grade 8. First, students learn that a ratio is an association between two quantities, for instance, ‘There are 3 pencils for every 2 erasers.’ Students use sentences, drawings, or discrete diagrams to represent ratios that describe collections of objects and recipes. Next, students encounter equivalent ratios in terms of multiple batches of a recipe. ‘Equivalent’ is first used to describe a perceivable sameness of two ratios, such as two mixtures of drink mix and water that taste the same, or two mixtures of yellow and blue paint that make the same shade of green. Later, ‘equivalent’ acquires a more precise meaning: All ratios that are equivalent to a : b can be made by multiplying both a and b by the same non-zero number (non-negative, for now). Students then learn to use double number line diagrams and tables to represent and reason about equivalent ratios. These representations are more abstract than are discrete diagrams and offer greater flexibility. Use of tables here is a stepping stone toward use of tables to represent functional relationships in future courses. Students explore equivalent ratios in contexts such as constant speed and uniform pricing.” 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6, Expressions and Equations, Lesson 14, Activity 1, Activity Synthesis states, “Point out that in finding the surface area, we need to find the area of one face of the cube, which is 10^{2}, before multiplying that number by 6. Tell students that sometimes it is not so clear in which order to perform the operations in an expression. However, there is an order that we all generally agree on, and when we want something done in a different order, we use parentheses, brackets, or other grouping symbols to communicate what to do first. In general: When an exponent occurs in the same expression as another operation, we evaluate the exponent first. For example, to find the value of 3\cdot 4^{2} , we calculate 4^{2} first, which is 16, and then multiply it by 3, which gives 48. When an expression involves grouping symbols, we perform the operation inside them first. For example, for (3\cdot 4)^{2}, we first multiply 3 and 4, which gives 12, and then square the 12 to get 144. If students bring up PEMDAS or another mnemonic for remembering the order of operations, point out that PEMDAS can be misleading in indicating multiplication before division, and addition before subtraction. Discuss the convention: First, find the value of any expression in brackets or parentheses. Next, find the value of any expression with an exponent. Then, perform multiplication or division, from left to right. Lastly, perform addition or subtraction, from left to right.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 3, Measuring Circles, Lesson 3, Activity 1, Narrative states, “In this activity, students measure the diameter and circumference of different circular objects and graph their measurements. This echoes the structure of a previous activity in which they measured squares. Students notice that the two quantities appear to be proportional to each other. Based on the graph, they can estimate that the constant of proportionality is close to 3. From the table they may be able to estimate that it is a little bigger than 3. This activity provides evidence that there is a constant of proportionality between the circumference of a circle and its diameter. The best precision we can expect for the constant of proportionality in this activity is ‘around 3’ or possibly ‘a little bit bigger than 3.’ As students measure multiple circles and notice patterns in their measurements, they express regularity in repeated reasoning. Monitor for students who recognize that the relationship between diameter and circumference appears to be proportional, including: Notice that the points on the graph appear to lie on a line through the origin. Use the graph to estimate a constant of proportionality. Divide the values in the table to estimate a constant of proportionality. Plan to have students present in this order to support moving from less precise to more precise estimation. A digital applet appears in this activity and is also available in an assignable version found in the Materials. In the digital version of the activity, students use applets to measure the circumference of various circles and plot their measurements on the coordinate plane. The first applet allows students to see an animation of the circumference being unwrapped along a ruler. The second applet allows students to enter values into a table and see the points plotted on a coordinate plane. Use the digital version if physical circular objects are not available.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 5, Rational Number Arithmetic, 7.5 Plan, Full Unit Narrative states, “A note on using the terms ‘expression,’ ‘equation,’ and ‘signed number’: In these materials, an expression is built from numbers, variables, operation symbols (+,-,\cdot ,\div ), parentheses, and exponents. (Exponents—in particular, negative exponents—are not a focus of this unit. Students work with integer exponents in grade 8 and noninteger exponents in high school.) An equation is a statement that two expressions are equal, thus it always has an equal sign. Signed numbers include all rational numbers, written as decimals or in the form \frac{a}{b}.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 4, Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Lesson 14, Activity 1, Activity Narrative states, “In this activity, students solve systems of linear equations that lend themselves to substitution. There are four kinds of systems presented: One kind has both equations given with the y value isolated on one side of the equation, another kind has one of the variables given as a constant, a third kind has one variable given as a multiple of the other, and the last kind has one equation given as a linear combination. This progression of systems nudges students toward the idea of substituting an expression in place of the variable it is equal to. Notice which kinds of systems students think are the least and most difficult to solve. In future grades, students will manipulate equations to isolate one of the variables in a linear system of equations. For now, students do not need to solve a system like x+2y=7 and 2x-2y=2 using this substitution method.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 7, Exponents and Scientific Notation, 8.7 Plan, Full Unit Narrative states, “In this unit, students deepen their understanding of exponents, powers of 10, and place value before being introduced to scientific notation. They build on work done in a previous course where students focused on whole-number exponents with whole-number, fraction, decimal, or variable bases, but did not formulate rules regarding the use of exponents. Students begin this unit by identifying patterns that emerge when multiplying and dividing powers of 10, and when raising powers of 10 to another power. Students generalize these patterns to develop exponent rules. They extend these rules to see why 10^{0} must be equal to 1 and to understand what negative exponents mean. Next, students determine that the rules developed for powers of 10 also work with other bases, as long as the bases in both expressions are the same. They observe a new rule that applies when multiplying bases that are different if the exponents are the same. In the next section, students return to working with powers of 10 as they use multiples of powers of 10 to describe magnitudes of very large and very small quantities, such as the distance from Earth to the sun in kilometers or the mass of a proton in grams. Students plot these large and small values on number lines labeled using exponents and see how these numbers can be expressed in different ways — for example as 75\cdot 10^{5} or 7.5\cdot 10^{6}. After building a foundation connecting powers of 10 with place value, students are finally introduced to scientific notation as a specific and useful way of writing numbers as a power of 10. They compute sums, differences, products, and quotients of numbers written in scientific notation to make additive and multiplicative comparisons, estimate quantities, and make measurement conversions.”

Indicator 3c

1 / 1

Materials include a year-long scope and sequence with standards correlation information.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for including a year-long scope and sequence with standards correlation information.

The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) includes multiple components that support planning and understanding of the program’s structure and standards alignment. 

Examples in Grade 6 include:

  • The Scope and Sequence section narratively outlines unit content, prior knowledge, future learning, and terminology. The materials state: “Imagine IM Grade 6 begins with an exploration of area and surface area—an invitation for students to engage with novel ideas that they can represent concretely and visually, and reason about in intuitive ways. Starting with geometry also creates opportunities to elicit close observation, sense- and connection-making, and the exchange of ideas—elements of a healthy learning community. The next two units introduce ratios and rates, concepts that are also new. Students learn to represent, make sense of, and solve problems about equivalent ratios, rates, unit rates, and percentages. The mathematical reasoning here constitutes major work of the grade. In the two units that follow, students expand and deepen their prior knowledge of numbers and operations. In one unit, students explore division involving fractions, and work toward dividing a fraction by fraction. In the other, they learn to multiply and divide multi-digit, base-ten numbers, including decimals, using the standard algorithm for each operation. Building fluency with algorithms takes time and continues beyond the two units. Next, students further their understanding of equations and expressions, including those with variables. Students consider ways to represent, justify, and generate equivalent expressions. They also use expressions and equations to describe the relationship between quantities. From there, students are introduced to rational numbers. Students learn about negative numbers, and represent negative numbers on the number line and on the coordinate plane. They analyze and write inequalities that compare rational numbers. Toward the end of the course, students examine data sets and distribution. They learn about statistical questions, categorical data, and numerical data. They also explore ways to describe the centers and the distribution of a data set. The final unit of the course is optional. The lessons provide students with additional opportunities to integrate and apply various ideas from the course to solve real-world and mathematical problems.”

  • Lessons by Standard provides a table that shows each content standard for the grade level and the lessons in which it appears. For example, 6.EE.A.1 is addressed in Unit 1, Lessons 17 and 18, and Unit 6, Lessons 12, 13, 14, and 15.

  • Standards by Lesson provides a table listing the standards covered within each lesson. For example, Unit 3, Lesson 5 includes 6.RP.A.2, 6.RP.A.3, and 6.RP.A.3.b.

  • Standards for Mathematical Practice maps practice standards (MPs) to lessons. For example, Unit 7, Lesson 3 integrates MP3, MP6, and MP7.

Examples in Grade 7 include:

  • The Scope and Sequence section narratively outlines unit content, prior knowledge, future learning, and terminology. The materials state: “IM Grade 7 begins with students studying scale drawings, an engaging geometric topic that sets the stage for the subsequent work on proportional relationships in the following three units. Students also have opportunities to build fluency with IM Grade 6 arithmetic. They work with proportional relationships represented by tables, equations, and graphs. Geometry and proportional relationships are interwoven in the third unit, when the important proportional relationship between a circle’s circumference and its diameter is studied. Then students work with percent increase and percent decrease. By the fifth unit, on operations with rational numbers, students have had time to brush up on and solidify their understanding of, and skill in, IM Grade 6 arithmetic. At this point, the emphasis becomes the role of the properties of operations in determining the rules for operating with negative numbers. This is a natural lead-in to the work on solving equations and simplifying expressions in the next unit. Students then put their arithmetical and algebraic skills to work in the last two units: on angles, triangles, and prisms, and on probability and sampling. The final unit of the course is optional. The lessons provide students with additional opportunities to integrate and apply various ideas from the course to solve real-world and mathematical problems.”

  • Lessons by Standard provides a table that shows each content standard for the grade level and the lessons in which it appears. For example, 7.G.A.1 is addressed in Unit 1, Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13; Unit 2, Lesson 1; Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 11; and Unit 9, Lessons 3, 8, and 12.

  • Standards by Lesson provides a table listing the standards covered within each lesson. For example, Unit 2, Lesson 5 includes 7.RP.A, 7.RP.A.2, 7.RP.A.2.b, and 7.RP.A.2.c.

  • Standards for Mathematical Practice maps practice standards (MPs) to lessons. For example, Unit 8, Lesson 7 integrates MP3, MP4, MP5, and MP8.

Examples in Grade 8 include:

  • The Scope and Sequence section narratively outlines unit content, prior knowledge, future learning, and terminology. The materials state: “IM Grade 8 begins with transformational geometry. Students study rigid transformations and congruence, and then dilations and similarity. This provides background for understanding the slope of a line in the coordinate plane. Next, students build on their understanding of proportional relationships, from IM Grade 7, to study linear relationships. They use equations, tables, and graphs to represent linear relationships, and make connections across these representations. Students expand their ability to work with linear equations in one and two variables, extending their understanding of a solution to an equation in one or two variables to comprehend a solution to a system of equations in two variables. They learn that linear relationships are an example of a special kind of relationship called a function. Students apply their understanding of linear relationships and functions to contexts involving data with variability. The course ends the year with students extending their understanding of exponents to include all integers, and in the process codifying the properties of exponents. They learn about orders of magnitude and scientific notation in order to represent and compute with very large and very small quantities. They encounter irrational numbers for the first time and informally extend the rational-number system to the real-number system, motivated by their work with the Pythagorean Theorem. The final unit of the course is optional. The lessons provide students with additional opportunities to integrate and apply various ideas from the course to solve real-world and mathematical problems.”

