THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM

GRADES 9–12

Mathematics
This file is an extract and may not reflect or represent the full Ontario Curriculum.
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PDF versions of a curriculum include the following information from the Curriculum and Resources
website:

• the Program Planning and Assessment and Evaluation sections of the Curriculum and Resources
website that apply to all Ontario curriculum, Grades 1–12;
• the Curriculum Context that is specific to a discipline;
• the strands of the curriculum; and
• glossaries and appendices as applicable.

The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9–12: Mathematics,

Educators should be aware that, with the exception of the Grade 9 mathematics course, 2021
(MTH1W), the 2005 Mathematics curriculum for Grade 10 and the 2007 Mathematics curriculum for
Grades 11–12 remain in effect. All secondary mathematics courses for Grades 10–12 will continue to be
based on those documents. All references to Grade 9 that appear in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9
and 10: Mathematics, 2005 and The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Mathematics, 2007 have
been superseded by The Ontario Curriculum, Grade 9: Mathematics, 2021. Addenda have been issued to
the Grade 10 MPM2D and MFM2P courses, to be implemented for the 2022–23 school year.

Version History:
Version
Description
Date
New Grade 9 Mathematics, De-streamed course (MTH1W) issued
June 09, This course replaces the Grade 9 Principles of Mathematics, Academic course (MPM1D);
2021 the Grade 9 Foundations of Mathematics, Applied course (MFM1P); and the
Mathematics Transfer Course, Grade 9, Applied to Academic (MPM1H).
Edits to the Introduction, Elements of the Grade 9 Mathematics Course, and Cross-
July 13,
Curricular and Integrated Learning in Mathematics sections of Grade 9 Mathematics
2021
(MTH1W)
March 08, Addenda added to the Grade 10 Foundations of Mathematics, Applied (MFM2P) and the
2022 Grade 10 Principles of Mathematics, Academic (MPM2D) courses
April 01,
Examples and instructional tips added to Grade 9 Mathematics (MTH1W)
2022
May 03,
Teacher prompts and sample tasks added to Grade 9 Mathematics (MTH1W)
2022

Program Planning and Assessment and Evaluation Content

Last updated: June 2023

This content is part of official issued curriculum providing the most up-to-date information (i.e., front
matter). This content is applicable to all curriculum documents, Grades 1 to 12. Educators must consider
this information to guide the implementation of curriculum and in creating the environment in which it
is taught.

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Educators should be aware that, with the exception of the Grade 9 mathematics course, 2021
(MTH1W), the 2005 Mathematics curriculum for Grade 10 and the 2007 Mathematics curriculum for
Grades 11–12 remain in effect. All secondary mathematics courses for Grades 10–12 will continue to be
based on those documents. All references to Grade 9 that appear in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9
and 10: Mathematics, 2005 and The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Mathematics, 2007 have
been superseded by The Ontario Curriculum, Grade 9: Mathematics, 2021. Addenda have been issued to
the Grade 10 MPM2D and MFM2P courses, to be implemented for the 2022–23 school year.

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Contents
MTH1W - Mathematics, Grade 9 ..................................................................................................................7
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................7
Vision and Goals of the Grade 9 Mathematics Course .........................................................................8
The Importance and Beauty of Mathematics .......................................................................................9
Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusive Education in Mathematics ........................................................10
Principles Underlying the Grade 9 Mathematics Curriculum .............................................................13
Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................................................................15
Elements of the Grade 9 Mathematics Course .......................................................................................20
Overview .............................................................................................................................................20
Courses in Mathematics, Grades 9 to 12 ............................................................................................21
Curriculum Expectations for the Grade 9 Mathematics Course .........................................................25
The Mathematical Processes ..............................................................................................................26
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Grade 9 Mathematics .........................................................32
The Strands in the Grade 9 Mathematics Course ...............................................................................40
Some Considerations for Program Planning ...........................................................................................43
Instructional Approaches in Mathematics ..........................................................................................43
The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Mathematics .......................................48
Education and Career/Life Planning ...................................................................................................49
Planning Mathematics Programs for Students with Special Education Needs ...................................50
Planning Mathematics Programs for English Language Learners .......................................................52
Cross-Curricular and Integrated Learning in Mathematics .................................................................55
Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement ............................................................................59
Expectations by Strand ...........................................................................................................................67
AA. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Mathematics ....................................................................69
A. Mathematical Thinking and Making Connections ..............................................................................78
B. Number ...............................................................................................................................................87
C. Algebra ................................................................................................................................................88
D. Data ....................................................................................................................................................90
E. Geometry and Measurement .............................................................................................................93
F. Financial Literacy .................................................................................................................................94
Information for Parents ..........................................................................................................................94
Resources ................................................................................................................................................94

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 Financial literacy modules for students ..............................................................................................95

Une publication équivalente est disponible en français sous le titre suivant : Le curriculum de l’Ontario,
de la 9e à la 12e année – Mathématiques

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MTH1W - Mathematics, Grade 9
De-streamed
Issued: 2021
This course enables students to consolidate, and continue to develop, an understanding of
mathematical concepts related to number sense and operations, algebra, measurement, geometry,
data, probability, and financial literacy. Students will use mathematical processes, mathematical
modelling, and coding to make sense of the mathematics they are learning and to apply their
understanding to culturally responsive and relevant real-world situations. Students will continue to
enhance their mathematical reasoning skills, including proportional reasoning, spatial reasoning, and
algebraic reasoning, as they solve problems and communicate their thinking.
Prerequisite: None

Introduction

Preface

This curriculum policy presents the compulsory Grade 9 mathematics course, 2021 (MTH1W). This
course supersedes the two Grade 9 courses outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10:
Mathematics, 2005 as well as The Ontario Curriculum: Mathematics – Mathematics Transfer Course,
Grade 9, Applied to Academic, 2006. Effective September 2021, all mathematics programs for Grade 9
will be based on the expectations outlined on this site.

The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum focuses on key mathematics concepts and skills, as well as on
making connections between related math concepts, between mathematics and other disciplines, and
between mathematics and the lived experiences of students. This curriculum is designed to support all
students in developing an understanding of, and the ability to apply, the range of mathematical
knowledge and skills appropriate for the grade level. Consequently, this curriculum is intended to
support all students in continuing to build confidence in approaching mathematics, develop a positive
attitude towards mathematics, think critically, work collaboratively, and feel that they are reflected in
mathematics learning.

Vision and Goals of the Grade 9 Mathematics Course

The needs of learners are diverse, and all learners have the capacity to develop the knowledge,
concepts, skills, and perspectives they need to become informed, productive, and responsible citizens in
their own communities and within the world.

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How mathematics is contextualized, positioned, promoted, discussed, taught, learned, evaluated, and
applied affects the learning experiences and academic outcomes of all students. Mathematics can be
appreciated for its innate beauty, as well as for its role in making sense of the world. Having a solid
foundation in, a deep appreciation for, and excitement about mathematics, as well as recognizing their
identities, lived experiences, and communities in their mathematics learning, will help ensure that all
students grow more confident and capable as they step into the future.

All students bring their mathematical experiences from various contexts to school. Educators can value
and build on these lived experiences so that mathematics classrooms become spaces that honour
diverse mathematical ideas and thoughts, and incorporate multiple ways of knowing and doing. Such
spaces allow all students to become flexible and adaptive learners in an ever-changing world.

