Book | MaggieLeeMcHugh

I'm so thrilled to share my book Bringing Project-Based Learning to Life in Mathematics, K-12 with the education community. I wrote this book by collaborating with educators from Pre-Kindergarten through high school. Throughout the book, projects and performance tasks are highlighted, along wtih a myriad of resources to bring your classroom to life, whether conducting a project experience or not.

Here's some things you can expect in the book! I hope you'll check it out.

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Projects

Throughout the book, several projects in the mathematics classroom are highlighted. From a Pre-Kindergarten project focused on bridges to bee hotels in 2nd grade and designing a school in 4th grade, elementary teachers will see math projects come to life. Middle and high school educators read about designing an accessible playground to examining critical issues like the wage gap or opioid epidemic using mathematics. Full project planners with activities are included in the online resources.

PBL Plus Tips

Throughout the book, I highlight ways to make moves in the mathematics classroom towards becoming more aligned with the PBL essential elements. These notions are highlighted in PBL Plus Tips.

Not every content stnadards lends itself well to a project; however, the essential elements of an authentic, rigorous PBL projects can always be incorporated into classroom practice. Check out the tips througout the entirety of the book.

PBL Points to Ponder

Each chapter concludes with PBL points to ponder. These questions and moments of reflection provide that much needed opportunity to connect curent practice with PBL mathematics practices. Each point to ponder is framed using a thinking routine from PZ Harvard's Thinking Routine Toolbox.

Stories

As educators (and truly, as human beings) we often connect through stories. I have spent years of my career working with educators throughout the United States, and most closely in my state of Wisconsin. The stories in the book highlight the authentic experience of these educators and their incredible students. I am honored to share their stories in order to lift up the work all educators do to meet the needs of their students.

I am so thankful to my colleagues far and wide who read and reviewed the book in its earliest drafts. Here's what they thought about the book!

This book goes beyond being a primer of how to implement the ambitious and needed ideas of project-based learning (PBL) in any mathematics class- room. It is a book that enthusiastically embraces a wide scholarship of ideas while communicating them with a lightness and whimsy that inspires you to take the needed journey that is intimated in its title. The future of math education lies in imagining classrooms that are not only equitable in their design, but also equitable in their implementation. The best mathematical experiences lie in wait with PBL. This book must be considered the gold standard for creating those student and teacher experiences.

Sunil Singh