  • Lessons by Standard provides a table that shows each content standard for the grade level and the lessons in which it appears. For example, 8.EE.B.6 is addressed in Unit 2, Lessons 10, 11 and 12; and Unit 3, Lessons 7, 10, 11, 12, and 15.

  • Standards by Lesson provides a table listing the standards covered within each lesson. For example, Unit 8, Lesson 11 includes 8.EE.A.2, 8.G.B.7, and 8.NS.A.

  • Standards for Mathematical Practice map practice standards (MPs) to lessons. For example, Unit 5, Lesson 10 integrates MP1, MP2, and MP4.

In addition, the Pacing Guide and Dependency Diagram within the Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) outline the number of lessons and suggested teaching days per unit, supporting year-long planning and implementation. Each lesson includes references to the standards addressed and often notes how the lesson builds on prior learning.

Indicator 3d

Narrative Only

Materials provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement. Examples include:

The Family Support Hub: Imagine IM K–8 provides an overview of the problem-based curriculum and highlights features such as collaboration, critical thinking, and accessible resources intended to support student learning. In the section titled What is Imagine IM?, the Hub explains “Imagine IM is a problem-based core curriculum designed to address content and practice standards to foster learning for all. Students learn by doing math, solving problems in mathematical and real-world contexts, and constructing arguments using precise language. Teachers can shift their instruction and facilitate student learning with high-leverage routines to guide learners to understand and make connections between concepts and procedures.”

The Family Support Hub includes an About Our Curriculum section featuring videos titled What is a problem-based curriculum?, How do the materials support all learners?, and Why is the curriculum designed this way? Another section, Imagine IM for Families: A Video Series, is designed to support families and all stakeholders. Videos in this series include the following:  What is Problem-Based Instruction?, How Does Imagine IM Prepare Students for Success in the Real World?, What is a Math Community?, The Benefits of Math Practice, and Supporting Math Learning Outside the Classroom.

Accessing Family Support Materials, For Imagine IM Families helps families navigate the available resources. This section provides information on how to access the Family Support Hub, with detailed directions for locating and exploring the curriculum. The directions state: “With a student's username and password: Locate the Family Support Hub by clicking the hamburger menu in the top left corner of the screen when logged in as a student. Select your student's grade, then navigate to the specific lessons they are currently studying. Please see the image below for an example of where to find the Family Support Hub.” Once families reach their student’s lesson, they will find a range of resources, including Unit Launch Family Support Videos that offer background information caregivers can use to support learning throughout a unit. Family Support Materials provide guidance on key concepts and ideas and include Spanish-language versions. Additional Support Materials in Spanish are also available to further assist Spanish-speaking families.

Each unit includes Family Support Materials, providing a content overview, guiding questions, and practice problems. A narrative outlines student learning goals for each section, and the Try it at home! component offers structured activities and questions for families to reinforce the mathematical concepts. Examples include:

  • Grade 6, Unit 7, Rational Numbers, 6.7 Support, Family Support Material, Section C: The Coordinate Plane states, “This week, your student will plot and interpret points in the coordinate plane. In earlier grades, they plotted points where both coordinates were positive, such as point A in the figure. They will now plot points that have one positive and one negative coordinate, such as point B, and points that have two negative coordinates, such as point C. To find the distance between two points that are on the same horizontal or vertical line, we can simply count the grid units between them. For example, if we plot the point (2,-4) on this grid, we can tell that the point will be 7 units away from point A(2,3). Points in a coordinate plane can also represent situations involving positive and negative numbers. For instance, the points in this coordinate plane show the temperature in degrees Celsius every hour before and after noon on a winter day. Times before noon are negative and times after noon are positive. The point (5,10) tells us that 5 hours after noon, or at 5:00 p.m, the temperature was 10 degrees Celsius. Here is a task to try with your student: In the graph about temperatures before and after noon: What was the temperature at 7 a.m.? Which point represents this information? For which recorded times was it colder than 5 degrees Celsius? Solution: It was -5 degrees Celsius at 7:00 a.m. The point (-5,-5) represents this information. It was colder than 5 degrees Celsius for all of the recorded times before noon.” The guide also includes a Spanish language version.

  • Grade 7, Unit 8, Probability and Sampling, Family Support Materials, 7.8 Support, Family Support Material, Section A: Probabilities of Single-Step Events states, “This week your student will be working with probability. A probability is a number that represents how likely something is to happen. For example, think about flipping a coin. The probability that the coin lands somewhere is 1. That is certain. The probability that the coin lands heads up is \frac{1}{2}, or 0.5, because it is just as likely as not. The probability that the coin turns into a bottle of ketchup is 0. That is impossible. Sometimes we can figure out an exact probability. For example, if we pick a random date, the chance that it is on a weekend is \frac{2}{7}, because 2 out of every 7 days fall on the weekend. Other times, we can estimate a probability based on what we have observed in the past. Here is a task to try with your student: People at a fishing contest are writing down the type of each fish they catch. Here are their results: Person 1: bass, catfish, catfish, bass, bass, bass. Person 2: catfish, catfish, bass, bass, bass, bass, catfish, catfish, bass, catfish. Person 3: bass, bass, bass, catfish, bass, bass, catfish, bass, catfish. 1. Estimate the probability that the next fish that gets caught will be a bass. 2. Another person in the competition caught 5 fish. Predict how many of these fish were bass. 3. Before the competition, the lake was stocked with equal numbers of catfish and bass. Describe some possible reasons why the results do not show a probability of \frac{1}{2} for catching a bass. Solution: 1. About \frac{15}{25}, or 0.6. Of the 25 fish that have been caught, 15 of them were bass. 2. About 3 bass. \frac{3}{5}, which is what we estimated for the probability of getting bass in this competition. It would also be reasonable if they caught 2 or 4 bass out of their 5 fish. 3. There are many possible answers. For example: Maybe the lures or bait they are using are more likely to catch bass. With data from only 25 total fish caught, we can expect the results to vary a little from the exact probability.” The guide also includes a Spanish language version.

  • Grade 8, Unit 5, Functions and Volume, Family Support Materials, 8.5 Support, Family Support Material, Section D: Cylinders and Cones states, “This week your student will be working with volumes of three-dimensional objects. We can determine the volume of a cylinder with radius r and height h using two ideas that we’ve seen before: The volume of a rectangular prism is a result of multiplying the area of its base by its height. The base of the cylinder is a circle with radius r, so the base area is \pi r^{2}. Just like a rectangular prism, the volume of a cylinder is the area of the base times the height. For example, let’s say we have a cylinder whose radius is 2 cm and whose height is 5 cm, like the one shown here: The base has an area of \pi 2^{2}=4\pi cm^{3}. Using this, we can calculate the volume to be 20\pi cm^{3} since 4\pi \cdot 5=20. If we use 3.14 as an approximation for 𝝅, we can say that the volume of the cylinder is approximately 62.8 cm^{3}. Students will also investigate the volume of cones and how their volume is related to the volume of a cylinder with the same radius and height. Here is a task to try with your student: This cylinder has a height and radius of 5 cm. Leave your answers in terms of 𝝅. 1. What is the diameter of the base? 2. What is the area of the base? 3. What is the volume of the cylinder? Solution: 1. 10 cm. The diameter is 2\cdot r, and 2\cdot 5 = 10. 25𝝅 cm^{2}. The area is the radius squared times 𝝅, or 5^{2}\cdot \pi. 3. 125𝝅 cm^{3}. The volume is the area of the base times the height. The area of the base here is 25𝝅, so the volume is 125𝝅 cm^{3} since 25\pi \cdot 5=125\pi.” The guide also includes a Spanish language version.

Indicator 3e

2 / 2

Materials explain the program’s instructional approaches, identify research-based strategies, and explain the role of the standards.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for explaining the program’s instructional approaches, identify research-based strategies, and explain the role of the standards. Examples include:

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Problem-Based Teaching and Learning reads, “Imagine Illustrative Mathematics (Imagine IM) is a problem-based curriculum that fosters the development of mathematics learning communities in classrooms, gives students access to the mathematics through a coherent progression, and provides teachers the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of mathematics, students’ thinking, and their own teaching practice. The curriculum and the professional-learning materials are designed to support students’ and teachers’ learning. This document defines the principles that guide IM’s approach to mathematics teaching and learning. It then outlines how each component of the curriculum supports teaching and learning, based on these principles.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Problem-Based Teaching and Learning, Learning Mathematics by Doing Mathematics states, “Students learn mathematics as a result of solving problems. Mathematical ideas are the outcomes of the problem-solving experience rather than the elements that must be taught before problem solving” (Hiebert et al., 1996). A problem-based instructional framework supports teachers in structuring lessons so students are the problem solvers learning the mathematics.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Coherent Progression states, “The basic architecture of the materials supports all learners through a coherent progression of the mathematics, based both on the standards and on research-based learning trajectories. Activities and lessons are parts of a mathematical story that spans units and grade levels. This coherence allows students to view mathematics as a connected set of ideas that makes sense.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), What’s in an Imagine IM Lesson, Instructional Routines states that Instructional Routines (IRs) are described in the materials as “designs for interaction that invite all students to engage in the mathematics of each lesson.” They are structured opportunities for students to connect personal experience and mathematical understanding through discussion, questioning, justification, and reasoning. The materials state that IRs “have a predictable structure and flow” and are intended to provide consistent support for both teachers and students. A finite set of routines is used across lessons to support pacing, reduce the need for repeated explanation of directions, and increase time spent on mathematical learning. Some IRs, identified as Mathematical Language Routines (MLRs), were developed by the Stanford University UL/SCALE team. MLRs are integrated into lessons either as embedded components or as optional supports for Multilingual Learners. The first instance of each routine includes detailed guidance for implementation, while subsequent instances offer abbreviated reminders. The materials also include Digital Routines (DRs), which identify required or suggested uses of technology. These routines are flagged within activities to support lesson planning and professional development.

Indicator 3e.MLL

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Materials provide explanations of the instructional approaches of the program for MLLs and the identification of the research-based strategies.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Imagine IM meet the expectations that materials provide explanations of the instructional approaches of the program for Multilingual Learners (MLLs) and the identification of research-based strategies. The materials frame their MLL approach and supports throughout the program for the explicit purpose of ensuring they are able to meet grade-level standards.

The Course Guide, Advancing Mathematical Language and Access for Multilingual Learners, describes the math classroom as being interwoven, grounded in four research-based design principles. "This curriculum includes instruction devoted to advancing language development alongside mathematics learning." The materials state, “This table reflects the attention and support for language development at different levels of the curriculum:

  • Course: 

    • Foundation of curriculum: theory of action and design principles that drive a continuous focus on language development.