The vision of this mathematics course is to support all students as they develop healthy and strong
identities as mathematics learners and grow to be mathematically skilled, to enhance their ability to use
mathematics to make sense of the world around them, and to enable them to make critical decisions
while engaged in mathematical thinking. This vision is attained in a mathematics classroom filled with
high academic expectations and deep engagement that generates enthusiasm and curiosity – an
inclusive classroom where all students receive the highest-quality mathematics instruction and learning
opportunities, are empowered to interact as confident mathematics learners, and are thereby
supported in reaching their full potential.

The goal of the Ontario mathematics curriculum is to provide all students with the key skills required to:

• understand the importance of and appreciate the beauty and wonder of mathematics;
• recognize and appreciate multiple mathematical perspectives;
• make informed decisions and contribute fully to their own lives and to today’s interconnected
local and global communities;
• adapt to changes and synthesize new ideas;
• work both independently and collaboratively to approach challenges;
• communicate effectively;
• think critically and creatively to connect, apply, and leverage mathematics within other areas of
study including science, technology, engineering, the arts, and beyond.

A strong foundation of mathematics is an important contributor to students’ future success and an

essential part of becoming an informed citizen. In order to develop a strong understanding of
mathematics and the ability to apply mathematics in real life, all students must feel that they are
connected to the curriculum – to what is taught, why it is taught, and how it is taught.

The Importance and Beauty of Mathematics

Mathematics is integral to every aspect of daily life – social, economic, cultural, and environmental. It is
embedded into the rich and complex story of human history. People around the world have used, and
continue to contribute, mathematical knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make sense of the world

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around them and to develop new mathematical thinking and appreciation for mathematics.
Mathematics is conceptualized and practised in many different ways across diverse local and global
cultural contexts. It is part of diverse knowledge systems composed of culturally situated thinking and
practices. From counting systems, measurement, and calculation to geometry, spatial sense,
trigonometry, algebra, functions, calculus, and statistics, mathematics has been evident in the daily lives
of people and communities across human histories.

Today, mathematics is found all around us. For example, mathematics can be found in sports
performance analysis, navigation systems, electronic music production, computer gaming, graphic art,
quantum physics, climate change modelling, and so much more. Mathematics skills are necessary when
we buy goods and services online, complete our taxes, do beading, construct buildings, and play sports.
Mathematics also exists in nature, storytelling, music, dancing, puzzles, and games. Proficiency with
mathematical ideas is needed for many careers, including but not limited to engineering, health care
and medicine, psychology, computer science, finance, landscape design, fashion design, architecture,
agriculture, ecology, the arts, the culinary arts, and many other skilled trades. In fact, in every field of
pursuit, the analytical, problem-solving, critical-thinking, and creative-thinking skills that students
develop through the study of mathematics are evident. In the modern age of evolving technologies,
artificial intelligence, and access to vast sources of information and big data, knowing how to navigate,
interpret, analyse, reason, evaluate, and problem solve is foundational to everyday life.

Mathematics can be understood as a way of studying and understanding structure, order, patterns, and
relationships. The power of mathematics is evident in the connections among seemingly abstract
mathematical ideas. The applications of mathematics have often yielded fascinating representations and
results. As well, the aesthetics of mathematics have also motivated the development of new
mathematical thinking. The beauty in mathematics can be found in the process of deriving elegant and
succinct approaches to resolving problems.

At times, messy problems and seeming chaos may culminate in beautiful, sometimes surprising, results
that are both simple and generalizable. Elegance and chaos are both integral to the beauty of
mathematics itself and to the mathematical experience. In other words, the beauty of mathematics is
illustrated and enhanced by students’ diverse interpretations, strategies, representations, and
identities – not diminished by them. Most importantly, students can experience wonder and beauty
when they make exciting breakthroughs in problem solving. Therefore, these two aspects of
mathematics, aesthetics and application, are deeply interconnected.

The Grade 9 mathematics course strives to equip all students with the knowledge, skills, and habits of
mind that are essential to understanding and enjoying the importance and beauty of mathematics.
Learning in Grade 9 mathematics begins with a focus on the fundamental concepts and foundational
skills. This leads to an understanding of mathematical structures, operations, processes, and language
that provides students with the means necessary for reasoning, justifying conclusions, and expressing
and communicating mathematical ideas.

When educators put student learning at the centre, provide relevant and meaningful learning
opportunities, and use technology strategically to enhance learning experiences, all students are

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supported as they learn and apply mathematical concepts and skills within and across strands and other
subject areas.

The Grade 9 mathematics course emphasizes the importance of establishing an inclusive mathematical
learning community where all students are invited to experience the living practice of mathematics, to
work through challenges, and to find beauty and success in problem solving. As students engage with
the curriculum, they are supported in incorporating their lived experiences and existing mathematical
understandings, and then integrating the new ideas they learn into their daily lives. When students
recognize themselves in what is taught and how it is taught, they begin to view themselves as
competent and confident mathematics learners who belong to the larger mathematics community. As
students develop mathematical knowledge and skills, they grow as mathematical thinkers. As students
explore histories of mathematics and comprehend the importance and beauty of mathematics, they
develop their mathematical agency and identity, at the same time as they make connections to other
subjects and the world around them.

Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusive Education in Mathematics

Research indicates that there are groups of students (for example, Indigenous students, Black students,
students experiencing homelessness, students living in poverty, students with LGBTQ+ identities, and
students with special education needs and disabilities) who continue to experience systemic barriers to
accessing high-level instruction in and support with learning mathematics. Systemic barriers, such as
racism, implicit bias, and other forms of discrimination, can result in inequitable academic and life
outcomes, such as low confidence in one’s ability to learn mathematics, reduced rates of credit
completion, and leaving the secondary school system prior to earning a diploma. Achieving equitable
outcomes in mathematics for all students requires educators to be aware of and identify these barriers,
as well as the ways in which they can overlap and intersect, which can compound their effect on student
well-being, student success, and students’ experiences in the classroom and in the school. Educators
must not only know about these barriers, they must work actively and with urgency to address and
remove them.

Students bring abundant cultural knowledges, experiences, and competencies into mathematical
learning. It is essential for educators to develop pedagogical practices that value and centre students’
prior learning, experiences, strengths, and interests. Such pedagogical practices are informed by and
build on students’ identities, lived experiences, and linguistic resources. When educators employ such
pedagogy, they hold appropriate and high academic expectations of students, applying the principles of
Universal Design for Learning and differentiated instruction to provide multiple entry points and
maximize opportunities for all students to learn. By acknowledging and actively working to eliminate the
systemic barriers that some students face, educators create the conditions for authentic experiences
that empower student voices and enhance their sense of belonging, so that each student can develop a
healthy identity as a mathematics learner and can succeed in mathematics and in all other subjects.
Mathematics learning that is student-centred allows students to find relevance and meaning in what
they are learning and to make connections between the curriculum and the world outside the
classroom.

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In mathematics classrooms, teachers also provide opportunities for cross-curricular learning and for
teaching about human rights. To create anti-racist, anti-discriminatory learning environments, all
educators must be committed to equity and inclusion and to upholding and promoting the human rights
of every learner. Students of all identities and social locations have the right to mathematics
opportunities that allow them to succeed, personally and academically. In any mathematics classroom,
it is crucial to acknowledge students’ intersecting social identities and their connected lived realities.
Educators have an obligation to develop and nurture learning environments that are reflective of and
responsive to students’ strengths, needs, cultures, and diverse lived experiences – identity-affirming
learning environments free from discrimination. In such learning environments, educators set
appropriate and high academic expectations for all.

Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy in Mathematics

High-quality instruction that emphasizes deep mathematical thinking and cultural and linguistic
knowledge and that addresses issues of inequity is the foundation of culturally responsive and relevant
pedagogy (CRRP) in mathematics. In CRRP classrooms, teachers reflect on their own identities and pay
attention to how those identities affect their teaching, their ideas, and their biases. Teachers also learn
about students’ identities, identifications, and/or affiliations and connected lived experiences. Teachers
develop an understanding of how students are thinking about mathematical concepts according to their
cultural backgrounds and experiences, and make connections with these cultural ways of knowing in
their pedagogy. This approach to pedagogy develops social consciousness and critique while valorizing
students’ cultural backgrounds, communities, and cultural and linguistic competences. Teachers build on
students’ experiences, ideas, questions, and interests to support the development of an engaging and
inclusive mathematics classroom community.

In mathematics classrooms, educators use CRRP to create teaching and learning opportunities to engage
students in shaping much of the learning and to promote mathematical agency investment in the
learning. When students develop agency, they are motivated to take ownership of their learning of, and
progress in, mathematics. Teaching about diverse mathematical approaches and figures in history, from
different global contexts, can offer opportunities for students to feel that they are reflected in
mathematical learning – a key factor in developing students’ sense of self – and to learn about others,
and about the multiple ways mathematics exists in all aspects of the world around them.

Mathematics is situated and produced within cultures and cultural contexts. The curriculum is intended
to expand historical understanding of the diversity of mathematical thought. In an anti-racist and anti-
discriminatory environment, teachers know that there is more than one way to develop a solution, and
students are exposed to multiple ways of knowing and encouraged to explore multiple ways of finding
answers.

Indigenous pedagogical approaches emphasize holistic, experiential learning, teacher modelling, and the
use of collaborative and engaging activities. Teachers differentiate instruction and assessment
opportunities to encourage different ways of learning, to allow students to learn from and with each
other, and to promote an awareness of and respect for the diverse and multiple ways of knowing that
are relevant to and reflective of students’ lived experiences in classrooms, schools, and the world. When

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making connections between mathematics and real-life applications, teachers are encouraged to work
in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals, communities, and/or nations. Teachers
may respectfully incorporate culturally specific examples that highlight First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
cultures, histories, present-day realities, ways of knowing, and contributions, to infuse Indigenous
knowledges and perspectives meaningfully and authentically into the mathematics program. In this way,
culturally specific examples centre Indigenous students as mathematical thinkers, and strengthen
learning and course content so that all students continue to learn about diverse cultures and
communities in a respectful and informed way. Students’ mind, body, and spirit are nourished through
connections and creativity.

More information on equity and inclusive education can be found in the “Human Rights, Equity, and
Inclusive Education” subsection of “Considerations for Program Planning”.

Principles Underlying the Grade 9 Mathematics Curriculum

• A mathematics curriculum is most effective when it values and honours the diversity that
exists among students and within communities.
The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum is based on the belief that all students can and deserve to
be successful in mathematics. In particular, an inclusive curriculum is built on the understanding
that not all students necessarily learn mathematics in the same way, use the same resources
(e.g., tools and materials), or learn within the same time frames. Setting high academic
expectations and building a safe and inclusive community of learners requires the
purposeful use of a variety of instructional and assessment strategies and approaches that build
on students’ prior learning and experiences, and create an optimal and equitable environment
for mathematics learning. The curriculum emphasizes the need to eliminate systemic barriers
and to serve students belonging to groups that have been historically disadvantaged and
underserved in mathematics education.
• A robust mathematics curriculum is essential for ensuring that all students reach their full
potential.
The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum challenges all students by including learning expectations
that build on students’ prior knowledge and experience; involve higher-order thinking skills; and
require students to make connections between their lived experiences, mathematical concepts,
other subject areas, and situations outside of school. This learning enables all students to gain a
powerful knowledge of the usefulness of the discipline and an appreciation of the histories and
importance of mathematics.
• A mathematics curriculum provides all students with the fundamental mathematics concepts
and foundational skills they require to become capable and confident mathematics learners.
The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum provides a balanced approach to the teaching and learning
of mathematics. It is based on the belief that all students learn mathematics most effectively
when they can build on prior knowledge to develop a solid understanding of the concepts and
skills in mathematics, and when they are given opportunities to apply these concepts and skills
as they solve increasingly complex tasks and investigate mathematical ideas, applications, and

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 situations in everyday contexts. As students continue to explore the relevance of mathematics,
they further develop their identity and agency as capable mathematics learners.
• A progressive mathematics curriculum includes the strategic integration of technology to
support and enhance the learning and doing of mathematics.
The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum strategically integrates the use of appropriate technologies
to support all students in developing conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, while
recognizing the continuing importance of students’ mastering the fundamentals of
mathematics. For some students, assistive technology also provides an essential means of
accessing the mathematics curriculum and demonstrating their learning. Students develop the
ability to select appropriate tools and strategies to perform particular tasks, to investigate ideas,
and to solve problems. The curriculum sets out a framework for learning important skills, such
as problem solving, coding, and modelling, as well as opportunities to develop critical data
literacy, information literacy, and financial literacy skills.
• A mathematics curriculum acknowledges that the learning of mathematics is a dynamic,
gradual, and continuous process, with each stage building on the last.
The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum is dynamic, continuous, and coherent and is designed to
support all students in developing an understanding of the interconnected nature of
mathematics. Students come to understand how concepts develop and how they build on one
another. As students communicate their reasoning and findings, they move towards new
understandings. Teachers observe and listen to all students and then responsively shape
instruction in ways that foster and deepen student understanding of important mathematics.
The fundamental concepts, skills, and processes introduced in the elementary grades support
students in extending their learning in the secondary grades.
• A mathematics curriculum is integrated with the world beyond the classroom.
The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum provides opportunities for all students to investigate and
experience mathematical situations they might find outside the classroom and develop an
appreciation for the beauty and wide-reaching nature and importance of mathematics. The
overall curriculum integrates and balances concept development and skill development,
including social-emotional learning skills, as well as the use of mathematical processes and real-
life applications.
• A mathematics curriculum motivates students to learn and to become lifelong learners.
The Grade 9 mathematics curriculum is brought to life in the classroom, where students develop
mathematical understanding and are given opportunities to connect their knowledge and skills
to wider contexts and other disciplines. Making connections to the world around them
stimulates their interest and motivates them to become lifelong learners with healthy attitudes
towards mathematics. Teachers bring the mathematics curriculum to life using their knowledge
of:
• the mathematics curriculum;
• the backgrounds and identities of all students, including their past and ongoing
experiences with mathematics and their learning strengths and needs;
• mathematical concepts and skills, and the ways in which they are connected across the
strands, other grades, other disciplines, and the world outside the classroom;

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 • instructional approaches and assessment strategies best suited to meet the learning
needs of each student;
• resources designed to support and enhance the achievement of and engagement with
the curriculum expectations, while fostering an appreciation for and joy in mathematics
learning.

Roles and Responsibilities

Students

It is essential that all students continue to develop a sense of responsibility for and ownership of their
own learning as they begin their journey through secondary school. Mastering the skills and concepts
connected with learning in the mathematics curriculum requires a commitment to:

• continual and consistent personal reflection and goal setting;

• a belief that they are capable of succeeding in mathematics;
• developing the skills to persevere when taking on new challenges;
• connecting prior experiences, knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to new learning;
• a willingness to work both independently and collaboratively in an inclusive environment;
• dedication to ongoing practice;
• a willingness and an ability to receive and respond to meaningful feedback and ask questions to
clarify understanding;
• a willingness to explore new learning in mathematics and share insights and experiences.

Through ongoing practice and reflection, all students can develop a strong and healthy mathematical
identity whereby they value and appreciate mathematics as a discipline, feel themselves to be confident
and competent mathematics learners, and understand what successful mathematics learning and being
an effective mathematician look like.

