Curriculum Overview of the Math Program of Studies, by Alyssa Alcazar

Summary of Program Rationale and Philosophy

The K-9 mathematics curriculum aims to develop mathematically literate students who exhibit a positive
attitude toward mathematics, appreciating and valuing its contributions as a science, philosophy, and art.
The goal is to prepare students to commit themselves to lifelong learning, using mathematics to
communicate and reason, confidently solve problems and contribute to society. Mathematics is learned
through everyday activities, such as playing, reading, baking, storytelling, and helping around home.
Through the use of manipulatives, student discussions, a variety of pedagogical approaches, and
transferable learning, students can construct their own meaning of mathematics. They will explore
problem-solving situations in order to develop personal strategies and realize there are a variety of
acceptable solutions. (Alberta Education Mathematics Program of Studies, pages 1-3, 2014).
With the influence of the nature of mathematics (change, constancy, number sense, patterns, relationships,
spatial sense, uncertainty) and mathematical processes (communication, connections, mental mathematics
and estimation, problem solving, reasoning, technology, visualization), the Alberta Education Mathematics
Program of Studies lists the following learning outcomes.
General Outcomes
The learning outcomes across grades K-9 are organized into four strands. Some strands are subdivided into
substrands. Each substrand has one general outcome, all of which are the same through grades K-9. In the
parentheses are examples of specific learning outcomes from each general outcome, which differ across all
grades:

NUMBERS
Develop number sense (Sample Grade 1 SLO: Demonstrate an understanding of counting by
indicating that the last number said identifies how many, showing that any set has only one count, using
counting-on and using parts or equal groups to count sets.)
PATTERNS AND RELATIONS
Patterns: Use patterns to describe the world and to solve problems. (Sample Grade 1 SLO: Sort
objects, using one attribute, and explain the sorting rule)
Variables and Equations: Represent algebraic expressions in multiple ways. (Sample Grade 1 SLO:
Record equalities, using the equal symbol.)
SHAPE AND SPACE
Measurement: Use direct and indirect measurement to solve problems. (Sample Grade 1 SLO:
Demonstrate an understanding of measurement as a process of comparing by ordering objects)
3-D Objects and 2-D Shapes: Describe the characteristics of 3-D objects and 2-D shapes, and analyze
the relationships among them. (Sample Grade 1 SLO: Sort 3-D objects and 2-D shapes, using one
attribute, and explain the sorting rule.)
Transformations: Describe and analyze position and motion of objects and shapes. (Sample Grade 4
SLO: Demonstrate an understanding of congruency, concretely and pictorially.)
STATISTICS AND PROBABILITY
Data Analysis: Collect, display and analyze data to solve problems. (Sample Grade 4 SLO:
Demonstrate an understanding of many-to-one correspondence.)
Chance and Uncertainty: Use experimental or theoretical probabilities to represent and solve problems
involving uncertainty. (Sample Grade 5 SLO: Describe the likelihood of a single outcome occurring,
using words such as: impossible, possible, and certain.)
(Mathematics Kindergarten to Grade 9 Program of Studies, 2014)

For grades 10-12, the general outcomes are organized into different strands:
Measurement (Grades 10 -12)
Develop spatial sense and proportional reasoning.

ALGEBRA AND NUMBER (Grades 10 -12)

Develop algebraic reasoning and number sense.
RELATIONS AND FUNCTIONS (Grades 10 - 12)
Develop algebraic and graphical reasoning through the study of relations.
TRIGONOMETRY (Grades 11-12)
Develop trigonometric reasoning.
PERMUTATIONS, COMBINATIONS, AND BINOMIAL THEOREOM (Grade 12)
Develop algebraic and numeric reasoning that involves combinatorics.
For more information on Grade 10 12 learning outcomes, please refer to the Alberta Education 10-12
Mathematics Program of Studies.

For more information on specific learning outcomes, please refer to

Pages 13-15 for grade one
Pages 16-19 for grade two
Pages 20-23 for grade three
Pages 24-26 for grade four
Pages 27-30 for grade five
Pages 31-34 for grade six
of the Alberta Education Mathematics K-9 Program of Studies.
An example of a grade one SLO, and associated learning activities.
Objective (SLO): Demonstrate an understanding of counting by indicating that the last number said
identifies how many, showing that any set has only one count, using counting-on and using parts or equal
groups to count sets.
OR Describe and use mental mathematics strategies, such as counting on and counting back, making 10,
using doubles, thinking addition for subtraction, for basic addition facts and related subtraction facts to 18.
Activities:
*Note* These are only examples. There are a variety of teaching strategies and activities that can be used in
order to develop number sense with grade one students.

a.

Pictorially display a number from one to one hundred through a set, not in number form but perhaps in
beads, or shapes and colors. Ask students to write (or say) what number they saw and how they came to
their answer. For example: possible answers for the number 47 may be 4 groups of 10 and one group of 7
or It looked like there was supposed to be 50 but 3 were missing.
b.
Alphabet adding. Each letter from the alphabet represents a number. Have students figure out what the
letters of their name add up to, using manipulatives to combine numbers to make groups of 10. This will
show students how to use groups of 10 to count large sums, and demonstrate that there are multiple ways to
represent one number.
c.
Place Value Table. Each student receives a table with three columns labeled Hundreds, Tens, Ones,
provided with a set of manipulatives that represent groups of 100, groups of 10, and groups of one. Write a
number from one to one hundred on the board. Using manipulatives, students will display the number on
table, separating the number into sets of hundreds, tens, and ones. For example, for the number 47, the
hundreds column will be empty, the tens column will have 4 groups of 10, and the ones column will have
7 singular cubes, or 7 groups of one.

Other Helpful Resources for grades K-6, which can be found in the Curriculum Lab
Math Focus
Math Makes Sense
Maximizing Math
References

Alberta Education. (2014). Mathematics Kindergarten to Grade 9 Program of Studies.

https://education.alberta.ca/media/8775377/k_to_9_math_pos.pdf