    • Student glossary of terms. 

  • Lesson: 

    • Language goals, embedded in learning goals, describe the language demands of the lesson. 

    • Definitions of new glossary terms. 

  • Activity: 

    • Strategies to support access for English learners, based on the language demands of the activity.

    • Math language routines.” 

This section of the Course Guide continues to explicitly reference research from Stanford University's UL/SCALE initiative, particularly the framework outlined in Principles for the Design of Mathematics Curricula: Promoting Language and Content Development. This citation anchors the materials’ MLL approach in four research-based design principles:

  • Principle 1: Support sense-making- Scaffold tasks and amplify language so students can make their own meaning.

  • Principle 2: Optimize Output - Strengthen opportunities for students to describe their mathematical thinking to others, orally, visually, and in writing.

  • Principle 3: Cultivate Conversation - Strengthen opportunities for constructive mathematical conversations.

  • Principle 4: Maximize Meta-awareness - Strengthen the meta-connections and distinctions between mathematical ideas, reasoning, and language. 

The materials state, "These design principles and related Mathematical Language Routines ensure language development is an integral part of planning and delivering instruction. Moreover, they work together to guide teachers to amplify the important language that students are expected to know and use in each unit.”

As the report for 1d.MLL describes, the materials consistently employ Mathematical Language Routines (MLRs) by Stanford University’s UL/SCALE. For each MLR, the materials explain what it is, why it supports students, and provide research citations such as MLR1 Stronger and Clearer Each Time, adapted from Zwiers (2014). Also, the materials state that MLRs serve as strategies for teachers to cultivate conversations as scaffolds for students to develop mathematical language because they provide opportunities to simultaneously make meaning, communicate that meaning (Mercer & Howe, 2012; Zwiers, 2011). 

In summary, the instructional approaches and research-based strategies described in these documents consistently provide support for MLLs to access the materials, deepen their conceptual understanding, and reach grade-level standards in mathematics. Therefore, the materials meet the criteria of providing explanations of the instructional approaches for MLLs and the identification of research-based strategies.

Indicator 3f

1 / 1

Materials provide a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for providing a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities. 

The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) includes a comprehensive Required Materials list detailing all materials needed for the grade-level content. Each unit also provides a Unit Materials, which outlines the materials and supplies required throughout the unit. At the lesson level, the Materials tab specifies what is needed for that specific lesson. This information can also be found within the About This Lesson tab. If no materials are required, the section will either be left blank or state "none."

An example includes: 

  • Grade 6, Unit 2, Introducing Proportional Relationships, Lesson 12, About this lesson states, Required materials: Materials to Gather, “Activity 1: Colored pencils, Rulers. Required preparation: Activity 1: Have available the information from the activity ‘Tyler's Walk’ from the previous lesson. For the digital version of the activity, acquire devices that can run the applet. Activity 2: For the digital version of the activity, acquire devices that can run the applet.”

  • Grade 7, Unit 2, Introducing Proportional Relationships, Lesson 12, About this lesson states, Required materials: Materials to Gather, “Activity 1: Colored pencils, Rulers. Required preparation: Activity 1: Have available the information from the activity ‘Tyler's Walk’ from the previous lesson. For the digital version of the activity, acquire devices that can run the applet. Activity 2: For the digital version of the activity, acquire devices that can run the applet.”

  • Grade 8, Unit 3, Linear Relationships, Lesson 5, Activity 1, Materials to Gather states, “Graph paper, Straightedges.”

Indicator 3g

2 / 2

The assessment system provides consistent opportunities to determine student learning throughout the school year. The assessment system provides sufficient teacher guidance for evaluating student performance and determining instructional next steps.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for providing consistent opportunities to determine student learning throughout the school year. The assessment system provides sufficient teacher guidance for evaluating student performance and determining instructional next steps. 

Each End-of-Unit Assessment and the Mid-Unit Assessment include answer keys and standards alignment to support teachers in interpreting student understanding. According to the Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) and Assessment Guidance, “All summative-assessment problems include a complete solution and standards alignment. Multiple-choice and multiple-response problems often include a reason for each potential error that a student might make. Unlike formative assessments, problems on summative assessments generally do not prescribe a method of solution.” Examples include: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6, Expressions and Equations, Mid-Unit Assessment, Option A, Problem 6, students complete a table to represent the relationship between the number of raffle tickets sold and the amount of money earned. Then they use this information to answer questions. The problem states, “Diego sells raffle tickets for a school fundraiser. He collects $1.75 for each ticket. a. Complete the table to show how much money Diego would collect if he sold each number of tickets. Type your answers in each space below. b. How many tickets would Diego need to sell to collect $140? Type your answer in the box.” The Narrative for Problem 6 states, “First, students complete a table to represent the relationship between the number of raffle tickets sold and the amount of money collected. Then they determine the number of tickets it would take to collect $140.” Teacher Instructions states, “Minimal Tier 1 response: Work is complete and correct. Sample: i. See table. ii. 1.75r=140, r=1401.75, r=80. Tier 2 response: Work shows good conceptual understanding and mastery, with either minor errors or correct work with insufficient explanation or justification. Acceptable errors: Reasonable response to part b is based on an incorrect expression in the last cell of the table. Sample errors: Substituted value for r  is recorded in the last column of the table, but keeps the multiplicative relationship of 1.75. Tier 3 response: Significant errors in work demonstrate lack of conceptual understanding or mastery. Sample errors: Table reflects a lack of understanding of the multiplicative relationship, which affects the equation in part b; work involves a misinterpretation of the situation that affects all or most problem parts, but work does show understanding of writing equations to represent situations and interpreting solutions to equations.” The answer key aligns the item to standards 6.EE.6 and 6.EE.2.a, and includes sample representations to support teacher interpretation of student strategies.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 1, Scale Drawings, End-of-Unit Assessment, Option B, Problem 6, students reason about map scaling. The problem states, “There are two different maps of California. On the first map, the scale is 1 cm to 20 km. On the second map, the scale is 1 cm to 100 km. What is the distance from Fresno to San Francisco on the second map? Explain your reasoning.” The Narrative for Problem 6 states, “Students reason about maps drawn at two different scales. This problem can be solved using a variety of approaches, including tables and double number lines.” Teacher Instructions state, “The distance is 3 cm. Sample explanations: On the 1 cm : 20 km scale map, each centimeter represents 5 times as much actual distance as on the 1 cm: 100 km map. That means that on the 1 cm : 5 km map the distance from Fresno to San Francisco will be one fifth as much, 3 cm. The actual distance from Fresno to California is 300 km, because 15\cdot 20=300. The distance on the second map that represents 300 km is 3 cm, because 300\div 100=3. Minimal Tier 1 response: Work is complete and correct. Sample: Lengths on the second map are five times smaller because 1 cm represents 20 km instead of 100 km. Divide 15 cm by 5 to get 3 cm. Tier 2 response: Work shows general conceptual understanding and mastery, with some errors. Sample errors: Multiplication or division errors in otherwise correct work; work involves a correct substantive intermediate step (such as the actual distance from Fresno to San Francisco) but goes wrong after that; one mistake involving an ‘upside down’ scale factor (or multiplying when division is called for); a correct answer without explanation. Tier 3 response: Significant errors in work demonstrate lack of conceptual understanding or mastery. Sample errors: Work does not involve proportional reasoning; an incorrect answer without explanation, even if close; multiple mistakes that involve inversion of scale factors.” The answer key aligns the item to standard 7.G.1, and includes sample representations to support teacher interpretation of student strategies.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 3, Linear Relationships, End-of-Unit Assessment, Option A, Problem 5, students compare proportional relationships between time and distance. The problem states, “Three runners are training for a race. One day, they all run a lap around a track, each at their own constant speed. The graph shows the distance in meters that Runner #1 runs with respect to the time in seconds. The equation that relates Runner #2’s distance (in meters) with time (in seconds) is d=6.5t. Runner #3’s information is in the table. Which of the three runners runs the fastest? Explain your reasoning.” The Narrative for Problem 5 states, “Students compare the pace of three different runners. The proportional relationship between time and distance is represented in three different ways. There is more than one way to do this problem correctly. For example, students could determine how long it takes each runner to run 5 miles to determine the fastest runner, or could determine each runner's speed in miles per minute or miles per hour.” Teacher Instructions state, “Runner #2 runs the fastest. Sample reasoning: Using the points (0,0) and (50,200) from Runner #1’s graph, the slope is 4, showing that they run 4 meters every second. Runner #2’s equation shows that they run 6.5 meters every second. Within the table, the unit rate for Runner #3 is 5 meters per second because 45\div 9=5. Since Runner #2 travels farther every second, Runner #2 is the fastest. Minimal Tier 1 response: Work is complete and correct. Sample: Runner #1 goes at 4 meters per second, Runner #2 goes at 6.5 meters per second, and Runner #3 goes at 5 meters per second. Runner #2 is the fastest because they travel the greatest distance in 1 second. Tier 2 response: Work shows general conceptual understanding and mastery, with some errors. Sample errors: Work contains correct unit rates for all three runners but concludes that runner #1 or #3 is the fastest or does not name a fastest runner; one unit rate is incorrect (possibly with an incorrect fastest runner identified as a consequence); insufficient explanation of work. Tier 3 response: Significant errors in work demonstrate lack of conceptual understanding or mastery. Sample errors: Two or more incorrect unit rates; the correct runner is identified but with no justification; response to the question is not based on unit rates or on similar methods, such as calculating which runner has gone the farthest after 10 miles.” The answer key aligns the item to standard 8.EE.5, and includes sample representations to support teacher interpretation of student strategies.

The materials also include guidance for determining next instructional steps, integrated into both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Most lessons conclude with a Cool-Down task designed to assess student thinking in relation to the lesson’s learning goal. The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Assessment Guidance, Cool-Downs includes the following description:

  • “If results from a Cool-Down suggest most students are struggling with a key concept, consider implementing one or more of these strategies: During the next lesson, display the work of a few students on that Cool-Down. Anonymize their names, and show both correct and incorrect work. Ask the class to observe what each student did well and what they could have done better. Consider using the MLR 3: Critique, Correct, Clarify structure. Give each student brief, written feedback on a Cool-Down that nudges them to re-examine their work. Ask students to revise and resubmit. Identify a common error and create a sample response to the Cool-Down, with the error, for students to identify and correct. Review activities and lessons, with related work, for optional content not yet used in class. Include this work in future lessons to give students additional time and different ways to make sense of key concepts.”