Students’ experiences influence their attitudes towards mathematics education and can have a
significant impact on their engagement with mathematics learning and their subsequent success in
achieving the expectations. Students who are engaged in their learning and who have opportunities to
solve interesting, relevant, and meaningful problems within a supportive and inclusive learning
environment are more likely to adopt practices and behaviours that support mathematical thinking.
More importantly, they are more likely to be successful in their learning, which contributes to their
enjoyment of mathematics and increases their desire to pursue further mathematics learning.

With teacher support and encouragement, students learn that they can apply the skills they acquire in
mathematics to other contexts and subjects. For example, they can apply the problem-solving skills they
develop in mathematics to their study of the science and Canadian and world studies curricula. They can
also make connections between their learning and life beyond the classroom. For example, when
presented with an issue or a contextually relevant STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, and

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mathematics–based) problem, they can look for potential applications of mathematical modelling. They
can also begin to identify how mathematical modelling can be used to answer important questions
related to global health, the environment, and sustainable, innovative development, or to address
various issues that are relevant to their lives and communities.

Parents

Parents1 are significant role models for their children and play an integral part in their children’s
experiences with mathematics. It is important for schools and parents, and in some situations, caring
and trusted adults in students’ lives who are not their parents, to work together to ensure that they
provide a mutually supportive framework for young people’s mathematics education. Research assures
us of the positive impact of parent engagement and parent-child communication about mathematics on
student success.

Parents can play a role in their children’s success by speaking positively about mathematics and
modelling the attitude that mathematics is enjoyable, worthwhile, and valuable. By encouraging their
children to acknowledge challenges, to persevere when solving problems, and to believe that they can
succeed in mathematics, parents help them build self-confidence and a sense of identity as mathematics
learners.

Parents can support their children’s mathematics success by showing an interest in what their children
are learning. Parents are encouraged to engage with mathematics alongside their children by asking
about their experiences in class and by finding ways to apply what is being learned in class to everyday
contexts. Mathematics is everywhere, and parents can help their children make connections between
what they are learning at school and everyday experiences at home and in the community, using tasks
such as making appropriate choices when shopping, or saving for future needs. Parents can include their
children in the things they do themselves that involve mathematics, such as estimating the amount of
material needed to redecorate or renovate a room, or the quantities of ingredients needed to cook a
meal. Through family activities, such as enjoying mathematics-based puzzles and games, making crafts,
and beading jewelry together, parents can create opportunities for mental mathematics estimations and
calculations and for making predictions. Parents can support their children’s learning by encouraging
them to complete their mathematics tasks, to practice new skills and concepts, to apply new
mathematics learning to experiences at home, and to connect mathematical experiences at home to
learning at school.

As students begin their journey through secondary school, parents can help them consider how
mathematics may play a role in their future by talking about education and career goals or connecting
with community partners to gather information. Parents can help their children make connections
between what they are learning, potential careers, and their future choice of postsecondary pathways –
such as apprenticeship, skilled trades, community living, college, university, or the workplace.

1 The word parent(s) is used on this website to refer to parent(s) and guardian(s). It may also be taken to
include caregivers or close family members who are responsible for raising the child.

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Schools offer a variety of opportunities for parents to learn more about how to support their children’s
mathematics learning: for example, events related to mathematics may be held at the school; teachers
may provide newsletters or communicate with parents through apps or social media; and school or
board websites may provide helpful tips about how parents can engage in their children’s mathematics
learning outside of school and may even provide links where they can learn more or enjoy mathematics-
related activities together.

If parents need more information about what their children are learning, and how to support their
children’s success in mathematics, teachers are available to answer questions and provide information
and resources.

Teachers

Teachers have the most important role in the success of students in mathematics. Teachers are
responsible for ensuring that all students receive the highest quality of mathematics education. This
requires them to have high academic expectations of all students, provide appropriate supports for
learning, and believe that all students are capable math learners. Teachers bring expertise and skills to
providing varied and equitable instructional and assessment approaches to the classroom. Teachers plan
a mathematics program using an asset-based approach that affirms students’ identities, reflects their
lived experiences, leverages their strengths, and addresses their needs in order to ensure equitable,
accessible, and engaging learning opportunities for every student. The attitude with which teachers
themselves approach mathematics is critical, as teachers are important role models for students.

Teachers place students’ well-being and academic success at the centre of their mathematics planning,
teaching, and assessment practices, and understand how the learning experiences they provide will
develop an appreciation of mathematics and foster a healthy attitude and engagement in all students.
Teachers have a thorough understanding of the mathematics content they teach, which enables them to
provide relevant and responsive, high-quality mathematical opportunities through which all students
can develop their understanding of mathematical knowledge, concepts, and skills. Teachers understand
the learning continua along which students develop their mathematical thinking and, with effective use
of direct instruction and high-quality mathematical tasks, can thus support all students’ movement
along these continua. Teachers provide ongoing meaningful feedback to all students about their
mathematics learning and achievement, which helps to build confidence and provide focused next
steps. Teachers support students in developing their ability to solve problems, reason mathematically,
and connect the mathematics they are learning to the real world around them. They recognize the
importance of emphasizing and illustrating the usefulness of mathematics in students’ lives, and of
integrating mathematics with other areas of the curriculum – such as making connections with science,
engineering, art, and technology to answer scientific questions or solve problems, or engaging in
political debate and community development. They recognize the importance of supporting students in
learning about careers involving mathematics, and of supporting the development of students’
mathematical agency to grow their identity as capable mathematical thinkers.

As part of effective teaching practice, teachers use multiple ways and both formal and informal means
to communicate with parents and develop partnerships between home or caring adults and school that

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meet the varied needs of families. Through various types of communication, teachers discuss with
parents or caring adults what their children are learning in mathematics at school. These
communications also help teachers better understand students’ mathematical experiences beyond the
classroom, and learn more about students’ interests, skills, and aspirations. Ongoing communication
leads to stronger connections between the home, community, and school to support student learning
and achievement in mathematics.

Principals

Principals model the importance of lifelong learning and understand that mathematics plays a vital role
in the future success of students. Principals provide instructional leadership for the successful
implementation of the mathematics curriculum – in the school and in communications with parents – by
emphasizing the importance of a well-planned mathematics program and high-quality mathematical
instruction, by promoting the idea that all students are capable of becoming confident mathematics
learners, and by encouraging a positive and proactive attitude towards mathematics and student agency
in mathematics.

Principals work in partnership with teachers and parents to ensure that all students have access to the
best possible educational experience. To support student learning, principals monitor the
implementation of the Ontario mathematics curriculum. Principals ensure that English language learners
are being provided the accommodations and/or modifications they require for success in the
mathematics program. Principals are also responsible for ensuring that every student who has an
Individual Education Plan (IEP) is receiving the modifications and/or accommodations described in their
plan – in other words, for ensuring that the IEP is properly developed, implemented, and monitored.

Ensuring that teachers have the competence, agency, support, confidence, resources, and tools they
need to deliver a high-quality program is essential. Principals collaborate with teachers and school and
system leaders to develop professional learning opportunities that deepen teachers’ curriculum
knowledge, mathematical content knowledge for teaching, and pedagogy, and enhance their self-
efficacy in teaching mathematics.

Community Partners

Community partners are an important resource for a school’s mathematics education program.
Community partners can also contribute to the success of the program by providing support for families,
children and youth, and educators, so that they in turn may support student learning. Relationships with
local businesses, volunteer groups, Indigenous communities, postsecondary institutions, informal
learning spaces such as museums and science centres, and community organizations such as those that
serve newcomer families or marginalized communities, can provide opportunities for authentic
perspectives and real-world application of mathematics, as well as support for families. Nurturing
partnerships with other schools can facilitate the sharing of resources, strategies, and facilities, the
development of professional learning opportunities for staff, and the hosting of special events such as
mathematics or coding workshops for students.

Extract 18
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.

Extract 19
This course continues the learning from Grade 8 and prepares students for success in all
senior secondary mathematics courses in all pathways moving forward. Students who successfully
complete the Grade 9 mathematics course may proceed to a mathematics course in Grade 10.

The following section is in effect for the 2021–22 school year and will be updated as the secondary
mathematics program is revised. The 2005 Mathematics curriculum for Grade 10 and the 2007
Mathematics curriculum for Grades 11–12 remain in effect. All references to Grade 9 that appear
in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Mathematics, 2005 and The Ontario Curriculum, Grades
11 and 12: Mathematics, 2007 have been superseded by the section below.

Courses in Mathematics, Grades 9 to 12

Grade Course Name Course Type Course Prerequisite
Code
9 Mathematics De-streamed MTH1W None
10 Principles of Academic MPM2D Grade 9 Mathematics,
Mathematics De-streamed (2021), or
Grade 9 Principles of
Mathematics, Academic (2005)
10 Foundations of Applied MFM2P Grade 9 Mathematics,
Mathematics De-streamed (2021), or
Grade 9 Foundations of
Mathematics, Applied (2005)
11 Functions University MCR3U Grade 10 Principles of
Mathematics, Academic
11 Functions and University/ MCF3M Grade 10 Principles of
Applications College Mathematics, Academic, or
Grade 10 Foundations of
Mathematics, Applied
11 Foundations for College MBF3C Grade 10 Foundations of
College Mathematics Mathematics, Applied
11 Mathematics for Work Workplace MEL3E Grade 9 Mathematics,
and Everyday Life De-streamed (2021), or
Grade 9 Principles of
Mathematics, Academic (2005),
or
Grade 9 Foundations of
Mathematics, Applied (2005), or
a
Grade 10 Mathematics LDCC
(locally developed compulsory
credit) course
12 Advanced Functions University MHF4U Grade 11 Functions, University,
or
Grade 12 Mathematics for
College Technology, College

Extract 20
 12 Calculus and Vectors University MCV4U Grade 12 Advanced Functions,
University, must be taken prior
to or concurrently with Calculus
and Vectors
12 Mathematics of Data University MDM4U Grade 11 Functions, University,
Management or
Grade 11 Functions and
Applications, University/College
12 Mathematics for College MCT4C Grade 11 Functions and
College Technology Applications, University/College,
or
Grade 11 Functions, University
12 Foundations for College MAP4C Grade 11 Foundations for
College Mathematics College Mathematics, College,
or
Grade 11 Functions and
Applications, University/College
12 Mathematics for Work Workplace MEL4E Grade 11 Mathematics for Work
and Everyday Life and Everyday Life, Workplace

Note: Each of the courses listed above is worth one credit.

Extract 21
Extract 22
Note: For students who completed any of the Grade 9 mathematics courses prior to September 2021,
refer to the prerequisite chart on page 10 of The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Mathematics,
2007.

Locally Developed Compulsory Credit Courses (LDCCs)

School boards may offer up to two locally developed compulsory credit courses in mathematics – a
Grade 9 course and/or a Grade 10 course – that may be used to meet the compulsory credit
requirement in mathematics for one or both of these grades. The locally developed Grade 9 and/or
Grade 10 compulsory credit courses prepare students for success in the Grade 11 and Grade 12
workplace preparation courses.

Half-Credit Courses

The course outlined in this curriculum is designed to be offered as a full-credit course. However, it may
also be delivered as two half-credit courses. Half-credit courses, which require a minimum of fifty-five
hours of scheduled instructional time, must adhere to the following conditions:

• The two half-credit courses created from a full course must together contain all of the
expectations of the full course.
• The expectations for each half-credit course must be divided in a manner that best enables
students to achieve the required knowledge and skills in the allotted time.
• A course that is a prerequisite for another course in the secondary curriculum may be offered as
two half-credit courses, but students must successfully complete both parts of the course to
fulfil the prerequisite. (Students are not required to complete both parts unless the course is a
prerequisite for another course they wish to take.)
• The title of each half-credit course must include the designation Part 1 or Part 2. A half credit
(0.5) will be recorded in the credit-value column of both the report card and the Ontario Student
Transcript.

Boards will ensure that all half-credit courses comply with the conditions described above, and will
report all half-credit courses to the ministry annually in the School October Report.

Curriculum Expectations for the Grade 9 Mathematics Course

The expectations identified for this course describe the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students are
expected to acquire, demonstrate, and apply in their class work and tasks, on tests, in demonstrations,
and in various other activities on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.

Mandatory learning is described in the overall and specific expectations of the curriculum.

Extract 23
Two sets of expectations – overall expectations and specific expectations – are listed for each strand, or
broad area of the curriculum. The strands in this course are lettered AA and A through F.

The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are expected
to demonstrate by the end of the course. The specific expectations describe the expected knowledge,
concepts, and skills in greater detail. The specific expectations are grouped under numbered
subheadings, each of which indicates the strand and the overall expectation to which the group of
specific expectations corresponds (e.g., “B2” indicates that the group relates to overall expectation 2 in
strand B). This organization is not meant to imply that the expectations in any one group are achieved
independently of the expectations in the other groups, nor is it intended to imply that learning the
expectations happens in a linear, sequential way. The numbered headings are used merely as an
organizational structure to help teachers focus on particular aspects of knowledge, concepts, and skills
as they develop various lessons and learning activities for students. In the mathematics curriculum,
additional subheadings are used within each group of expectations to identify the topics addressed in
the strand.

The knowledge and skills described in the expectations in Strand A: Mathematical Thinking and Making
Connections apply to all areas of course content and must be developed in conjunction with learning in
strands B through F. Teachers should ensure that students develop the mathematics knowledge and
skills in appropriate ways as they work to achieve the curriculum expectations in strands B through F.
Students’ application of the knowledge and skills described in Strand A must be assessed and evaluated
as part of their achievement of the overall expectations in strands B through F.

Note: Strand AA: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Mathematics is an exception. It has a single
overall expectation that is to be included in classroom instruction throughout the course, but not in
assessment, evaluation, or reporting.

Teacher Supports

The expectations are accompanied by “teacher supports”, which may include examples, key concepts,
teacher prompts, instructional tips, and/or sample tasks. These elements are intended to promote
understanding of the intent of the specific expectations and are offered as illustrations for teachers. The
teacher supports do not set out requirements for student learning; they are optional, not mandatory.

“Examples” are meant to illustrate the intent of the expectation, the kind of knowledge, concepts, or
skills, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the
expectation entails.

“Key concepts” identify the central principles and mathematical ideas that underpin the learning in that
specific expectation.

“Teacher prompts” are sample guiding questions and considerations that can lead to discussions and
promote deeper understanding.

Extract 24
“Instructional tips” are intended to support educators in delivering instruction that facilitates student
learning related to the knowledge, concepts, and skills set out in the expectations.

“Sample tasks” are developed to model appropriate practice for the course. They provide possible
learning activities for teachers to use with students and illustrate connections between the
mathematical knowledge, concepts, and skills. Teachers can choose to draw on the sample tasks that
are appropriate for their classrooms, or they may develop their own approaches that reflect a similar
level of complexity and high-quality mathematical instruction. Whatever the specific ways in which the
requirements outlined in the expectations are implemented in the classroom, they must, wherever
possible, be inclusive and reflect the diversity of the student population and the population of the
province. When designing inclusive learning tasks, teachers reflect on their own biases and incorporate
their deep knowledge of the curriculum, as well as their understanding of the diverse backgrounds, lived
experiences, and identities of students. Teachers will notice that some of the sample tasks address the
requirements of the expectation they are associated with and incorporate mathematical knowledge,
concepts, or skills described in expectations in other strands of the course. Some tasks are cross-
curricular in nature and will cover expectations in other disciplines in conjunction with the mathematics
expectations.

The Mathematical Processes

Students learn and apply the mathematical processes as they work to achieve the expectations outlined
in the curriculum. All students are actively engaged in applying these processes throughout the course.

The mathematical processes that support effective learning in mathematics are as follows:

• problem solving
• reasoning and proving
• reflecting
• connecting
• communicating
• representing
• selecting tools and strategies

The mathematical processes can be understood as the processes through which all students acquire and
apply mathematical knowledge, concepts, and skills. These processes are interconnected. Problem
solving and communicating have strong links to all of the other processes. A problem-solving approach
encourages students to reason their way to a solution or a new understanding. As students engage in
reasoning, teachers further encourage them to pose questions, make conjectures, and justify solutions,
orally and in writing. The communication and reflection that occur before, during, and after the process
of problem solving support students as they work to articulate and refine their thinking and to examine
the problem they are solving from different perspectives. This opens the door to recognizing the range
of strategies that can be used to arrive at a solution. By understanding how others solve a problem,
students can begin to reflect on their own thinking (a process known as “metacognition”) and the

Extract 25
thinking of others, as well as their own language use (a process known as “metalinguistic awareness”),
and to consciously adjust their own strategies in order to make their solutions as efficient and accurate
as possible.

The mathematical processes cannot be separated from the knowledge, concepts, and skills that
students acquire throughout the course. All students problem solve, communicate, reason, reflect, and
so on, as they develop the knowledge, the understanding of mathematical concepts, and the skills
required in all strands.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is central to doing mathematics. By learning to solve problems and by

learning through problem solving, students are given, and create, numerous opportunities to connect
mathematical ideas and to develop conceptual understanding. Problem solving forms the basis of
effective mathematics programs that place all students’ experiences and queries at the centre of
mathematical learning. Therefore, problem solving should be the foundation of mathematical
instruction. It is considered an essential process through which all students are able to achieve the
expectations in mathematics and is an integral part of the Ontario mathematics curriculum.

Problem solving:

• increases opportunities for the use of critical thinking skills (e.g., selecting appropriate tools and
strategies, estimating, evaluating, classifying, assuming, recognizing relationships, conjecturing,
posing questions, offering opinions with reasons, making judgements) to develop mathematical
reasoning;
• supports all students in developing their own mathematical identity;
• allows all students to use the varied mathematical knowledge and experiences they bring to
school;
• supports all students in making connections among mathematical knowledge, concepts, and
skills, and between situations inside and outside the classroom;
• has the potential to promote the collaborative sharing of ideas and strategies, and promotes
talking about and interacting with mathematics;
• empowers students to use mathematics to address issues relevant to their lived realities;
• facilitates the use of creative-thinking skills when developing solutions and approaches;
• supports students in finding enjoyment in mathematics and becoming more confident in their
ability to do mathematics.

Most importantly, when problem solving is done in a mathematical context relevant to students’
experiences and/or derived from their own problem posing, it furthers their understanding of
mathematics and develops their mathematical agency.

Problem-Solving Strategies. Problem-solving strategies are methods that can be used to solve problems
of various types. Common problem-solving strategies include the following: simulating; making a model,
picture, or diagram; using concrete materials; looking for a pattern; guessing and checking; making an

Extract 26
organized list; making a table or chart; solving a simpler version of the problem; working backwards; and
using logical reasoning. Teachers can support all students as they develop their use of these strategies
by engaging with solving various kinds of problems – instructional problems, routine problems, and non-
routine problems. As students develop their repertoire over time, they become more confident in
posing their own questions, more mature in their problem-solving skills, and more flexible in using
appropriate strategies when faced with new problem-solving situations.

Reasoning and Proving

Reasoning and proving are integral to mathematics and involve students using their understanding of
mathematical knowledge, concepts, and skills to justify their thinking. Proportional reasoning, algebraic
reasoning, spatial reasoning, statistical reasoning, and probabilistic reasoning are all forms of
mathematical reasoning. Students also use their understanding of numbers and operations, geometric
properties, and measurement relationships to reason through solutions to problems. Students develop
algebraic reasoning by generalizing understanding of numbers and operations, properties, and
relationships between quantities. They develop functional thinking by generalizing patterns and non-
numeric sequences and using inverse operations. Students may need to identify assumptions in order to
begin working on a solution. Teachers can provide all students with learning opportunities where they
must form mathematical conjectures and then test or prove them to verify whether they hold true.
Initially, students may rely on the viewpoints of others to justify a choice or an approach to a solution.
As they develop their own reasoning skills, they will begin to justify or prove their solutions by providing
evidence.

Reflecting

Students reflect when they are working through a problem to monitor their thought process, to identify
what is working and what is not working, and to consider whether their approach is appropriate or
whether there may be a more effective approach. Students also reflect after they have solved a problem
by considering the reasonableness of their answer and whether adjustments need to be made. Teachers
can support all students as they develop their reflecting and metacognitive skills by asking questions
that have them examine their thought processes. In an inclusive learning environment, students also
reflect on their peers’ thinking processes to further develop deep understanding. Students can also
reflect on how their new knowledge can be applied to past and future problems in mathematics.

Connecting

Experiences that allow all students to make connections – to understand, for example, how knowledge,
concepts, and skills from one strand of mathematics are related to those from another – will support
students in grasping general mathematical principles. Through making connections, students learn that
mathematics is more than a series of isolated skills and concepts and that they can use their learning in
one area of mathematics to understand another, and to understand other disciplines. Recognizing
the relationships between representations, concepts, and procedures also supports the development of
deeper mathematical understanding. In addition, making connections between the mathematics they

Extract 27
learn at school and its significance in their everyday lives supports students in deepening their
understanding of mathematics and allows them to understand how useful and relevant it is in the world
beyond the classroom.

Communicating

Communication is an essential process in learning mathematics. Students communicate for various

purposes and for different audiences, such as the teacher, a peer, a group of students, the whole class, a
community member or group, or their family. They may use oral, visual, written, or gestural
communication. Students also acquire the language of mathematics and develop their communication
skills, which includes expressing, understanding, and using appropriate mathematical terminology,
symbols, conventions, and models, through meaningful interactions with each other.

For example, teachers can ask students to:

• illustrate their mathematical understanding in various ways, such as with diagrams and
representations;
• share and clarify their ideas, understandings, and solutions;
• create and defend mathematical arguments;
• provide meaningful descriptive feedback to peers;
• pose and ask relevant questions.

Communication also involves active listening and responding mindfully with an awareness of socio-
cultural contexts. Using Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy, teachers provide opportunities
for all students to contribute to discussions about mathematics in the classroom. Effective classroom
communication requires a supportive and inclusive environment in which all members of the class are
invited to participate and are valued when they speak and when they question, react to, and elaborate
on the statements of their peers and the teacher.

Representing

Students represent mathematical ideas and relationships and model situations using tools,
pictures, diagrams, graphs, tables, numbers, words, and symbols. Some students may also be able to use
other languages and/or digital and multimodal resources. Teachers recognize and value the variety of
representations that students use, as each student may have different prior access to and experiences
with mathematics. While encouraging student engagement and affirming the validity of
their representations, teachers support students in reflecting on the appropriateness of their
representations and refining them. Teachers support students as they make connections among various
representations that are relevant to both the student and the audience they are communicating with, so
that all students can develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and relationships. All
students are supported in using the different representations appropriately and as needed to model
situations, solve problems, and communicate their thinking.

Extract 28
Selecting Tools and Strategies

Students develop the ability to select appropriate tools, technology, and strategies to perform particular
mathematical tasks, to investigate mathematical ideas, and to solve problems.

Tools. All students should be encouraged to select and use tools to illustrate mathematical ideas.
Students come to understand that making their own representations is a powerful means of building
understanding and of explaining their thinking to others. Using tools supports students as they:

• identify patterns and relationships;

• make connections between mathematical concepts and between concrete and abstract
representations;
• test, revise, and confirm their reasoning;
• remember how they solved a problem;
• communicate their reasoning to others, including by gesturing.

Technology. A wide range of technological and digital tools can be used in many contexts for students to
interact with as they learn and extend concepts, and do mathematics.

Students can use:

• computers, calculators, probes, and computer algebra systems to perform complex operations;
create graphs; and collect, organize, and display data;
• digital tools, apps, and social media to investigate mathematical concepts and develop an
understanding of mathematical relationships;
• statistical software to manipulate, analyse, represent, sort, and communicate real-life data sets
of all sizes;
• coding software to better understand the structures and relationships of mathematics;
• dynamic geometry software and online geometry tools to develop spatial sense;
• computer programs to represent and simulate mathematical situations (i.e., mathematical
modelling);
• communications technologies to support and communicate their thinking and learning;
• computers, tablets, and mobile devices to access mathematical information available on the
websites of organizations around the world in the language of instruction and/or other
languages and to develop information literacy.

Developing the ability to perform mental computations is an important aspect of student learning in
mathematics. Students must, therefore, use technology with discretion, when it makes sense to do so.
When students use technology in their mathematics learning, they should apply mental computation,
reasoning, and estimation skills to predict and check the reasonableness of answers.

Strategies. Problem solving often requires students to select an appropriate strategy. Students learn to
use more efficient ways to reach a conclusion. For example, students can solve problems involving a
linear relationship by extending a pattern using pictures, creating a table of values, or developing a

Extract 29
general case and solving an equation. The selection of an appropriate strategy may also be based on
feasibility. For example, students may choose to collect their own samples of data or access data
collected in large amounts via computer programs.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Grade 9 Mathematics

Building social-emotional learning (SEL) skills in a secondary classroom involves continuing the
development of students’ self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and
responsible decision-making.2 In this course, the focus is on the mathematical context and giving
students the tools they need for success in their future mathematical learning, as they learn the skills
for:

• recognizing and identifying emotions that support mathematical learning;

• recognizing sources of stress that present challenges to mathematical learning;
• identifying resources and supports that aid perseverance in mathematical learning;
• building healthy relationships and communicating effectively in mathematics;
• developing a healthy mathematical identity through building self-awareness;
• developing critical and creative mathematical thinking.

In an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory learning environment, explicit instruction, practice, modelling,

self-reflection, and reinforcement both inside and outside the classroom make a difference in
development of these skills. As with all instruction, continual consideration must be given to how
educational systems and institutions can communicate and understand more inclusive perspectives on
experiencing and displaying emotions, respect, and professionalism. SEL skills cannot be taught without
the context of systemic oppression and racism that many Ontario students navigate daily. Research has
shown that educator bias can negatively affect the evaluation of social-emotional learning skills in
relation to particular groups of students; for example, Indigenous students; Black and other racialized
students; students with special education needs and disabilities; and students otherwise marginalized.

At the same time, there is strong evidence that teaching transformational social-emotional learning
skills at school, when implemented in an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory, culturally responsive and
relevant way, can contribute to students’ overall health and well-being and to successful academic
performance. Developing social-emotional learning skills also supports positive mental health, as well as
students’ ability to learn and experience academic success. Learning related to the overall expectation in
this strand occurs in the context of learning related to the other six strands, and the focus is on
intentional instruction only, not on assessment, evaluation, or reporting.

In order for SEL to be effective, teaching and learning approaches must consider and address the lived
realities of students, including the ways in which educator biases affect students’ experiences in the
classroom. Approaches to support SEL instruction must be mediated through authentic and respectful

2CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), Evidence-Based Social and
Emotional Learning Programs: CASEL Criteria Updates and Rationale (Chicago, IL: Author, 2020).

Extract 30
conversations about students’ lived realities. These realities may include the inequities students
negotiate inside and outside the classroom, educator biases that perpetuate systemic racism, historical
and intergenerational trauma related to the education system, institutional and interpersonal
discrimination, and harassment.

Human rights principles3 and the Education Act identify the importance of creating a climate of
understanding of, and mutual respect for, the dignity and worth of each person, so that each person can
contribute fully to the development and well-being of their community. Human rights law guarantees a
person’s right to equal treatment in education. It requires educators and school leaders
to actively prevent all discrimination and harassment and respond appropriately when they do occur, to
create an inclusive environment, to remove barriers that limit the ability of students, and to provide
accommodations where necessary.

Intentional Instruction

Social-emotional learning skills can be developed across all subjects of the curriculum – including
mathematics – as well as during various school activities, at home, and in the community. These skills
support students in understanding and applying mathematical thinking and making connections across
the course that are key to learning and doing mathematics. They support all students – and indeed all
learners, including educators and parents – as they develop confidence, cope with challenges, and think
critically. This in turn enables students to improve and demonstrate mathematics knowledge, concepts,
and skills in a variety of situations. Social-emotional learning skills support every student in developing a
healthy identity as a capable mathematics learner.

Educator self-reflection on their own socio-cultural awareness is an essential component in the

instruction of SEL in Ontario schools. Self-reflection is an important part of understanding oneself, one’s
identity and worldview, one’s own beliefs, one’s unconscious biases, one’s privilege, and one’s
responses to these. For educators, self-awareness and self-reflection help to interrogate and understand
their own position, as well as provide some grounding principles that can be used to support all students
in enhancing their social-emotional learning skills while teaching in a way that is culturally responsive.
Ensuring a culturally responsive and reflective approach that supports students in developing social-
emotional learning skills begins with educator reflection and consideration of the learning environment.
Educators reflect on instructional strategies, classroom climate, and the cultural context in which they
teach, and consider making adjustments in any of these areas to more effectively support student
learning and well-being for all students. SEL skills are developed within a learning context and with
consideration of the individual student, and of their relationships to the classroom teacher, peers, other
educators, the larger school community, and the world beyond.

Working with students to identify their personal learning goals related to SEL skills ensures that the
intended learning is clear and transparent to all students and that all lived experiences are recognized.
For example, when teachers are explicitly teaching skills for healthy relationships during problem-solving
in mathematics, students and teachers work together to identify what these skills can look like and

3 More information on human rights in Ontario education is available in "Human Rights, Equity, and
Inclusive Education" in the main "Considerations for Program Planning" section.

Extract 31
sound like. This may include recognizing different approaches to problem-solving that may be used in
the students’ homes or communities and in a variety of cultures; using encouraging words when
communicating; and listening to each other about using different problem-solving approaches if the first
one doesn’t succeed. Educators model and teach these skills during instruction. Students may show
their understanding of these skills in a variety of ways and reflect on their own progress individually.

