Report Overview
Summary of Alignment & Usability: ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 | Math
Math K-2
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Kindergarten through Grade 2 partially meet the expectations for alignment to the CCSSM. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials meet the expectations for focus, but partially meet expectations for coherence. In Gateway 2, the instructional materials for each grade partially meet the expectations for rigor and practice-content connections. Since the materials for each grade partially meet expectations for alignment to the CCSSM, they were not reviewed for usability in Gateway 3.
Kindergarten
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
1st Grade
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Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
2nd Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
Math 3-5
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grades 3 through 6 partially meet the expectations for alignment to the CCSSM. The instructional materials meet the expectations for Gateway 1 as they meet the expectations for focus and partially meet expectations for coherence, except for Grade 4 which meets expectations for coherence. In Gateway 2, the instructional materials partially meet the expectations for rigor, except for Grade 6 which meets expectations for rigor, and the instructional materials partially meet the expectations for practice-content connections. Since the materials for each grade partially meet expectations for alignment to the CCSSM, they were not reviewed for usability in Gateway 3.
3rd Grade
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Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
4th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
5th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
Math 6-8
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grades 3 through 6 partially meet the expectations for alignment to the CCSSM. The instructional materials meet the expectations for Gateway 1 as they meet the expectations for focus and partially meet expectations for coherence, except for Grade 4 which meets expectations for coherence. In Gateway 2, the instructional materials partially meet the expectations for rigor, except for Grade 6 which meets expectations for rigor, and the instructional materials partially meet the expectations for practice-content connections. Since the materials for each grade partially meet expectations for alignment to the CCSSM, they were not reviewed for usability in Gateway 3.
6th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
Report for 3rd Grade
Alignment Summary
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations for alignment to the CCSSM. The instructional materials meet expectations for focus and coherence within Gateway 1, and they partially meet expectations for rigor and the mathematical practices in Gateway 2. Since the materials partially meet expectations for Gateway 2, they are not reviewed for usability in Gateway 3.
3rd Grade
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Usability (Gateway 3)
Overview of Gateway 1
Focus & Coherence
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet the expectations for Gateway 1. These materials meet the expectations for focus by not assessing above grade-level content and by spending the majority of the time on the major clusters of each grade-level. The materials partially meet the expectations for being coherent and consistent with the standards. The materials include an amount of content that is viable for one school year, and the materials foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the standards.
Gateway 1
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet the expectation for not assessing topics before the grade-level in which the topic should be introduced. The materials include some assessment questions that were above grade-level, but these could be omitted without affecting the underlying structure of the materials.
Indicator 1A
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations that they assess grade-level content. Above grade-level assessment items are present, but could be modified or omitted without a significant impact on the underlying structure of the instructional materials.
Each grade-level consists of 12 modules. Each module contains three types of summative assessments. Check-ups assess concepts taught in the module, and students select answers or provide a written response. Performance Tasks assess concepts taught in the module with deeper understanding. In Interviews, teachers ask questions in a one-on-one setting, and students demonstrate understanding of a module concept or fluency for the grade. In addition, Quarterly Tests are administered at the end of Modules 3, 6, 9, and 12.
The following questions assess grade-level standards:
- In Quarterly Test, Modules 4-6, Question 1, students choose the multiplication problem represented by the array (3.OA.1).
- In Module 9, Performance Task, Question 1, students label 4/6 and 11/8 on a number line (3.NF.3a).
The following questions assess above grade-level standards and would need to be omitted or modified to meet grade-level standards:
- Module 3, Interview, students double numbers by finding the product of 2 x 30, 43 x 2, 2 x 35, 2 x 45, and 17 x 2 (4.NBT.5).
- Module 3, Check-Up, the problems use numbers over 1,000 for rounding to the nearest ten or hundred. In item 1.a., students round the following numbers to the nearest hundred: 391; 4,386; 7,019; 1,089. In item 1.b., students round the following number to the nearest ten: 674; 899; 3,562; 1,499.
- Module 3, Performance Task, students write the nearest ten, nearest hundred, and nearest thousand depending on where the arrow points on a number line with values between 7,500 to 7,600. Module 3 uses numbers over 1,000 for rounding to the nearest ten or hundred.
- Module 3, Quarterly Test, Test A, Item 19, students round 5,346 to the nearest ten. Test B, Item 19, students round 1,452 to the nearest ten. Module 3 uses numbers over 1,000 for rounding to the nearest ten or hundred.
- Module 10, Interview, students find the area of a room that is 13 x 7. Students would need to be provided graph paper so they could draw out the room and count squares (4.NBT.5).
- Module 11, Check-Up 2, Problem 2, students figure change and identify coins and values of money. This does not relate to the standard of fluently adding and subtracting within 1,000 because decimals are required (5.NBT.7).
Criterion 1.2: Coherence
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet the expectations for having students and teachers using the materials as designed and devoting the large majority of class time to the major work of the grade. Overall, the materials devote at least 65%of class time to major work.
Indicator 1B
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations for spending a majority of instructional time on major work of the grade.
To determine the amount of time spent on major work, the number of topics, the number of lessons, and the number of days were examined. Review and assessment days are included:
- The approximate number of modules devoted to major work of the grade (including supporting work connected to the major work) is 10 out of 12, which is approximately 83%.
- The approximate number of days devoted to major work of the grade (including supporting work connected to the major work, but More Math) is 105 out of 156, which is approximately 67%.
- The approximate number of lessons devoted to major work (including supporting work connected to the major work) is 94 out of 144, which is approximately 65%.
A lesson-level analysis is most representative of the instructional materials because this calculation includes all lessons with connections to major work with no additional days factored in. As a result, approximately 65% of the instructional materials focus on major work of the grade.
Criterion 1.3: Coherence
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet the expectations for being coherent and consistent with the standards. Supporting work is partially connected to the major work of the grade, and the amount of content for one grade-level is viable for one school year and fosters coherence between the grades. Content from prior grades is clearly identified, but there is no evidence of standards 3.NF.3a, 3.NF.3b, 3.NF.3c, and 3.MD.2 in the materials. The objectives for the materials are shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings, and they also include problems and activities that connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains.
Indicator 1C
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet the expectations for supporting content enhancing focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. Connections to major work standards are not called out in the program.
Connections between supporting and major work:
- Module 2, Lesson 4, connects supporting work (3.NBT.A), use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic to (3.OA.D), solve problems with the four operations. Students add place values of addends through ones, tens, hundreds, and add those three partial sums to find an answer.
- Module 2, Lesson 9, connects supporting work (3.MD.B), representing and interpreting data to major work (3.MD.A), solving problems with intervals of time. Students use a number line to represent elapsed time.
- Module 6, Lesson 9, connects supporting work (3.MD.B), representing and interpreting data to major work (3.OA), representing and solving problems involving multiplication and division. Students use graphs and tables to represent data such as explaining how a picture graph shows the number of cans that were recycled by different grade levels. Students answer questions like: "What does one can mean? What does half a can mean? What does one and a half cans mean?".
Missed connections between supporting and major work:
- Module 10, Lesson 1, students calculate the area of two different shapes by counting the squares (3.MD.6) and compare to see which is larger. Connections to using multiplication strategies are not addressed (3.OA.3).
- Standard 3.MD.3 is not addressed. Students miss the opportunity to draw scaled picture graphs and scaled bar graphs, interpret the data and use operations to answer problems (3.NBT.2 and 3.NBT.3).
Indicator 1D
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations that the amount of content designated for one grade-level is viable for one year.
There are a total of 180 instructional days within the materials.
- There are 12 modules and each module contains 12 lessons for a total of 144 lessons.
- There are 36 days dedicated to assessments and More Math.
According to the publisher, “The Stepping Stones program is set up to teach 1 lesson per day and to complete a module in approximately 2 1/2 weeks. Each lesson has been written around a 60 minute time frame but may be anywhere from 30-75 minutes depending upon teacher choice and classroom interaction.”
Indicator 1E
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations for being consistent with the progressions in the standards.
The instructional materials identify content from prior grades and use it to support the progressions of the grade-level standards. Future grade levels are not identified in the instructional materials. For example:
- In each module, under the mathematics tab, Focus, prior content needed for the module is identified in the section, “Coherence: Prerequisite Skills from Prior Grades”. For example, in Module 4, division is formalized. Students must have mastered lessons in Grade 2, Module 12 to be successful (Representing division by sharing and grouping, identifying fractions less than 1, partitioning shapes, and estimating and measuring capacity in liters).
- The mathematics tab includes a newsletter for parents, providing parents with information on how the content their child is learning connects to prior grades. In Module 7, the Newsletter states, “Experience with composing and decomposing numbers has prepared students to learn the standard algorithm, the paper-and-pencil procedure most adults learned to add multi-digit numbers. What was once called carrying is now regrouping.”
- The “Focus” document for Module 9 explains the beginning of the development of knowledge of the standard algorithm for multi-digit subtraction, but states that fluency with use of this algorithm is not expected in Grade 3.
The instructional materials provide students with extensive grade level work. However, there is no evidence of Standards 3.NF.3a, 3.NF.3b, 3.NF.3c, 3.MD.2, and 3.MD.3 being addressed in the materials. The lesson structure presents opportunities for students to explore grade-level mathematics more in-depth:
- During the Step In Discussion, students engage with grade-level content through guided practice, and complete independent journal tasks during the Step Up and Step Ahead parts of the lesson.
- Each lesson includes Starting the Lesson, Teaching the Lesson, and Reflecting on the Work, which present opportunities for students to engage with content.
- Ongoing Practice provides additional grade-level activities.
- Maintaining Concepts and Skills provides practice with prior and current grade-level mathematics.
- The Preparing for the next module activities include: fluency practice, spiral review, and vocabulary activities.
In addition, the lesson structure presents opportunities for students to explore grade-level mathematics in more depth. These include sections on Starting the Lesson, Teaching the Lesson, and Reflecting on the Work section. Every lesson includes Maintaining Concepts and Skills, and Ongoing Practice that can be used as independent work. Lessons also include differentiation activities. These activities are intended to be used when needed.
Materials relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.
- Focus, specifically identifies where in the module and in the lesson, a prerequisite skill is located.
- Module 4, identifies 2.G.3 as a prerequisite for this module as students “identify fractions less than 1".
- In Maintaining Concepts and Skills, there is a “preparing for the next module” problem that is a skill from the previous grade preparing the student for the upcoming module. These problems clearly indicate coherence between grade levels.
- On each lesson page, there is a link that states the previous grade-level lesson and subsequent lessons related to that lesson.
Indicator 1F
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations for fostering coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the Standards.
Overall, the instructional materials identify standards. A comprehensive list of the CCSSM and correlating lessons is found under the drop down menu on the home page. Cluster headings are clearly identified by hovering over the Lesson title.
The materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by cluster headings.
- In Module 1, Lesson 7, students represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division (3.OA.A).
- In Module 3, Lesson 2, students multiply and divide within 100 (3.OA.C).
- In Module 4, Lesson 9, students develop understanding of fractions as numbers (3.NF.A).
- In Module 8, Lesson 10, students solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects (3.MD.A).
- In Module 10, Lesson 10, students understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition (3.MD.C).
The instructional materials include problems and activities that connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains.
- In Module 1, Lesson 8, students interpret products of whole numbers (3.OA.1) and apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide (3.OA.B) by using arrays to show the properties of operations.
- In Module 4, student represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division (3.OA) and develop understanding of fractions as numbers (3.NF.A).
- In Module 6, student represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division (3.OA) and solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects (3.MD.A) by using graphs to solve word problems involving multiplication and division.
Overview of Gateway 2
Rigor & Mathematical Practices
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations for Gateway 2. The instructional materials partially meet expectations for reflecting the balances in the Standards and helping students meet the Standards’ rigorous expectations, by helping students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application, and they partially meet expectations for meaningfully connecting the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Gateway 2
Criterion 2.1: Rigor
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations for reflecting the balances in the Standards and helping students meet the Standards’ rigorous expectations, by helping students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application. The materials give attention throughout the year to individual standards that set an expectation of procedural skills and fluency and engage students in non-routine application problems, but the instructional materials inconsistently embed opportunities for students to independently develop conceptual understanding. The materials over-emphasize fluency, procedures, and algorithms.
Indicator 2A
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations for developing conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific standards or cluster headings.
The materials include some problems and questions that develop conceptual understanding throughout the grade-level. Students have limited opportunities to engage with concepts from a number of perspectives, or to independently demonstrate conceptual understanding throughout the grade.
Cluster 3.OA.A includes representing and solving problems involving multiplication and division. In Modules 6, 7, and 8, there are some opportunities for students to work with multiplication and division through the use of visual representations and different strategies. For example:
- In Module 6, Lesson 6, students count in steps of 3 while the teacher writes the numbers out in two lines 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, and 33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, and 60. Students respond to, “What to you notice?” and “What do you think the last number in the next row will be?”. Students make predictions and discuss patterns they see. Students fill in a hundreds chart with multiples of nine and examine jumps of nine on a number line. In the Step Up portion of the lesson, students relate subtraction facts with nines multiplication facts such as 10 - 1 = 1 x 9; 20 - 2 = 2 x 9; 30 - 3 = 3 x 9, etc. (3.OA.1).
- In Module 7, Lesson 2, students discuss the relationship between multiplication and division. The teacher uses “grouping and sharing” mats to provide visual representations of sharing a large group of objects into smaller equal groups. The teacher writes the multiplication equation that represents the total number of objects (3 x 4 = 12). The teacher moves all of the counters back to the larger group and explains how students can see the number of groups to be made based on the mat, count the total number of counters, and recognize the unknown is how many counters are in each group. The teacher writes the related division equation 123 = 4. During Step In, the teacher guides students through writing multiplication and division facts that are related to a given array. When students begin to practice independently in the Step Up portion of the lesson, they are provided the opportunity to use arrays to write related multiplication and division facts (3.OA.2).
- In Module 6, Lesson 5, students examine a picture with bags and a total number of marbles, and the students answer questions like, “What do you need to find out?, What equation could we write?” (3.OA.2).
- In Module 7, Lesson 1, students describe arrays of familiar facts (fives) then add one more row. For example, 5 x 8 = 40, and one more row of 8 is 48, which introduces the distributive property (3.OA.1).
- In Module 8, Lessons 1-4, address conceptual understanding by focusing on division facts using arrays. Students are given an array with some of the array covered but the total amount of dots given, total rows of dots. Students then represent the array as a division equation and write multiplication problems related to the division problem (3.OA.2).
The instructional materials present few opportunities for students to independently demonstrate conceptual understanding throughout the grade-level. In most independent activities students are directed how to solve problems. For example:
- In Student Journal, Module 1, Lesson 11, Multiplication, Introducing the 5’s Facts, arrays are provided for students and students record the associated multiplication fact (3.OA.1).
- In Module 1, Lesson 8, Activity 1, students determine the mystery number, 2,564, through a series of questions that do not require students to demonstrate conceptual understanding (3.OA.1).
- In Module 6, Lesson 5, students use counters and a total of 32 marbles and four empty bags. Students use the counters to determine the total number of marbles in each of the four bags and record the associated division fact. Students are told how to calculate the problem and are not given the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding (3.OA.2).
Indicator 2B
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations that they attend to those standards that set an expectation of procedural skill and fluency. Materials attend to the Grade 3 expected fluencies, single-digit products and quotients (products from memory by end of Grade 3) and add/subtract within 1000.
The instructional materials develop procedural skills and fluencies throughout the grade-level. Opportunities to formally practice procedural skills are found throughout practice problem sets that follow the units. Practice problem sets also include opportunities to use and practice emerging fluencies in the context of solving problems. Ongoing practice is also found in Assessment Interviews, Games, and Maintaining Concepts and Skills.
The materials attend to the Grade 3 expected fluencies, fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division or properties of operations (3.OA.7). By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers. For example, In Module 3, Lesson 1, students build fluency through completing Maintaining Concepts and Skills. In Maintaining Concepts and Skills, students identify addition, subtraction and multiplication facts primarily of fives and tens.
In addition, the instructional materials embed opportunities for students to independently practice procedural skills and fluency:
- Maintaining Concepts and Skills lessons incorporate practice of previously learned skills from the prior grade level. For example, Maintaining Concepts and Skills in Module 1, Lesson 2, provides practice for adding and subtracting within 20 (2.NBT.2).
- Each module contains a summative assessment called Interviews. According to the program, “There are certain concepts and skills , such as the ability to route count fluently, that are best assessed by interviewing students.” For example, Module 4’s Interview 1 has students demonstrate fluency of 2’s multiplication facts and Interview 2 has students demonstrate fluency of 4’s multiplication facts.
- Fundamentals Games contain a variety of computer/online games that students can play to develop grade level fluency skills. For example Double Bucket, students demonstrate fluency of 2’s multiplication facts and on Interview 2 students demonstrate fluency of 4’s multiplication facts (3.OA.7).
- Some lessons provides opportunities for students to practice the procedural fluency of the concept being taught in the Step Up section of the student journal.
- Activities provide practice for skills learned earlier in the grade such as, Module 9, Lesson 6 where students practice multiplication facts (3.OA.7).
Indicator 2C
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations that the materials are designed so teachers and students spend time working with engaging applications of the mathematics.
Engaging applications include single and multi-step word problems presented in contexts in which the mathematics is applied. There are routine problems, and students also have opportunities to engage with non-routine application problems. Thinking Tasks found at the end of Modules 3, 6, 9, and 12, provide students with problem-solving opportunities that are complex and non-routine with multiple entry points.
Examples of routine application problems include, but are not limited to:
- In Module 1, Lesson 7, addresses standard 3.OA.3, “Henry cut 5 lengths of rope. Each piece was 4 meters long. What was the total length of rope?".
- In Module 4, Lesson 6, addresses standard 3.OA.3, “32 chicken nuggets are shared equally among 8 friends. How many nuggets are in each share?”.
- Maintaining Concepts and Skills includes some application problems and addresses standard 3.OA.8, for example Module 3, Lesson 8, “Samuel’s mom bought 3 tickets for the roller coaster. Tickets are $4 each. What was the total cost?”.
- In Module 4, Lesson 4, addresses standard 3.OA.8, “Michelle’s grandmother gave her $40 to spend at the county fair. Michelle had 6 rides on the Mega Drop and 4 rides on the Rollercoaster. Rides on the Mega Drop cost $5 each and rides on the Rollercoaster cost $8 each. She also bought lunch for $12 at the end of the day, she has $2 left. How much of her own money did she take to the fair?”.
- In Module 1, Problem Solving Activity 3, addresses standard 3.OA.3, “Stella has been collecting baseball cards. Every week she doubles the number of baseball cards she has. Stella has 120 cards. How many cards did she have three weeks ago? How many cards will Stella have next week?”.
- In Module 8, Problem Solving Activity 4 has eight story problems and addresses standard 3.OA.3, “A farmer planted fruit trees in rows of 9. He planted 81 trees in total. How many rows did he plant?”.
Examples of non-routine application problems with connections to real-world contexts include, but are not limited to:
- In Module 2, Investigation 2, students brainstorm a list of real-life situations where it would be necessary to read and write time to the nearest minute. In the extension, students brainstorm situations where it would be necessary to write time to the nearest second (3.MD.1).
- In Module 3, Thinking Task, Question 2 states, “A class of Grade 3 students is raising money for a field trip. They decide to run a car wash as a fundraiser. Customers can decide between three different types of car washes (A chart with car wash prices is provided). At the end of the carwash, the Premium Wash option raised $90. The Quick Wash option raised the same amount. How many cars were washed with the Quick Wash option?”
- In Module 6, Thinking Task, Question 1 states, “This year, the PTA raised $300 to plant a school garden. The PTA president announces that this year they raised $124 more dollars than last year. How much money did they raise last year.”
- In Module 9, Thinking Task, Question 1 provides a diagram of where students and families will sit during a choir performance in the gym. Questions include, “How many students will fit in each full row of the risers? What is the greatest number of students who can stand on all the risers to perform all at once?”
- In Module 12, the Thinking Task states, “Mrs Chopra’s Grade 3 class has been asked to hang their drawings on a folding display board, the board has four rectangular panels, each panel is 3 feet x 6 feet, drawings can be posted on the front and the back of each panel, all the drawings were made on rectangular paper in three different sizes.” A table of drawing sizes is provided with the following information: 32 small 1 x 1, 16 medium 1 x 2, 8 large 2 x 2. Question 1: “What is the area of each panel?” Students must use the information from the table to answer the question. Question 2 states, “Write an expression that shows how to find the total area for the front and the back panels of the display board."
Indicator 2D
The instructional materials for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations that the three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately. All three aspects of rigor are present in the materials, but there is an over-emphasis on procedural skills and fluency.
There is some evidence that the curriculum addresses conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application standards, when called for, and evidence of opportunities where multiple aspects of rigor are used to support student learning and mastery of the standards. There are multiple lessons where one aspect of rigor is emphasized. The materials have a an emphasis on fluency, procedures, and algorithms.
Examples of conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application presented separately in the materials include:
- In Module 2, Lesson 4 (3.NBT.2), students use the traditional algorithm to solve addition problems. Scaffolding is given by providing the place value chart and the addends placed in the the chart for the students to only find the sum.
- In Module 10, Lesson 12 (3.OA.8), students match equations to two step word problems provided.
- In Module 8, Lesson 9 (3.MD.7), students use the area model to multiply whole numbers.
Examples of students having opportunities to engage in problems that use two or more aspects of rigor, include:
- In Module 3, Activity 7 (3.OA.D), students solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic.
- In Module 10, Lesson 11 (3.OA.8), students write a single equation that could be used to solve a word problem, and come up with two step equations that solve the problem.
- In Module 3, Thinking Task, students are provided a chart with car wash prices. Question 4 states, “A Premium Wash takes 30 minutes to complete. A Deluxe Wash takes 15 minutes, and a Quick Wash takes only 10 minutes. Which of these options would the class of Grade 3 students want their customers to choose? Remember, the class wants to raise as much money as possible. Explain which option you think is best.”
Criterion 2.2: Math Practices
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations for meaningfully connecting the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice. The materials identify the Standards for Mathematical Practice and use them to enrich mathematics content within and throughout each applicable grade, and partially meet expectations that the instructional materials carefully attend to the full meaning of each practice standard. The materials partially attend to the specialized language of mathematics.
Indicator 2E
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations that the Standards for Mathematical Practice are identified and used to enrich mathematics content within and throughout the grade level.
All eight MPs are clearly identified throughout the materials. For example:
- The Math Practices are initially identified in the Steps portion of each module course information.
- Videos for each module can be found under the Resources tab which explains the Math Practices and Habits of Mind.
- A table is provided to show which mathematical practices are in each lessons.
- Resources states that each practice standard is, “experienced, practiced, and enhances as a result of working on meaningful problems”.
- Module Lessons tabs have a Lesson Contents overview that lists each lesson and the standards and mathematical practices in the lesson.
The MPs are used to enhance the mathematical content and are not treated separately from content in lessons. However, there is limited guidance for teachers on the connections between the MPs and the content standards.
Indicator 2F
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations that the instructional materials carefully attend to the full meaning of each practice standard. The instructional materials do not attend to the full intent of MP4 and MP5.
For MP4, students are given models to use and have few opportunities to develop their own mathematical models. In addition, students have few opportunities to compare different models in problem contexts. Examples include:
- In Module 2, Lesson 3, students use place value strategies to calculate sums using a number line. For example, a support page of the number line is given to the students, next the students are placed in pairs, then invited to share their strategies with the class.
- In Module 4, Lesson 2, students use grouping and sharing mats to relate the operations of multiplication and division. In the Students Journal, students write fact families for multiplication and division. Arrays are provided for students.
- In Module 9, Lesson 5, students use base ten blocks to demonstrate subtraction methods and are encouraged to describe similarities between their methods and the standard algorithm.
For MP5, students are given few opportunities to use tools strategically, as they are most often given the tools to use for a problem. Examples include:
- In Module 2, Lesson 2, students are given base ten blocks or number lines to solve. The teacher directions state, “Encourage them to to show their thinking with base 10 blocks or number lines from the support page. Some students may prefer to write an equation.”
- In Module 6, Lesson 2, students are given a hundreds chart to visualize and analyze patterns made by 9s.
- In Module 7, Lesson 5, students select and use one of four tools to solve multi-step word problems. The materials state, “Pencils come in packs of 10 or 6. If I have 3 packs of 10, and 4 packs of 6, how many pencils do I have?”