In addition to this formative support, the materials provide teachers with structured guidance following summative assessments. The End-of-Unit Assessment Guidance also describes how teachers might observe patterns of student understanding and offers suggestions for addressing unfinished learning alongside upcoming grade-level instruction. For example, “Each lesson ends with a Cool-Down to formatively assess students’ thinking in relation to an important math concept from the day’s learning. Each Cool-Down is accompanied by guidance on how to continue teaching grade-level content, with appropriate and aligned practice and support for students.” This guidance is categorized as “More Chances,” which signals students will revisit the concept without altering instruction; “Points to Emphasize,” which recommends minor instructional adjustments; and “Press Pause,” which suggests more time is needed before advancing. Teachers are encouraged to “display the work of a few students on that Cool-Down,” “give each student brief, written feedback,” and “ask students to revise and resubmit.” Similarly, “each section ends with a Checkpoint of one to three problems that assess the section learning goals,” and this guidance “falls into the same three categories as guidance for the Cool-Down, with suggestions on next steps if most students struggle.” For example: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 4, Dividing Fractions, Lesson 16, Cool-Down states, “Problem 1. How many inches of the width of the box is not taken up by the pencils? Explain or show your reasoning. Problem 2. All 7 pencils have the same width. How wide is each pencil? Explain or show your reasoning. Student response: 1. 2\frac{5}{8} inches, because 5\frac{1}{4}-2\frac{5}{8}=2\frac{5}{8}. 2. \frac{3}{8} inches, because 2\frac{5}{8}\div 7=\frac{21}{8}\cdot \frac{1}{7}=\frac{1}{3}. Responding to Student Thinking, Press pause: If students struggle with interpreting the division problem or finding the quotient, make time to revisit related work in earlier lessons. For example, ask students to interpret each situation in the activity referred to here, and discuss ways to reason about the answer to each question. Unit 4, Lesson 9, Activity 3 Amount in One Group.”

  • In Grade 6, Unit 7, Rational Numbers, Section A Checkpoint, Problem 2, Responding to Student Thinking states, “Observation, Points To Emphasize: If most students struggle with using inequality signs to compare values, especially absolute values, reinforce the idea in the next section. For example, when finding the distances between points in the coordinate plane in the activity referred to here, relate the idea of finding the distance of each point to the x- or y- axis with absolute value. Grade 6, Unit 7, Lesson 14, Activity 2 Signs of Numbers in Coordinates.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 3, Measuring Circles, Lesson 2, Cool-Down, Student Task Statement states, “Here are two circles. Their centers are A and F. 1. What is the same about the two circles? What is different? 2. What is the length of segment AD? How do you know? 3. On the first circle, what segment is a diameter? How long is it? Student response: 1. Because they are both circles, they are both round figures, without corners or straight sides, enclosing a two-dimensional region, that are the same distance across (through the center) in every direction. Both circles are the same size. They have the same diameter, radius, and circumference. The only difference is which additional segments (radii) are drawn. 2. Segment AD is 4 cm long because it is also a radius of the circle. 3. The diameter, segment EB, is 8 cm long. Building on Student Thinking, Students might not realize that the diameter or radius of a circle can be drawn at any endpoint that connects to the center. Responding To Student Thinking, Observation, Points To Emphasize: If students struggle with identifying radius and diameter, revisit the vocabulary when opportunities arise over the next several lessons. For example, make sure to invite multiple students to share their thinking about how they solved the problem in this activity: Unit 3, Lesson 4, Activity 3 Hopi Basket Weaving.” 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7, Angles, Triangles, and Prisms, Section C Checkpoint, Problem 2, Responding to Student Thinking states, “Press Pause: By this point in the unit, there should be some student mastery of finding surface area and volume of prisms. If most students struggle, make time to revisit related work in the lesson referred to here. See the Course Guide for ideas to help students re-engage with earlier work.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 5, Functions and Volume, Lesson 9, Cool-Down, Student Task Statement states, “Problem 1. A small company is selling a new board game, and they need to know how many to produce in the future. After 12 months, they sold 4 thousand games. After 18 months, they sold 7 thousand games. And after 36 months, they sold 15 thousand games. Could this information be reasonably estimated using a single linear model? If so, use the model to estimate the number of games sold after 48 months. If not, explain your reasoning. Student response: Predictions between 20 and 22 thousand sales, depending on the data points used for the model, are reasonable. Sample response: Yes. After 48 months, they sold about 20.5 thousand games. From Month 12 to Month 38, the rate of games sold was about \frac{11}{24} thousand games per month. This means the amount sold during the 12 months from Month 36 to Month 48 was 5.5 thousand, since \frac{11}{24}\cdot 12=5.5 thousand added to 15 thousand is 20.5 thousand. Responding to Student Thinking, Points To Emphasize: If most students struggle with identifying a single linear model, revisit linear models as opportunities arise over the next several lessons. For example, in the activity referred to here, invite multiple students to share their thinking about the lines they drew and the meaning of the slopes for each piece. Also highlight the question in the Activity Synthesis asking about using the information to make predictions. Grade 8, Unit 5, Lesson 10, Activity 1 Modeling Recycling.” 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8, Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section D Checkpoint, Problem 1, Responding to Student Thinking states, “Press Pause: If most students struggle with representing a fraction as a decimal, make time to review long division when reviewing the practice problem referred to here. The Course Guide provides additional ideas for revisiting earlier work. Grade 8, Unit 8, Lesson 17, Practice Problem 2.”

Indicator 3h

Narrative Only

This is not an assessed indicator in Mathematics.

Indicator 3i

Narrative Only

This is not an assessed indicator in Mathematics.

Criterion 3.2: Student Supports

6 / 6

Information on Multilingual Learner (MLL) Supports in This Criterion

For some indicators in this criterion, we also display evidence and scores for pair MLL indicators.

While MLL indicators are scored, these scores are reported separately from core content scores. MLL scores do not currently impact core content scores at any level—whether indicator, criterion, gateway, or series.

To view all MLL evidence and scores for this grade band or grade level, select the "Multilingual Learner Supports" view from the left navigation panel.

Materials are designed for each child’s regular and active participation in grade-level/grade-band/series content.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM, Grade 6 through 8 meet expectations for Student Supports. The materials provide strategies to ensure that students in special populations can access grade-level content and meet or exceed grade-level standards. They offer regular extensions and opportunities for advanced students to engage with mathematics at greater depth. Across the series, the materials include varied approaches to learning tasks and offer multiple ways for students to demonstrate their understanding, along with opportunities for self-monitoring. Teachers are supported with strategies for using varied grouping methods, and assessments include accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge without altering the content. Supports are included for varying reading levels to ensure accessibility, and manipulatives—both virtual and physical, accurately represent mathematical concepts and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods. The materials partially provide a range of representation of people and include detailed instructions and support for educators to effectively incorporate and draw upon students’ different cultural, social, and community backgrounds to enrich learning experiences.

Narrative Only
Narrative Only
Narrative Only
Narrative Only
Narrative Only

Indicator 3j

2 / 2

Materials provide strategies and support for students in special populations to work with grade-level content and meet or exceed grade-level standards, which support their regular and active participation in learning.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 8 meet expectations for providing strategies and supports for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in learning grade-level/series mathematics. Examples include:

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Advancing Mathematical Language and Access For Multilingual Learners, states, “To support students who are learning English in their development of language, this curriculum includes instruction devoted to advancing language development alongside mathematics learning, and fostering language-rich environments in which there is space for all students to participate.” Mathematical Language Routines states, “Mathematical Language Routines (MLRs) are instructional routines that provide structured but adaptable formats for amplifying, assessing, and developing students' language. The routines included in this curriculum were selected because they simultaneously support students’ learning of mathematical practices, content, and language. They are particularly well-suited to meet the needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students, who are learning mathematics while concurrently acquiring English.” MLRs are included in select activities of each unit, and are described in the Teacher Guide for the lessons in which they appear within the Activity Narrative, Access for Multilingual Learners.

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, Access For Students With Diverse Abilities states, “Supplemental instructional strategies, included in Access for Students with Diverse Abilities of each lesson, increase access, reduce barriers and maximize learning. Each support is aligned to the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (udlguidelines.cast.org), and based on one of the three principles of UDL, providing alternative means of engagement, representation, or action and expression. These supports offer additional ways to adjust the learning environment so that students can access activities, engage in content, and communicate their understanding. Supports are tagged, with the areas of cognitive functioning they are designed to address, to help identify and select appropriate supports for students. Designed to facilitate access to Tier 1 instruction by capitalizing on students’ strengths to address obstacles related to cognitive functions or challenges, these strategies and supports are appropriate for any student who needs additional support to access rigorous, grade-level content. Use these lesson-specific supports, as needed, to help students succeed with a specific activity, without reducing the mathematical demands of the task. Phase them out as students gain understanding and fluency. Use a UDL approach and students’ IEPs, their strengths, and their challenges to ensure access. When students may benefit from alternative means of access or support, draw on ideas from the tables below or visit udlguidelines.cast.org for more information.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, Accessibility For Students With Visual Impairments states, “For students with visual impairments, accessibility features are built into the materials: 1. A palette of colors distinguishable to people with the most common types of color blindness. 2. Tasks and problems are designed so that success does not depend on the ability to distinguish between colors. 3. Mathematical diagrams, presented in scalable vector graphic (SVG) format, can be magnified, without loss of resolution, and rendered in Braille. 4. Where possible, text associated with images is not part of the image file, but rather included as an image caption accessible to screen readers. 5. Alt text on all images makes interpretation easier for users accessing the materials, with a screen reader. All images in the curriculum have alt text: a very short indication of the image’s contents, so that the screen reader doesn’t skip over as if nothing is there. Some images have a longer description to help students’ with visual impairments recreate the image in their mind. Understand that students with visual impairments likely will need help accessing images in lesson activities and assessments. Prepare appropriate accommodations. Accessibility experts, who reviewed this curriculum, recommended that eligible students have access to a Braille version of the curriculum materials, because a verbal description of many of the complex mathematical diagrams is inadequate to support their learning.”

  • Unit 7, Exponents and Scientific Notation, Lesson 3, Activity 1, Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, “Engagement: Develop Effort and Persistence. Chunk this task into more manageable parts. Have students complete one problem at a time. Check in with students to provide feedback and encouragement after each chunk. Supports accessibility for: Attention, Social-Emotional Functioning.

Indicator 3k

2 / 2

Materials regularly provide extensions and/or opportunities for advanced students to engage with grade-level/course-level mathematics at greater depth.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for regularly providing extensions and/or opportunities for advanced students to engage with grade-level mathematics at greater depth. Examples include:

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Are You Ready For More?, states, “Select classroom activities offer differentiation for students ready for a greater challenge. These opportunities are the ‘mathematical dessert’ that follows the ‘mathematical entrée’ of a classroom activity. Every extension problem is made available to all students, with the heading Are You Ready for More? These problems go deeper into grade-level mathematics, and often make connections between the topic at hand and other concepts. Some problems extend the work of the associated activity, while others involve work from prior grades, prior units in the course, or reflect work that is related to the K–12 curriculum but are a type of problem not required by the standards. The problems are not routine or procedural, and they are not just ‘the same thing again but with harder numbers.’ They are intended for use on an opt-in basis by students—if they finish the main class activity early or want to do more mathematics on their own. It is not expected that an entire class engages in Are You Ready for More? problems, and it is not expected that any single student works on all of them. Are You Ready for More? problems also are good fodder for a Problem of the Week or similar structure.” While there are no instances where advanced students do more assignments than their classmates, materials do provide multiple opportunities for students to investigate grade-level content at greater depth.

