When I first started using Eureka Math®, I planned my lessons by opening the Teacher Edition and turning right to Lesson 1. The thing is, my planning wasn’t as effective as it could have been, so I found a better way. Here, I share some of what I learned to help you see the things I initially overlooked in the Eureka Math Teacher Edition.
Module Overview (Grades K–12)
The Module Overview is your guide for navigating a module and planning with the coherence of lessons in mind. I didn’t even realize this page existed until my second year using Eureka Math. The Module Overview offers helpful insights about the module and the progression of the lessons, and I wish I had found it sooner. Now, when I start a new module, I read the Module Overview with the following
The Module Overview explains the trajectory of the module and outlines how concepts connect from lesson to lesson. This allows you to make more intentional decisions about pacing because you’ll see how students’ mastery of concepts should develop over time.
Topic Overview (Grades K–12)
At first, I wasn’t exactly sure how to use Eureka Math to support struggling students and to extend the work for successful students. I discovered that the Topic Overview is a great place to get ideas.
The Topic Overview gives a clearer picture of the work your students will do, the specific standards they’ll work with, and how the content connects across grade levels.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Boxes (Grades K–12)
Directions for Administration of a Sprint (Grades K–8)
I wish I had read about how to deliver a Sprint before I used one with my class for the first time. I used to wonder why there was a Sprint A and a Sprint B. Until I read the Directions for Administration of a Sprint, I didn’t realize that Sprint A and Sprint B were meant to be given back-to-back as timed fluencies. Once I understood the Sprint routine and the goal of student improvement rather than completing every problem, we were able to complete the Sprint process in 8 minutes. I also saw my students’ fluency improve dramatically.
Here are some key points to know about Sprints:
In Kindergarten, you’ll find the Building Up to a Sprint Routine in Module 3, Lesson 20, a first Sprint experience in Lesson 21, and the full Directions for Administration of a Sprint in Lesson 25.
Core Fluency (Grades K–5)
Kindergarten |
|
Module 4 Lesson 29 |
Grade 1 |
|
Module 4 Lesson 23 |
Grade 2 |
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Module 5 Lesson 14 |
Grade 3 |
|
Pattern Sheets—All modules |
Grade 4 |
|
Module 7 Lesson 2 |
Grade 5 |
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Module 2 Topic B |
The following chart shows how Core Fluencies Practice Sets and Sprints differ.
|
Core Fluency Practice Set |
Sprint |
Purpose |
Students develop mastery. |
Students demonstrate improvement. |
Delivery |
Students work through sets A through E in order, moving to a new set when one is mastered. |
Students work on Sprint A, then immediately on Sprint B, and monitor their improvement. |
Complexity |
Complexity builds from set A (least complex) to set E (most complex). |
Complexity builds gradually from the first problem to the final problem in each Sprint. |
Lesson Types (Grades 6–12)
When I first started working with Eureka Math, I taught each lesson the same way. Then I learned that the curriculum in Grades 6–12 has four different lesson types and that the lesson types should inform how I deliver the lessons. Once I fully understood the types of lessons and their purposes, I was able to alter my mode of delivery to enhance each type of lesson. For example, I used talk moves during Socratic lessons to foster student discourse. Exploration lessons were opportunities for my students to wrestle with complex mathematical ideas and have the freedom to make mistakes.
The lesson types are noted on the Topic Overview page following the title of the lesson. Here is a description of each type of lesson you’ll see.
|
Problem Set Lesson |
The teacher and students work through examples and complete exercises to develop or reinforce a concept. |
Socratic Lesson |
The teacher leads students in a conversation to develop a specific concept or proof. |
|
Exploration Lesson |
Students work independently or in small groups on a challenging problem followed by a debrief to clarify, expand, or develop math knowledge. |
|
Modeling Cycle Lesson |
Students practice all or part of the modeling cycle with real-world or mathematical problems that are either well- or ill-defined. |