Page 17 - Mathematics GRADE 9, DE-STREAMED (MTH1W)

Communities provide social contexts for learning, such as opportunities for volunteer work or employment for students at the secondary level. Students bring knowledge and experiences from their homes and communities that are powerful resources in creating productive learning environments. By involving members of the community, teachers and principals can position mathematics learning as collaborative and experiential. Membership in a community also supports students in developing a sense of belonging and in building their identity as mathematics learners in relation to, and with, others.
Elements of the Grade 9 Mathematics Course
Overview
The Grade 9 mathematics course builds on the elementary program and is based on the same fundamental principles.
The overall aim of the Grade 9 mathematics course is to ensure that all students can access any secondary mathematics course they need in order to pursue future studies and careers that are of interest to them.
This course is designed to be inclusive of all students in order to facilitate their transition from the elementary grades to the secondary level. It offers opportunities for all students to build a solid foundation in mathematics, broaden their knowledge and skills, and develop their mathematical identity. This approach allows students to make informed decisions in choosing future mathematics courses based on their interests, and in support of future plans for apprenticeship training, university, college, community living, or the workplace.
Similar to the elementary curriculum, the Grade 9 course adopts a strong focus on the processes that best enable students to understand mathematical concepts and learn related skills. Attention to the mathematical processes is considered essential to a balanced mathematics program. The seven mathematical processes identified in the curriculum include problem solving, reasoning and proving, reflecting, connecting, communicating, representing, and selecting tools and strategies.
Throughout the course, students actively participate in the learning of mathematics by making connections to their lived experiences and to real-life applications. They continue to develop critical consciousness of how socio-cultural structures within systems impact individual experiences and opportunities, and to shape their identities as mathematics learners.
Teachers implement the curriculum through effective assessment and instructional practices that are rooted in Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy. Teachers utilize a variety of assessment and instructional approaches that provide students with multiple entry points to access mathematics learning and multiple opportunities to demonstrate their achievement in mathematics.
16