What is Citizen Math?
An Evidence-Based Set of Lessons for Grades 6, 7, and 8
Citizen Math’s innovative, standards-based lessons connect mathematics learning to real-world issues to increase achievement and prepare students to be informed and thoughtful individuals.
Integrating social, emotional, and academic learning skills, Citizen Math’s lessons are shown to be impactful. An earlier rigorous study found that using 2–3 of these lessons significantly improved student achievement on the end-of-year state test.
“We live in a bubble on social media with people with like-minded opinions. I want [my students] to open it up and see both sides to arguments, and be able to support theirs with more than an opinion. And in my classroom, the support is the math.”
Citizen Math aims to help students develop the problem-solving skills they will need to analyze, discuss, and solve the important issues faced by society. Their lessons are designed to collaboratively engage students in exploring math through real-world contexts relevant to their lives and experiences, with the goal of building math skills, critical thinking, and civic-mindedness.
An earlier study indicated that teaching as few as two supplemental Citizen Math lessons significantly increased test scores and classroom performance (Jackson & Makarin, 2018).
Citizen Math provides supplemental math lessons designed to be flexibly implemented alongside any core curriculum. The lesson materials are available via their website and include instructional support materials with guidance on timing and structure, the mathematical objectives, discussion prompts, exemplar student responses, and teaching tips.