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Building on Student Thinking states, “Certain activities within each lesson plan include ways to provide guidance, based on students’ understandings and ideas. Building on Student Thinking offers observations and questions to support students as they engage in an activity. Effective teaching requires supporting students as they work on challenging tasks, without taking over the process of thinking for them (Stein, Smith, Henningsen, & Silver, 2000). Monitor during an activity to gain insight into what students know and are able to do. Based on these insights, the Building on Student Thinking section provides questions that advance students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, strategies, or connections between representations.”

  • Grade 6, Unit 1, Area and Surface Area, Lesson 5, Activity 2, Are You Ready for More? states, “1. What happens to the area of a parallelogram if the height doubles but the base is unchanged? If the height triples? If the height is 100 times the original? 1. What happens to the area if both the base and the height double? Both triple? Both are 100 times their original lengths?” Building On Student Thinking states, “Finding a height segment outside of the parallelogram may still be unfamiliar to students. Have examples from the ‘The Right Height?’ section visible so they can serve as a reference in finding heights. Students may say that the base of Parallelogram D cannot be determined because, as displayed, it does not have a horizontal side. Remind students that in an earlier activity we learned that any side of a parallelogram could be a base and that rotating our paper can help us see this. Ask students to see if there is a side whose length can be determined.”

  • Grade 7, Unit 1, Scale Drawings, Lesson 2, Activity 2, Are You Ready For More? states,  “Choose one of the triangles that is not a scaled copy of Triangle O. Describe how you could change at least one side to make a scaled copy, while leaving at least one side unchanged.” Building On Student Thinking states, “Students may think that Triangle F is a scaled copy because just like the 3-4-5 triangle, the sides are also three consecutive whole numbers. Point out that corresponding angles are not equal.”

  • Grade 8, Unit 6, Associations in Data, Lesson 5, Activity 3, Are You Ready for More? states, “These scatter plots were created by multiplying the x-coordinate by 3 then adding a random number between two values to get the y-coordinate. The first scatter plot added a random number between -0.5 and 0.5 to the y-coordinate. The second scatter plot added a random number between -8 and 8 to the y-coordinate. The third scatter plot added a random number between -20 and 20 to the y-coordinate. 1. For each scatter plot, draw a line that fits the data. 2. Explain why some were easier to do than others.” Three scatter plots are shown.

Indicator 3l

Narrative Only

Materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for students to monitor their learning.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for students to monitor their learning.

Students engage with problem-solving in a variety of ways within each lesson, which consists of four phases: Warm-Up, Instructional Activities, Lesson Synthesis, and Cool-Down. According to the Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), What’s in an Imagine IM Lesson, Instructional Activities states, “After the Warm-Up, lessons consist of a sequence of 1–3 instructional activities. The activities are the heart of the mathematical experience and make up the majority of the time spent in class. An activity can serve one or more purposes: Provide experience with a new context. Introduce a new concept and associated language. Introduce a new representation. Formalize the definition of a term for an idea previously encountered informally. Identify and resolve common mistakes and misconceptions that people make. Practice using mathematical language. Work toward mastery of a concept or a procedure. Provide an opportunity to apply mathematics to an open-ended problem, such as modeling. The purpose of each activity is described in its Activity Narrative. Each instructional activity has three phases: Launch: During the Launch, the teacher ensures that students understand the context of the given problem (if there is a context) and what the problem is asking them to do. This is not the same as making sure students know how to do the problem—part of the work that students should do for themselves is to figure out how to solve the problem. The Launch invites students into the lesson and helps them connect to contexts with which they are unfamiliar. The Launch of an activity frequently includes suggestions for grouping students. Student Task Statement: Students work through a Student Task Statement and are provided opportunities to work individually, with a partner, and/or in small groups. Activity Synthesis: During the Activity Synthesis, allow time for students to incorporate and make connections to what they have learned. This time ensures that all students have an opportunity to understand the mathematical punch line of the activity and to situate the new learning within their previous understanding.” Examples include:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 5, Arithmetic in Base Ten, Lesson 12, Warm-Up, students use the distributive property to divide decimals. “Find the value of each quotient mentally. A. 80\div 4  B. 12\div 4  C. 1.2\div 4 D. 81.2\div 4.” Activity Synthesis states, “To involve more students in the conversation, consider asking: ‘Who can restate ____’s reasoning in a different way?’ ‘Did anyone use the same strategy but would explain it differently?’ ‘Did anyone solve the problem in a different way?’ ‘Does anyone want to add on to ____’s strategy?’ ‘Do you agree or disagree? Why?’ ‘What connections to previous problems do you see?’”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 5, Rational Number Arithmetic, Lesson 6, Cool-Down, students solve subtraction expressions. “1. Select all of the choices that are equal to (-5)-(-12). A. -7 B. 7 C. The difference between -5 and -12. D. The difference between -12 and -5. E. (-5)+12 F. (-5)+(-12).” Responding to Student Thinking states, “Points to emphasize: If students struggle with subtracting signed numbers, review this concept as opportunities arise over the next several lessons. For example, invite multiple students to share their thinking about the differences they are asked to calculate in these activities: Grade 7, Unit 5, Lesson 7, Activity 1 Phone Inventory. Grade 7, Unit 5, Lesson 7, Activity 2 Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 5, Functions and Volume, Lesson 16, Warm-Up, students find strategies for finding unknown values. “Solve each equation mentally. A. 27=\frac{1}{3}h . B. 27=\frac{1}{3}r^{2}. C. 12\pi =\frac{1}{3}\pi b^{2}.” Activity Synthesis states, “To involve more students in the conversation, consider asking: ‘Who can restate ____’s reasoning in a different way?’ ‘Did anyone use the same strategy but would explain it differently?’ ‘Did anyone solve the problem in a different way?’ ‘Does anyone want to add on to ____’s strategy?’ ‘Do you agree or disagree? Why?’ ‘What connections to previous problems do you see?’”

Indicator 3m

Narrative Only

Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies. Suggested grouping strategies are consistently provided in the Activity Launch guidance and include whole groups, small groups, pairs, and individual configurations. Examples include:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 8, Data Sets and Distributions, Lesson 7, Activity 1, Launch states, “Arrange students in groups of 2. Provide access to centimeter rulers. Consider giving students a brief overview of the context for the problems in the activity. Tell students that there are nearly 6,000 species of earthworms in the world. Some earthworms help the environment, while others (generally not native to the region in which they are found) may harm the environment. Earthworms that are native to a particular region of the world are often raised, by farmers, in terrariums (a container or bin similar to an aquarium but it contains soil and leaves). The terrarium-raised earthworms provide bait for people who fish, provide food for various wildlife, and decompose food waste into soil. Food waste and water are added to the terrariums as food for raising and growing worms. Soil produced by the worms as they eat the food waste is often used as fertilizer. Explain that the lengths of the worms in the terrariums provide information about the ages of the worms, which can be useful for the farmer. In this activity, students will organize the lengths of the earthworms in several terrariums. Give students 8–10 minutes of quiet work time, and then 3–4 minutes to discuss their work and to complete the activity with a partner. Select work from students with different strategies, such as those described in the activity narrative, to share later.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 1, Scale Drawings, Lesson 9, Activity 1, Launch states, “Tell students that a floor plan is a top-view drawing that shows a layout of a room or a building. Floor plans are usually scale drawings. Explain that sometimes the scale of a drawing is not specified, but we can still tell the scale if we know both the scaled and actual lengths. Arrange students in groups of 2. Give students 4–5 minutes of quiet work time and partner discussion. Select work from students with different strategies, such as those described in the activity narrative, to share later.”

  • Grade 8, Unit 2, Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Lesson 6, Warm-Up, Launch states, “Arrange students in groups of 2–4. Display the images for all to see. Give students 1 minute of quiet think time and ask them to indicate when they have noticed 3 images that go together and can explain why. Next, tell students to share their response with their group, and then together find as many sets of three as they can.” Activity Synthesis states, “Invite each group to share 1 reason why a particular set of 3 go together. Record and display the responses for all to see. After each response, ask the class if they agree or disagree. Since there is no single correct answer to the question of which three go together, attend to students’ explanations and ensure the reasons given are correct.”

Indicator 3m.MLL

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Materials include guidance for intentional and flexible grouping structures for MLLs to ensure equitable participation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Imagine IM do not meet the criteria of including guidance for intentional and flexible grouping structures for Multilingual Learners (MLLs) to ensure equitable participation.

The materials do not provide explicit teacher-facing guidance for intentional and flexible grouping structures for MLLs. While the Mathematical Language Routines provide language support and are sometimes called out during group work, such as revoicing and sentence frames, these supports do not explicitly ensure equitable participation or provide teacher guidance on monitoring for effective collaboration opportunities. Additionally, the materials do not elaborate on grouping considerations, such as how to use language proficiency in grouping students depending on the lessons’ purpose and tasks. Furthermore, scaffolds included do not explicitly provide support for varying levels of English proficiency. 

Indicator 3n

Narrative Only

Assessments offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment. These suggestions are provided within the Teacher Guide in a section called Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, and Assessment Guidance. As such, they are included at the program level and not specific to each assessment. Examples include:

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Diverse Abilities states, “Supplemental instructional strategies, labeled Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, are included in each lesson. They are designed to help meet the individual needs of a diverse group of learners. Each support is aligned to one of the three principles of Universal Design for Learning, to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, or action and expression, and includes a suggested strategy to increase access and eliminate barriers. Use these lesson-specific supports, as needed, to help students succeed with a specific activity, without reducing the mathematical demands of the task. Phase them out as students gain understanding and fluency. The following areas of cognitive functioning are integral to learning mathematics (Brodesky et al., 2002), and are indicated in each access support so that teachers can leverage students’ strengths to address potential barriers or challenges that exist in the learning environment. Conceptual Processing includes perceptual reasoning, problem-solving, and metacognition. Language includes auditory and visual processing and expression of language. Visual-Spatial Processing includes processing visual information and understanding relation in space of visual mathematical representations and geometric concepts. Organization includes organizational skills, attention, and focus. Memory includes working memory and short-term memory. Attention includes paying attention to details, maintaining focus, and filtering out extraneous information. Social-Emotional Functioning includes interpersonal skills and the cognitive comfort and safety required in order to take risks and make mistakes. Fine-Motor Skills include tasks that require small-muscle movement and coordination, such as manipulating objects (graphing, cutting with scissors, writing).”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, Accessibility for Students with Visual Impairments states, “For students with visual impairments, accessibility features are built into the materials: 1. A palette of colors distinguishable to people with the most common types of color blindness. 2. Tasks and problems designed so that success does not depend on the ability to distinguish between colors. 3. Mathematical diagrams, presented in scalable vector graphic (SVG) format, can be magnified, without loss of resolution, and rendered in Braille. 4. Where possible, text associated with images is not part of the image file, but rather included as an image caption accessible to screen readers. 5. Alt text on all images makes interpretation easier for users accessing the materials with a screen reader. If students with visual impairments are accessing the materials, using a screen reader, it is important to understand: All images in the curriculum have alt text: a very short indication of the image’s contents, so that the screen reader doesn’t skip over as if nothing is there. Some images have a longer description to help a student with a visual impairment recreate the image in their mind. Understand that students with visual impairments likely will need help accessing images in lesson activities and assessments. Prepare appropriate accommodations. Accessibility experts, who reviewed this curriculum, recommended that eligible students have access to a Braille version of the curriculum materials, because a verbal description of many of the complex mathematical diagrams is inadequate for supporting their learning.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) Assessment Guidance, Diagnostic Assessments section, provides additional teacher guidance on accommodating students during assessments. It suggests that students who may not perform well on diagnostic assessments can continue to engage with grade-level tasks using appropriate supports: “Address below-grade skills while continuing to work through the on-grade tasks and concepts of each unit, instead of abandoning the current work in favor of material that addresses only below-grade skills. Look for opportunities within the upcoming unit to address the target skill in context.”

