SWATCA2018

When the question of talking or teaching about citizenship comes up in curriculum, there is never any doubt that the concept and perception can be explored in Social Studies and English/Language Arts classes in schools, but what about Math class? This interactive session provides a place for teachers to explore the connections between math and citizenship through activities designed to unravel what citizenship means and how math connects to these understandings. The importance of this topic is derived from the Algebra Project’s founder, Bob Moses (2001) who said that “in today’s world, economic access and full citizenship depend crucially on math and science literacy” (p. 5, emphasis added). Yet we as teachers often assume a natural progression of topics and a have a normal expectation that not all students can or will succeed in math in schools. In this workshop, we will explore the ways in which stereotypes around who is seen to do and achieve in math impact the teaching and learning of math and how we can move beyond these stereotypes in our classrooms.