Mathematics is an essential universal language, necessary as a reasoning tool to solve problems and to make sense of the world. At Zurich International School mathematical thinkers use reasoning and apply skills to solve problems both inside and outside the classroom.
Instructional practices in the mathematics program are student-centered and designed to develop conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and problem-solving. Instructional decisions are informed through ongoing formative assessment to ensure that all students grow as effective mathematicians.
Mathematics 6 develops fluency in mathematics, enabling students to work accurately, efficiently and to have flexibility with numbers.
Conceptual understanding is developed in the areas of:
Ratios and Proportional Relationships
- Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems
The Number System
- Apply and extend previous understanding of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions
- Apply and extend previous understandings of numbers to the system of rational numbers
Statistics
- Develop understanding of statistical variability
- Display numerical data
Expressions and Equations
- Apply and extend previous understanding of arithmetic to algebraic expressions
- Reason and solve one-variable equations
- Represent and analyze quantitative relationships
Geometry
- Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area and volume
The Mathematical Practices developed in Mathematics 6 are:
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
- Model with mathematics
- Use appropriate tools strategically
- Attend to precision
- Look for and make use of structure
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning