Summary of Standards for Mathematical Practice

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Interpret and make meaning of the problem to find a starting
point. Analyze what is given in order to explain to themselves the
meaning of the problem.
Plan a solution pathway instead of jumping to a solution.
Monitor their progress and change the approach if
necessary.
See relationships between various representations.
Relate current situations to concepts or skills previously
learned and connect mathematical ideas to one another.
Continually ask themselves, Does this make sense?
Can understand various approaches to solutions.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Make sense of quantities and their relationships.
Decontextualize (represent a situation symbolically and
manipulate the symbols) and contextualize (make meaning
of the symbols in a problem) quantitative relationships.
Understand the meaning of quantities and are flexible in the use
of operations and their properties.
Create a logical representation of the problem.
Attends to the meaning of quantities, not just how to compute
them.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning

of others.
Analyze problems and use stated mathematical assumptions,
definitions, and established results in constructing arguments.
Justify conclusions with mathematical ideas.
Listen to the arguments of others and ask useful questions to
determine if an argument makes sense.
Ask clarifying questions or suggest ideas to improve/revise the
argument.
Compare two arguments and determine correct or flawed logic.

4. Model with mathematics.

Understand this is a way to reason quantitatively and abstractly
(able to decontextualize and contextualize).
Apply the mathematics they know to solve everyday problems.
Are able to simplify a complex problem and identify important
quantities to look at relationships.
Represent mathematics to describe a situation either with an
equation or a diagram and interpret the results of a
mathematical situation.
Reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly
improving/revising the model.

Questions to Develop Mathematical Thinking

How would you describe the problem in your own words?
How would you describe what you are trying to find?
What do you notice about...?
What information is given in the problem?
Describe the relationship between the quantities.
Describe what you have already tried. What might you change?
Talk me through the steps youve used to this point.
What steps in the process are you most confident about?
What are some other strategies you might try?
What are some other problems that are similar to this one?
How might you use one of your previous problems to help
you begin?
How else might you organize...represent... show...?

What do the numbers used in the problem represent?

What is the relationship of the quantities?
How is _______ related to ________?
What is the relationship between ______and ______?
What does_______mean to you? (e.g. symbol, quantity,
diagram)
What properties might we use to find a solution?
How did you decide in this task that you needed to use...?
Could we have used another operation or property to
solve this task? Why or why not?

What mathematical evidence would support your solution?

How can we be sure that...? / How could you prove that...?
Will it still work if...?
What were you considering when...?
How did you decide to try that strategy?
How did you test whether your approach worked?
How did you decide what the problem was asking you to
find? (What was unknown?)
Did you try a method that did not work? Why didnt it
work? Would it ever work? Why or why not?
What is the same and what is different about...?
How could you demonstrate a counter-example?

What number model could you construct to represent the

problem?
What are some ways to represent the quantities?
What is an equation or expression that matches the diagram,
number line.., chart..., table..?
Where did you see one of the quantities in the task in your
equation or expression?
How would it help to create a diagram, graph, table...?
What are some ways to visually represent...?
What formula might apply in this situation?

Ask themselves, How can I represent this mathematically?

USD 259 Learning Services 2011

Summary of Standards for Mathematical Practice

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
Use available tools recognizing the strengths and limitations of
each.
Use estimation and other mathematical knowledge to detect
possible errors.
Identify relevant external mathematical resources to pose and
solve problems.
Use technological tools to deepen their understanding of
mathematics.

6. Attend to precision.
Communicate precisely with others and try to use clear
mathematical language when discussing their reasoning.
Understand the meanings of symbols used in mathematics
and can label quantities appropriately.
Express numerical answers with a degree of precision
appropriate for the problem context.
Calculate efficiently and accurately.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

Apply general mathematical rules to specific situations.
Look for the overall structure and patterns in mathematics.
See complicated things as single objects or as being composed of
several objects.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

See repeated calculations and look for generalizations and
shortcuts.
See the overall process of the problem and still attend to the
details.
Understand the broader application of patterns and see the
structure in similar situations.
Continually evaluate the reasonableness of their intermediate
results

Questions to Develop Mathematical Thinking

What mathematical tools could we use to visualize and
represent the situation?
What information do you have?
What do you know that is not stated in the problem?
What approach are you considering trying first?
What estimate did you make for the solution?
In this situation would it be helpful to use...a graph...,
number line..., ruler..., diagram..., calculator..., manipulative?
Why was it helpful to use...?
What can using a ______ show us that _____may not?
In what situations might it be more informative or
helpful to use...?

What mathematical terms apply in this situation?

How did you know your solution was reasonable?
Explain how you might show that your solution answers
the problem.
What would be a more efficient strategy?
How are you showing the meaning of the quantities?
What symbols or mathematical notations are important in
this problem?
What mathematical language...,definitions..., properties can
you use to explain...?
How could you test your solution to see if it answers the
problem?

What observations do you make about...?

What do you notice when...?
What parts of the problem might you eliminate...,
simplify...?
What patterns do you find in...?
How do you know if something is a pattern?
What ideas that we have learned before were useful in
solving this problem?
What are some other problems that are similar to this one?
How does this relate to...?
In what ways does this problem connect to other
mathematical concepts?

How does this strategy work in other situations?

Is this always true, sometimes true or never true?
How would we prove that...?
What do you notice about...?
What is happening in this situation?
What would happen if...?
Is there a mathematical rule for...?
What predictions or generalizations can this pattern support?
What mathematical consistencies do you notice?

USD 259 Learning Services 2011