  • The Imagine IM platform complies with WCAG 2.1 AA standards for all student-facing features, supporting the use of assistive technology and promoting accessibility for students with disabilities. Teachers can personalize assessments by modifying question types, removing distractors, or adding audio or visual supports, allowing for individual or small-group assignments without altering academic expectations. Imagine Learning Classroom incorporates accessibility throughout product development using automated and manual testing, user feedback, and regular updates to accessibility documentation, including VPATs. Accessible print formats and recommended text-to-speech tools are also available.

Indicator 3n.MLL

0 / 1

Assessments offer accommodations that allow MLLs to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Imagine IM do not meet the criteria of providing accommodations that allow Multilingual Learners (MLLs) to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment. The materials do not provide guidance for teachers to account for varied levels of English language proficiency without changing the content of the assessment, yet still allowing MLLs to show grade level mastery regardless of language ability.

End-of-Unit Assessments and section Checkpoints are provided and used to evaluate student learning. Each unit includes a Spanish version of the assessment. While the inclusion of Spanish-language assessments may support students whose primary language is Spanish, it does not constitute a full range of accommodations for the broader population of MLLs with diverse linguistic backgrounds. 

The materials contain a section in the Unit Overview titled Supporting Equity and Engagement, which contains sentence frames and stems that are specific to the disciplinary language of the unit. The subsection titled Strategies for Implementation, gives the following implementation guidance: “Frames can be used in multiple settings, including during classroom discussions, written reflections, or individual assessments.” The materials do not reference this suggested use for “individual assessments” in any other location; the onus is on the teacher to identify in which assessment to implement one of the strategies.

Indicator 3o

Narrative Only

Materials provide a range of representation of people and include detailed instructions and support for educators to effectively incorporate and draw upon students’ different cultural, social, and community backgrounds to enrich learning experiences.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 partially provide a range of representations of people and incorporate guidance and structures that reference students’ cultural, social, and community backgrounds. Student-facing materials include multicultural names such as Kiran, Mai, Elena, and Han. When relevant to the mathematical task, characters are illustrated and shown engaging with the content in varied contexts, including rural, urban, and international settings. There are instructional videos titled Inspire Math Video: Introduce/Reinforce/Review, which “showcase the mathematics of the unit in a real-world, engaging context.” These materials do not exhibit demographic bias regarding who achieves success in the mathematical scenarios.

Lesson contexts include examples that reference cultural and community practices. For example:

  • Grade 6, Unit 1, Area and Surface Area, Lesson 6, Practice Problems, Problem 4 states, “The Dockland Building in Hamburg, Germany is shaped like a parallelogram. If the length of the building is 86 meters and its height is 55 meters, what is the area of this face of the building?” A picture of the building is presented for students.

  • Grade 7, Unit 2, Introducing Proportional Relationships, Lesson 4, Practice Problems, Problem 2 states, “On a flight from New York to London, an airplane travels at a constant speed. An equation relating the distance traveled in miles, d, to the number of hours flying, t, is t=\frac{1}{500}d. How long will it take the airplane to travel 800 miles?”

  • Grade 8, Unit 8, Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Lesson 11, Practice Problems, Problem 6 states, “Noah and Han are preparing for a jump rope contest. Noah can jump 40 times in 0.5 minute. Han can jump y times in x minutes, where y=78x. If they both jump for 2 minutes, who jumps more times?”

The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) Problem-Based Teaching and Learning, Principles For Mathematics Teaching And Learning, “Teachers should build on what students know: New mathematical ideas are built on what students already know about mathematics and the world. As they learn new ideas, students need to make connections between them (NRC, 2001). To do this, teachers need to understand what knowledge students bring to the classroom and monitor what they do and do not understand as they are learning. Teachers must themselves know how the mathematical ideas connect in order to mediate students’ learning.”

The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) contains references to research and guidance that emphasize student identity and lived experience. For example, in the section titled, All Students are Capable Learners of Mathematics states, “It is through these classroom structures that teachers have daily opportunities to learn about and leverage students’ understandings and experiences, and to position each student as a capable learner of mathematics.”

Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Advancing Mathematical Language and Access for Multilingual Learners suggests using a variety of strategies to help engage students. Advancing Mathematical Language and Access for Multilingual Learners states, “In a problem-based mathematics classroom, sense-making and language are interwoven. Mathematics classrooms are language-rich—and therefore language-demanding—learning environments for every student. The linguistic demands of doing mathematics include reading, writing, speaking, listening, conversing, and representing (Aguirre & Bunch, 2012). Students are expected to say or write mathematical explanations, state assumptions, make conjectures, construct mathematical arguments, and listen and respond to the ideas of others. In an effort to advance the mathematics and language learning of all students, the materials purposefully engage students in sense-making and using language to negotiate meaning with their peers.” To support all students, including those learning English, the curriculum integrates Mathematical Language Routines (MLRs), which are described as structured and adaptable routines that support students’ mathematical and language development. Mathematical Language Routines state, “particularly well-suited to meet the needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students, who are learning mathematics while concurrently acquiring English.” MLRs are embedded throughout the lessons and are accompanied by suggested sentence frames and optional supports designed to maintain mathematical rigor while increasing language access.

Spanish-language materials are available, including student resources, teacher prompts, and family support content. The Family Support Hub provides Family Support Materials in multiple languages—Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, Khmer, French, Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Spanish—along with a complete version of the materials in Spanish.

The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Student Journal Prompts, guide the teacher to include life experiences of students when learning math. The materials state, “John Dewey (1933) asserted that students make sense of the world through metacognition, making connections between their lived experiences and their knowledge base, and argued that education should offer students opportunities to make connections between school and their lived experiences in the world. Ladson-Billings encourages the idea that teachers must help students effectively connect their culturally- and community-based knowledge to the learning experiences taking place in the classroom.”

Indicator 3p

Narrative Only

Materials provide supports for different reading levels to ensure accessibility for students.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 provide supports for different reading levels to ensure accessibility for students.

Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, Representation states, “Reduce barriers and leverage students’ individual strengths by inviting students to engage with the same content in different ways. Supports that provide multiple means of representation include suggestions for offering alternatives to the ways information is presented or displayed, developing students’ understanding and use of mathematical language and symbols, and describing organizational methods and approaches designed to help students internalize learning.”

Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), What’s in an Imagine IM Lesson, Instructional Routines, MLR6: Three Reads states, “What: The Three Reads ensure that students know what they are asked to do, and create an opportunity for students to reflect on the ways mathematical questions are presented, and equip students with the tools to actively make sense of mathematical situations and information (Kelemanik, Lucenta, & Creighton, 2016). Students take time to understand mathematical situations and story problems, and plan their strategies before finding solutions. Why: This routine supports reading comprehension, sense-making of problems and meta-awareness of mathematical language. It also supports negotiating information in a text, with a partner, in mathematical conversation. How It Happens: In this routine, students are supported in reading, three times, a mathematical text, a situation, or a word problem, each time with a particular focus. The intended question or main prompt is intentionally withheld until the third read so that students can concentrate on making sense of what is happening in the text before rushing to a solution or method. First Read: Shared Reading After a shared reading, students describe the situation or context. This is the time to identify and resolve any challenges with non-mathematical vocabulary. (1 minute) Second Read: Individual, Partner, or Shared Reading After the second read, students list all quantities in the situation that are countable or measurable. Examples: ‘number of people in a room’ rather than ‘people,’ ‘number of markers remaining’ instead of ‘markers’). Record the quantities as a reference to use when solving the problem after the third read. (3–5 minutes) Third Read: Individual, Partner, or Shared Reading During the third read, the final question or prompt is revealed. Students discuss possible solution strategies. They may find it helpful to create diagrams to represent the relationships among quantities identified in the second read, or to represent the situation with a picture (Asturias, 2012). (1–2 minutes).” An example includes: 

  • Grade 6, Unit 2, Introducing Ratios, Lesson 16, Activity 1, Launch states, “Arrange students in groups of 3–4. Use Three Reads to support reading comprehension and sense-making about this problem. Display only the problem stem (the first two sentences), without revealing the question. In the first read, students read the problem with the goal of comprehending the situation. For the first read, read the problem aloud while everyone else reads along, and then ask, ‘What is this situation about? What is going on here?’ Allow 1 minute to discuss with a partner and then share with the whole class. A typical response may be, ‘Students are going on a field trip with chaperones. Everyone needs a ticket.’ Listen for and clarify any questions about the context. In the second read, students analyze the mathematical structure of the story by naming quantities. Select a different student to read to the class, and then ask, ‘What can be counted or measured in this situation?’ Give students 30 seconds of quiet think time, followed by another 30 seconds to share with their partner. A typical response may be: number of students and teachers, number of all participants, number of tickets, and cost of tickets. In the third read, students brainstorm possible starting points for answering the questions. Invite students to read the displayed information aloud with their partner, or select a different student to read to the class. After the third read, reveal the question. Ask, ‘What are some ways we might get started on this?’ Instruct students to think of ways to approach the questions without actually solving. Give students 1 minute of quiet think time, followed by another minute to discuss with their group. Invite students to name some possible strategies referencing quantities from the second read. Provide these sentence frames as students discuss: ‘To find the number of tickets for chaperones (or students), I can start by . . . .’ ‘I know that . . . , so I can . . . .’ As students discuss possible solution strategies, select 1–2 students to share their ideas with the whole class. As the selected students present their strategies, create a display that summarizes possible starting points. (Stop students as needed before they share complete solutions or answers.) If no students mention using diagrams or tables, ask them if those might be useful. Tell students that they will now solve a ratio problem in one of three different ways. Either assign each student one representation or allow them to choose one. Give students quiet think time to complete the activity and then, optionally, time to share their responses with a small group.”

