Algebra 1: Student-Centered Interests, Social Justice and Teacher Professional Development

BetterLesson Inc. in the U.S. will develop professional learning opportunities for teachers seeking to create positive and affirming mathematics classrooms; they will also design rigorous, culturally-connected Algebra I activities for Black and Latino students. The content of traditional Algebra I lessons tends to reflect the inequities experienced by Black and Latino students, thereby failing to engage their strengths and inhibiting learning. BetterLesson will collect input from students to develop and test new activities on the Desmos platform that provide multiple access points and engage through creativity, exploration, and collaboration, such as sketching and free-form writing. They will also provide direct support and training to teachers via workshops and individual coaching to help them employ effective teaching strategies using these new activities in their classrooms. BetterLesson will partner with Desmos on this project.