Indicator 2G
Indicator 2G.i
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 do not meet the expectations for prompting students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics detailed in the content standards.
There are no opportunities in the Student Journal or assessments for students to construct viable arguments or analyze the arguments or the work of others. MP3 is identified in the Steps portion of the lesson. Teachers are given sentence stems to provide students to promote construction of arguments and justification of student thinking.
Examples where the materials do not prompt students to construct viable arguments or analyze the arguments of others include, but are not limited to:
- In Module 1, Lesson 2, students place three 3-digit numbers on a blank number line. The teacher asks, “How could you locate the position of each of these numbers? Do you have to mark 0 on the number line? How did you decide which numbers to mark at the start and end of the number line?”.
- In Module 2, Lesson 6, students predict the number of minutes past the hour based on the position of the hour hand. In the Student Journal, Question 3 is noted as an opportunity for students to justify their answers. However, the question shows three analog clocks, and the student directions state, “Draw hands on the clock to match the times given for 23 minutes past 9, 45 minutes past 3, and 4 minutes past 7.”
- In Module 9, Lesson 1, students explain their solutions for estimating the difference between two and three digit numbers. The teacher projects four sets of numbers and asks, “What do you think is a reasonable estimate for the difference between these pairs of numbers? How can you use what you know about estimating with two-digit numbers to help you?” The materials do not contain prompts for students to construct viable arguments or analyze the arguments of other students.
Indicator 2G.ii
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 meet expectations for assisting teachers in engaging students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics.
Teacher guidance, questions, and sentence stems for MP3 are found in the Steps portion of the lessons. In some lessons, teachers are given questions that prompt mathematical discussions and engage students to construct viable arguments, and in other lessons, teachers are provided questions and sentence stems to facilitate students in analyzing the arguments of others, and to justify their answers.
Examples where teachers are provided guidance to engage students in constructing viable arguments and/or analyzing the think of others include, but are not limited to:
- In Module 3, Lesson 9, students reflect on the question, “When comparing 2 three-digit numbers, can one number be greater than the other even though there are fewer hundreds in the number? Students are invited to share their thinking with the class. Teachers encourage respectful critique using sentence stems such as: I agree/disagree with your answer because, So what you’re saying is, and Why do you think that?”.
- In Module 5, Lesson 6, students explain the pattern in their own words to a partner and the partner responds. Teachers prompt students to listen without interrupting and to use the sentence stems, “I noticed the same pattern and I also noticed, I don’t think that shows a pattern because, and I looked at the equations in a different way.”.
- In Module 8, Lesson 9, students place fractions on a number line and name other fractions located at the same point. Teachers encourage students to justify their thoughts and critique the reasoning of others by prompting the discussion with sentence stems, "I know these fractions are equivalent because, I think the fractions ___ and ___ are equivalent because, and I agree/disagree with your answer because...”.
- In Module 10, Lesson 6, students share their labeled sketches for Question 1. Teachers are prompted to remind students to listen carefully and critique the problems using the sentence stems, “I can identify the numbers from the equation in Problem, I don’t think that problem matches because, We could change the problem by, and The area is not correct because.”
Indicator 2G.iii
The instructional materials reviewed for ORIGO Stepping Stones 2.0 Grade 3 partially meet expectations for explicitly attending to the specialized language of mathematics.
Accurate mathematics vocabulary is present in the materials, but there are no instructions on how to use the language of mathematics. While vocabulary is identified throughout the materials, there is no explicit directions for instruction of the vocabulary for the teacher in the Steps portion of the lesson.Examples include but are not limited to:
- Vocabulary instruction for each module is found under Mathematics, Vocabulary Development. Vocabulary identified in bold print is developed throughout the module. The targeted module vocabulary words can be printed onto cards under Resources. For example, in Module 1, vocabulary includes words such as addition, multiplication, and product.
- Materials use the term “Turn around facts,” which is not accurate terminology.
- Each module contains a parent newsletter. The newsletter highlights key vocabulary and provides the definition for parents in the Glossary section of the newsletter.
- In Module 1, Lesson 7, equation is present in the Student Journal, but the definition is not introduced in any lesson in Module 1.