Indicator 3q

2 / 2

Manipulatives, both virtual and physical, are accurate representations of the mathematical objects they represent and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 meet expectations for providing manipulatives, both virtual and physical, that are accurate representations of the mathematical objects they support and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods.

The general information on Manipulatives use is provided in the Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) in the section Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Diverse Abilities, Instructional Strategies, Manipulatives and in the section Required Materials that help support students in making connections between concrete ideas and abstract representations. Suggestions and/or links are consistently included within lessons to support the understanding of grade-level math concepts. 

Teachers can assign digital manipulatives to individual students or the entire class based on student need, allowing for personalized learning experiences. Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Purposeful Representations states, “Several considerations guide the choice of representations, the timing of their introduction, and the sequence in which they are presented, such as the extent to which they: Serve the mathematical learning goals. Help to build conceptual understanding. Support a coherent progression of mathematical ideas. Are relevant across cases and contexts. The principle of ‘concrete before abstract’ also guides the use of representations. This principle comes into play in two ways: First, more concrete representations are introduced before those that are more abstract. For example, to develop an understanding of ratios, students first use physical objects to represent quantities related by a ratio. Next, they create discrete diagrams to represent such quantities, followed by double-number-line diagrams and tables of equivalent ratios. This thinking eventually bridges into representing non-proportional linear relationships and the multiple ways to represent functions that starts in Imagine IM Grade 8 and continues throughout high school. Each representation is less concrete, more abstract, and offers greater flexibility and efficiency than the one before it. Second, a representation can show concrete concepts and numbers in earlier courses, and abstract ideas and quantities in later courses. For example, starting in Imagine IM Grade 3, students use rectangular diagrams to represent the multiplication of whole numbers. In Imagine IM Grade 6, they use such diagrams to represent the product of multi-digit decimals. In these early uses, students relate the discrete factors and product to concrete attributes of the rectangle: its side lengths and area. Later, students use rectangles to represent the multiplication of expressions that include variables, such as 5\cdot (3x+8) and a(2b + c). The same diagram is now used in a more abstract sense: to represent and organize decomposable factors and their partial products. In high school, students use the same diagram to reason about the multiplication and division of binomials and higher-degree polynomials.” Manipulatives are referenced within lessons as appropriate to support concept development. Examples include:

  • Grade 6, Unit 3, Unit Rates and Percentages, Lesson 2, About this lesson, Required preparation states, “Activity 1: Identify where in the classroom each measuring station will be set up. Preparation varies based on whether students will use physical or digital materials. If using physical materials, prepare each station as follows: Station 1: From the first page of the blackline master, print onto card stock the net for the box that is 2 in by 2 in by 4 in, cut it out, and assemble it. Provide at least twenty (20) inch cubes, one (1) centimeter cube, and thirty (30) 10 cm rods. The centimeter cube and 10 cm rods can come from a set of base-ten blocks or Cuisenaire rods. However, base-ten blocks are preferable so students can see that one rod is composed of 10 cm cubes. Wooden inch cubes are available inexpensively at craft stores. Station 2: Identify something in the classroom that is about 20 feet long. Prepare a way to communicate the length to be measured without giving away the measurement. Provide foot-long rulers and at least 2 meter sticks. Station 3: Provide 1 gallon-sized jug, 5 quart-sized bottles, 5 liter-sized bottles, and a funnel (if available). Fill the gallon jug with water. Station 4: Prepare a scale that can measure mass and weight in grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds. (If such a scale is not available, consider using two scales that—when used together—can give the mass and weight measurement of an object in these four units.) Prepare 6–8 common household items for students to weigh. Station 5: Prepare a 100 ml graduated cylinder, a teaspoon, a straightedge for leveling off the teaspoon, and a small bowl with at least ½ cup of salt. Place everything on a tray for catching spills. If using digital materials, acquire a device that can play a video or run an applet for each station. Open the following links:Station 1: Cubic Inches and Cubic Centimeters video, available at https://im612.org/Measurement_Station_1; Station 2: Meters and Feet video, available at https://im612.org/Measurement_Station_2; Station 3: Quarts and Liters video, available at https://im612.org/Measurement_Station_3; Station 4: Two options: Grams, Kilograms, Ounces, and Pounds video available at https://im612.org/Measurement_Station_4; "Digital Scale" applet, available at http://ggbm.at/eQQVYB7D; Station 5: "Milliliters and Teaspoons" video, available https://im612.org/Measurement_Station_5. Even if students are watching the video or using the digital applet at Station 4, consider preparing some real objects (each labeled with its weight or mass) for students to hold.” Activity 1 Launch states, “Tell students that they will further investigate the idea of using different units to measure the same set of items. Introduce the five stations, what students are expected to do at each, the protocol for rotating through them, and the questions to answer at the end. When introducing Station 4, demonstrate how to change the output unit on the scale(s) used. When introducing Station 5, demonstrate how to use a straightedge to measure a level teaspoon of salt. If students do not use level teaspoons of salt, they will not be able to answer the last set of questions about volume. Arrange students into 5 groups, and assign a starting station for each group.” 

  • Grade 7, Unit 3, Measuring Circles, Lesson 2, Activity 3, Narrative states, “The purpose of this activity is to reinforce students’ understanding of the terms ‘diameter,’ ‘center,’ and ‘radius’ and also for students to practice using a compass. Students are asked to draw circles with a given radius or diameter, including one where they make the radius of the circle match another length they have already drawn. Before using the compass, students first attempt to draw a circle freehand. Then, they recognize the compass as a strategic tool for drawing circles and transferring lengths. Students will apply this understanding in a later unit, when they construct a triangle given the lengths of its three sides. If this is a student’s first time using a compass, direct instruction may be needed on how to use one. The circles that students draw may not be perfect, but as they gain more experience with a compass, they will improve. In the digital version of the activity, students use an applet to draw circles with a virtual compass and ruler. The applet allows students to see that a circle is made out of all the points that are the same distance from a given point. Use the digital version if physical compasses are not available. Additionally, the digital version may reduce barriers for students who need support with fine-motor skills and students who benefit from extra processing time.”

  • Grade 8, Unit 1, Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Lesson 14, Warm-Up, Materials to Gather, “Geometry toolkits”, Launch states, “Provide access to geometry toolkits, including protractors and tracing paper. If needed, display the image from the problem and invite a student to state the name of the 30° angle (JGF). Consider tracing the segments from J to G, then G to F, as the angle is being named to help students visualize the naming convention for angles where the middle letter denotes the angle’s vertex.”

Criterion 3.3: Intentional Design

Narrative Only

Materials include a visual design that is engaging and references or integrates digital technology, when applicable, with guidance for teachers.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM, Grade 6 through 8 integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the grade-level standards; include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other; have a visual design that supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject that is neither distracting nor chaotic; and provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning. 

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Indicator 3r

Narrative Only

Materials integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic software in ways that engage students in the grade-level/series standards, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the grade-level/series standards, when applicable. 

Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Imagine IM Program Components includes, “Consumable full-color Student Workbooks (units 1–9)-available in English and Spanish. Include full lessons with learning goals, Warm-Ups, activities, and practice problems with space for student thinking and work. Provide QR codes to digital family resources at point of use.” The guide further explains, “Print: Exclusive print versions of Teacher Guides and Student Workbooks connect directly to the digital components, ensuring that the integrity of the rich IM content is maintained in any classroom implementation model. Digital: The Imagine IM digital student experience includes access to Student Workbook content, interactive lessons, videos, virtual manipulatives, digital centers, digital task statements, digital practice sets, digital Cool-Downs, digital assessments, and more! A comprehensive digital platform with interactive tools and features for multi-dimensional teaching.” Flexibility and adaptability are highlighted: “Editable digital lesson cards can be projected or assigned to students, which allows options to meet the needs of all students. Lessons can be copied, edited, and customized as needed.” The platform also provides opportunities for live engagement: “Interactive Teaching Tools: Live Learn allows for synchronous instruction virtually within the platform. Teachers can transition from asynchronous work time to a live session with one click. Student progress is visible at the moment.” In addition, the guide describes the interactive annotation feature: “Annotation Tool – daily instruction comes alive through the ability to write, draw, model, and share student work directly on the lesson cards. Teachers can annotate lesson plans and full-screen views.” Examples include:

  • Grade 6, Unit 3, Unit Rates and Percentages, Lesson 2, About this lesson, Required Preparation states, “If using digital materials, acquire a device that can play a video or run an applet for each station. Open the following links:...” (The materials provide station materials and links to support preparation.) Even if students are watching the video or using the digital applet at Station 4, consider preparing some real objects (each labeled with its weight or mass) for students to hold.” Activity 1 Narrative states, “A digital applet appears in this activity and is also available in an assignable version found in the Materials. In the digital version of the activity, students watch videos that show measurements being taken. In Station 4, they also have the option to use an applet to explore units of mass and weight. The applet allows students to simulate the use of a digital scale to measure the mass or weight of various objects. Consider using the digital version if the materials needed to physically perform measurements are not readily available or if preparation time is limited. Using digital materials for some stations and physical materials for others is also an option.”

  • Grade 7, Unit 4, Proportional Relationships and Percentages, Lesson 2, About this lesson, Required Preparation states, “Activity 3: For the digital version of the activity, acquire devices that can run the applet.” Activity 3 Narrative states, “A digital applet appears in this activity and is also available in an assignable version found in the Materials. In the digital version of the activity, students use an applet to resize and reposition an illustration of the Mona Lisa. The applet allows students to visually compare the size of the painting with the size of the notebook. This activity works best when students have access to the applet because they will benefit from seeing the relationship in a dynamic way. If students don't have access, displaying the applet for all to see would be helpful during the Launch.” 

  • Grade 8, Unit 5, Functions and Volume, Lesson 11, About this lesson, Required Preparation states, “Activity 1: Each group of 3–4 students needs 1 graduated cylinder and water. For the digital version of the activity, acquire devices that can run the applet.” Activity 1 Narrative states, “A digital applet appears in this activity and is also available in an assignable version found in the Materials. In the digital version of the activity, students use an applet to do the experiment. The applet allows students to fill a digital cylinder that displays the volume of water added and the height of the water. The applet also lets students change the radius of the cylinder. The digital version may reduce barriers for students who need support with fine-motor skills and students who benefit from extra processing time.” Digital student-facing task statement states, “Use the applet to investigate the height of water in the cylinder as a function of the water volume. 1. Before you get started, make a prediction about the shape of the graph. Check ‘Reset,’ and set the radius and height of the graduated cylinder to values that you choose. Let the cylinder fill with different amounts of water, and record the data in the table.”

Indicator 3s

Narrative Only

Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable. Examples include: 

  • Students can submit work through a digital data dashboard, and the teacher can score the assignment/assessment as well as provide feedback on the work to the student. The IL Classroom Guides, For Students section provides instructions for accessing this feedback. The How To Access Your Classes and Assignments guide states, “If your teacher has made comments to any of your work in that class, you will see the ‘New comments’ banner next to the class name” and “Your teacher may leave comments for you to see while you work on your assignment.” The program also includes a Digital QuickStart Guide that provides “overviews of how to navigate the program by unit and lesson, how to access the digital data dashboard, and provides a list of virtual manipulatives available to assign and use with students.” The What’s New in the IL Classroom section details updates to features such as “text to speech enhancements, digital dashboard updates, Live Learn enhancements, and item analysis.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) states, “Imagine IM’s enhanced resources are specially tuned to support teachers in planning and facilitating lessons across various instructional environments.” The guide lists features under “Teacher Experience,” including a “comprehensive digital platform with interactive tools and features for multi-dimensional teaching” and “embedded professional learning with Learning Narrative videos accessible directly from both the print Teacher Guides and in the digital platform.” These resources are designed to support implementation and may be used collaboratively among teachers. The guide also notes, “Teachers are equipped to monitor student progress through digital task statements, innovative staged centers, section checkpoints, and Cool-Downs. These provide real-time feedback and data to inform instructional decisions.” In addition, the materials include embedded opportunities for student discussion and reflection. 

  • Grade 6, Unit 1, Area and Surface, Lesson 13, About this lesson, Math Community, “In today’s activities, students are introduced to the idea of math norms as expectations that help everyone in the room feel safe, comfortable, and productive doing math together. Students then consider what norms would connect and support the math actions that the class recorded so far in the Math Community Chart.” Cool-Down, Math Community states, “Before distributing the Cool-Downs, display the Math Community Chart and the norms question ‘Which norm has not already been listed that you’d like to add to our chart?’ Ask students to respond to the question after completing the Cool-Down on the same sheet. After collecting the Cool-Downs, identify themes from the norms question. Use that information to add to the initial draft of the ‘Norms’ sections of the Math Community Chart.” This lesson shows an example of collaboration between student to student.

  • Grade 7, Unit 1, Scale Drawings, Lesson 3, About this lesson, Math Community, “In this lesson, students review the themes that arose when they shared their initial thoughts in Exercise 1 about what they think it should look like and sound like to do math together as a community. Students then have a chance to both affirm and add to the ideas that were generated.” Cool-Down, Math Community states, “Before distributing the Cool-Downs, display the Math Community Chart and the community building question ‘Is there anything that you would like to add to the student ‘Doing Math’ section of the chart?’ Ask students to respond to the question after completing the Cool-Down on the same sheet. After collecting the Cool-Downs, identify themes from the community building question. Use the themes to add to or revise the student section of the Math Community Chart before Exercise 3. This lesson shows an example of collaboration between student to student.

  • Grade 8, Unit 1, Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Lesson 1, About this lesson, Math Community states, “This is the first exercise that focuses on the work of building a mathematical community. Students have the opportunity to think about what a mathematical community is and to share their initial thoughts about what it looks like and sounds like to do math together in a community.” Warm-Up, Math Community states, “After the Warm-Up, tell students that today is the start of planning the type of mathematical community they want to be a part of for this school year. The start of this work will take several weeks as the class gets to know one another, reflects on past classroom experiences, and shares their hopes for the year. Display and read aloud the question ‘What do you think it should look like and sound like to do math together as a mathematical community?’ Give students 2 minutes of quiet think time and then 1–2 minutes to share with a partner. Ask students to record their thoughts on sticky notes and then place the notes on the sheet of chart paper. Thank students for sharing their thoughts and tell them that the sticky notes will be collected into a class chart and used at the start of the next discussion. After the lesson is complete, review the sticky notes to identify themes. Make a Math Community Chart to display in the classroom. See the blackline master Blank Math Community Chart for one way to set up this chart. Depending on resources and wall space, this may look like a chart paper hung on the wall, a regular sheet of paper to display using a document camera, or a digital version that can be projected. Add the identified themes from the students’ sticky notes to the student section of the ‘Doing Math’ column of the chart.” This lesson shows an example of collaboration between student to student.

Indicator 3t

Narrative Only

The visual design (whether in print or digital) supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 have a visual design that supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The images, graphics, and models support student learning and engagement and communicate information or support student understanding. Examples include: 

  • Grade 6, Unit 2, Introducing Ratios, Lesson 1, Activity 1, Narrative states, “This activity introduces students to ratio language and notation through examples based on a collection of everyday objects. Students learn that a ratio is an association between quantities, and that this association can be expressed in multiple ways. After discussing examples of ratio language and notation for one way of categorizing the objects in the collection, students write ratios to describe the quantities for another way of categorizing objects in the collection.” Problem 1 states, “Think of a way to sort your teacher’s collection into two or three categories. Count the items in each category, and record the information in the table.” The image that is used is clear and supports student learning and engagement.

  • Grade 7, Unit 7, Angles, Triangles, and Prisms, Lesson 12, Cool-Down, Student Task Statement states, “A box is shaped like an octagonal prism. Here is what the base of the prism looks like. For each question, make sure to include the unit with your answer and explain or show your reasoning. 1. If the height of the box is 7 inches, what is the volume of the box?” The image that is used is clear and supports student learning and engagement.

  • Grade 8, Unit 2, Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Lesson 8, Warm-Up Narrative states, “This Warm-Up prompts students to make sense of a figure by considering properties of triangles and similar polygons. This figure is also used in the optional activity.” Launch states, “Tell students to close their books or devices (or to keep them closed). Arrange students in groups of 2. Introduce the context image from the task. Use Co-Craft Questions to orient students to the context and elicit possible mathematical questions. Give students 1–2 minutes to write a list of mathematical questions that could be asked about the situation before comparing questions with a partner.” A star is inscribed inside a pentagon. The image that is used is clear and supports student learning and engagement.

The teacher and student materials follow a consistent layout and structure across lessons and units, including repeated phases such as Warm-ups, Instructional Activities, Lesson Synthesis, and Cool-down. Instructional elements are labeled and sequenced in the same order throughout the materials.

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), Key Structures in This Course, Coherent Progression states, “Every unit, lesson, and activity has the same overarching design structure: The learning begins with an invitation to the mathematics, is followed by a deep study of concepts and procedures, and concludes with an opportunity to consolidate understanding of mathematical ideas.”

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), How To Use the Imagine IM Resources states, “Each course contains nine units. Units contain 11–25 lesson plans. Each of the first eight units has a diagnostic assessment for the beginning of the unit (Check Your Readiness) and an End-of-Unit Assessment. Longer units also have a Mid-Unit Assessment. Each lesson plan is designed to fit within a class period that is at least 45 minutes long. Some lessons contain optional activities that provide additional scaffolding or practice for students. Use these at your own discretion. Each lesson includes information about Materials to Gather and Materials to Copy prior to the start of the lesson. As specified in Materials to Copy, photocopy and cut up for students ahead of time the sets of cards or slips of paper required for activities written in card-sort, matching, and information-gap formats.”

Narratives throughout the materials help guide teacher understanding and maintain coherence. 

  • Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook), What’s in an Imagine IM Lesson, Narratives Tell the Story states, “The story of each grade is told across the units in the narratives. Each unit has a narrative that describes the mathematical work that will unfold in that unit. Each section within a unit has a narrative that describes the mathematical work in the section. Each lesson and each activity in a unit also have narratives. The Lesson Narrative explains: The mathematical content of the lesson and its place in the learning sequence. The meaning of any new terms introduced in the lesson. How the mathematical practices come into play, as appropriate. The Activity Narrative explains: The mathematical purpose of the activity and its place in the learning sequence. What students are doing during the activity. What to look for, while students are working on an activity, to orchestrate an effective Activity Synthesis. Connections to the mathematical practices, when appropriate.”

Student materials, in printed consumable format, include appropriate font size, direction amount and placement, and space on the page for students to show their mathematical thinking. There is ample space in the printable Student Task Statements, Assessment PDFs, and workbooks for students to capture calculations and write answers. Organizational features such as the table of contents and internal references are present and clearly labeled, supporting navigation across units and lessons.

Indicator 3u

Narrative Only

Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Imagine IM Grade 6 through Grade 8 provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.

The Teacher Course Guide (Flipbook) provides descriptions of the digital technology embedded within the program. In the Teacher Experience section under Interactive Teaching Tools, the guide states, “Live Learn allows for synchronous instruction virtually within the platform. Teachers can transition from asynchronous work time to a live session with one click. Student progress is visible in the moment.” In the Program Components section under Digital, the guide notes that “The Imagine IM digital platform includes PDFs of all print components, teacher notes, classroom-ready lesson cards with teacher annotation, assignable lessons and assessments, student and teacher videos, family support materials, extensions problems, digital interactives, digital tasks and assessments, digital practice sets, PLCS, reports, and more!” Additionally, a lesson titled How to Use Live Learn is available in the Imagine IM Updates section under What’s New in IM Classroom? on the program website, offering teachers further guidance on using this embedded technology.

Imagine IM provides a Digital QuickStart Guide that offers teachers an overview of how to navigate the program by unit and lesson, access the digital data dashboard, and identify virtual manipulatives that can be assigned and used with students. Ongoing updates to the program are available in the What’s New in the IL Classroom section, which includes information on recent enhancements such as text-to-speech features, digital dashboard improvements, updates to the Live Learn tool, and item analysis functionality.

Teacher guidance is provided within lessons for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, as demonstrated in the following examples:

  • Grade 6, Unit 4, Dividing Fractions, Lesson 7, Activity 2 Narrative states, “A digital applet appears in this activity and is also available in an assignable version found in the Materials. In the digital version of the activity, students use an applet to compare the lengths of rope to one another. The applet allows students to move the ropes around and mark off increments. This activity works best when each student has access to the applet because students will benefit from being able to move the shorter ropes around as they compare them to the longer ones. If students don't have individual access, displaying the applet for all to see would be helpful during the synthesis.” Problem 1 states, “The segments in the applet represent four ropes of different lengths. Each rope can be moved by dragging the open circle at one endpoint. The yellow pins can be used to mark off lengths. Complete each sentence comparing the ropes’ lengths. Then write a multiplication equation and a division equation for each comparison.”

  • Grade 7, Unit 8, Probability and Sampling, Lesson 7, Activity 1 Narrative states, “A digital applet appears in this activity and is also available in an assignable version found in the Materials. In the digital version of the activity, students use an applet to spin a spinner to simulate the situation. The applet allows students to spin a spinner and record the outcome of the spin. The digital version may be preferable if students would benefit from running and understanding a simulation rather than designing and using their own simulation, or if there is not enough time to create and run the simulations by hand.” Digital task statements state, “Use the applet to simulate the weather for 10 days of break to see if Alpine Zoom will make money.”

  • Grade 8, Unit 7, Exponents and Scientific Notation, Lesson 10, Activity 1 Narrative states, “A digital applet appears in this activity and is also available in an assignable version found in the Materials. In the digital version of the activity, students use an applet to place points on a number line. The applet allows students to quickly check and revise their placement if necessary. The digital version may be helpful for students who rush to place the values on the number line and would benefit from immediate feedback.” Digital task statement states, “1. Drag the points to their proper location on the number line. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.”