Social-Emotional Learning Skills: Key Components and Sample Strategies

The chart below provides information about social-emotional learning skills, including key components
and sample strategies in the context of mathematics learning.

Skills Key Components and Sample Strategies

What are the skills? How do they help? What do they
look like in mathematics?
Recognizing and Identifying Emotions That Support • Recognizing a range of emotions in
Mathematical Learning self and others
• Understanding connections between
Students often experience a range of emotions over thoughts, feelings, and actions and
the course of their day at school. They may feel the impacts of each of these on the
happy, sad, angry, frustrated, or excited, or any others
number of emotions in combination. Students may • Recognizing that new or challenging
struggle to identify and appropriately express their learning may involve a sense of
feelings. Learning to recognize different emotions excitement or an initial sense of
can support students in interacting with discomfort
mathematical content and within mathematical
• Applying strategies such as:
learning communities in healthy ways. When
students understand the influence of thoughts and • identifying, naming, and
emotions on behaviour, they can improve the quality reasoning through the cause of
of their interactions and are better able to respond particular emotions
to themselves and others in ways that are • using language such as “I’m
compassionate and caring, and that honour their feeling frustrated because…”
own social and emotional needs. In mathematics, as • using tools (e.g., pictures) and
they learn new mathematics concepts and interact language to gauge intensity of
with others while problem solving, students have emotion
many opportunities to develop awareness of their
emotions and to use communication skills to express
their feelings and to respond with care when they
recognize emotions in others.

Extract 32
 Recognizing Sources of Stress That Present • Seeking support from peers, teachers,
Challenges to Mathematical Learning family, or their extended community
• Applying strategies such as:
Every day, students are exposed to a range of • “chunking” a task or problem
challenges that can contribute to feelings of stress. into manageable components
As they learn stress management and coping skills, and tackling one piece at a
they come to recognize that stress is a part of time
learning and life and that it can be managed. While
• thinking of a similar problem
taking steps to dismantle systemic barriers to
student well-being and success, educators can • engaging in guided imagery
support students as they learn ways to respond to and visualization
challenges in mathematics learning that enable them • stretching
to “bounce back” and, in this way, build resilience in • pausing and reflecting
the face of life’s obstacles. Over time, with support, • using an iterative approach to
practice, feedback, reflection, and experience, solve a problem, including
students begin to build a set of personal coping reframing questions, trying out
strategies that they can carry with them through life. different methods, estimating,
In mathematics, students work through challenging and guessing and checking
problems, understanding that their resourcefulness solutions
in using coping strategies strengthens their personal
resilience.
Identifying Resources and Supports That Aid • Embracing mistakes as a necessary
Perseverance in Mathematical Learning and helpful part of learning
• Noticing strengths and positive
In a supportive and inclusive environment, students aspects of experiences, appreciating
have regular opportunities to practise and apply the value of practice
perseverance skills as they solve mathematical • Creating a list of supports and
problems and develop an appreciation for learning resources, including people, that can
from mistakes as a part of the mathematics learning aid them in persevering
process. Educators can support students in
• Applying strategies such as:
approaching challenges in life with an understanding
that there is struggle in most successes and that • supporting peers by
accessing the right support can lead to success. To encouraging them to keep
that end, students need to identify and access trying if they make a mistake
educators as key resources. Through regular • using personal affirmations like
interactions, students and educators can build “I can do this.”
relationships based on trust and respect. Educators
can also support students in noticing and naming
harmful classroom interactions such as
microaggressions and discrimination, and can
support them when they report incidents of harm.
While building skills for perseverance can have an
impact on an individual student level, it is important
to recognize the critical role educators play when
they actively take steps to acknowledge and address
systemic barriers at all levels (in the classroom, in the
school, across the system, in the community) that
hinder mathematical learning for students.

Extract 33
 Building Healthy Relationships and Communicating • Recognizing and understanding the
Effectively in Mathematics impact of one’s emotions and actions
on others
Healthy relationships are at the core of developing • Listening attentively
and maintaining physically and mentally safe, • Considering other ideas and
healthy, equitable, caring school and classroom perspectives
communities. When students interact in meaningful
• Practicing empathy and care
ways with others, mutually respecting diversity of
thought and expression, their sense of belonging • Using conflict-resolution skills
within the school and community is enhanced. • Using cooperation and collaboration
Learning healthy relationship skills helps students skills
establish patterns of effective communication and • Applying strategies such as:
inspires healthy, cooperative relationships. These • seeking opportunities to help
skills include the ability to understand and appreciate others
another person’s perspective, to empathize with • working as part of a team and
others, to listen attentively, and to resolve conflict in playing different roles (e.g.,
healthy ways. In mathematics, students have leader, scribe or illustrator,
opportunities to develop and practise skills that data collector, observer) that
support healthy interaction with others as they work contribute to outcomes in
together in small groups or in pairs to solve math different ways
problems and confront challenges. Developing these
skills helps students to communicate with teachers,
peers, and family about mathematics with an
appreciation of the beauty and wonder of
mathematics.

Extract 34
 Developing a Healthy Mathematical Identity • Knowing oneself
Through Building Self-Awareness • Caring for oneself
• Having a sense of mattering and of
Knowing who we are and having a sense of purpose purpose
and meaning in our lives enables us to function in the
• Identifying personal strengths
world as self-aware individuals. Our sense of identity
enables us to make choices that support our well- • Having a sense of belonging and
being and allows us to connect with and have a sense community
of belonging in various cultural and social • Communicating their thinking and
communities. Educators should note that for First feelings about mathematics
Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, the term “sense • Applying strategies such as:
of identity and belonging” may also mean belonging • building their identity as a
to and identifying with a particular community math learner as they learn
and/or nation. Self-awareness and identity skills independently as a result of
supports students in exploring who they are – their their efforts and challenges
strengths, preferences, interests, values, and • monitoring progress in skill
ambitions – and how their social and cultural development
contexts have influenced them. This exploration is • reflecting on strengths and
grounded in affirming cultural heritage, considering accomplishments and sharing
social identities, and assessing the impact of beliefs these with peers or caring
and biases. In mathematics, as they learn new skills, adults
students use self-awareness skills to monitor their
progress and identify their individual strengths and
gifts; in the process, they build their identity as
mathematics learners who are capable of actualizing
their individual pathways.
Developing Critical and Creative Mathematical • Making connections
Thinking • Making decisions
• Evaluating choices, reflecting on and
Critical and creative thinking skills enable us to make assessing strategies
informed judgements and decisions on the basis of a
• Communicating effectively
clear and full understanding of ideas and situations,
and their implications, in a variety of settings and • Managing time
contexts. Students learn to question, interpret, • Setting goals and making plans
predict, analyse, synthesize, detect bias, and • Applying organizational skills
distinguish between alternatives. They practise • Applying strategies such as:
making connections, setting goals, creating plans, • determining what is known
making and evaluating decisions, and analysing and and what needs to be found
solving problems for which there may be no clearly • using various webs, charts,
defined answers. In all aspects of the mathematics diagrams, and representations
curriculum, students have opportunities to develop to help identify connections
critical and creative thinking skills. Students have and interrelationships
opportunities to build on prior learning, go deeper, • using organizational strategies
and make personal connections through real-life and tools, such as planners,
applications. trackers, and goal-setting
frameworks

Extract 35
The Strands in the Grade 9 Mathematics Course
The Grade 9 mathematics course is designed to be inclusive of all students in order to facilitate their
transition to learning at the secondary level by offering opportunities to broaden their knowledge and
skills in mathematics. This approach allows students to make informed decisions in choosing future
mathematics courses based on their interests and on requirements for future jobs, trades, and
professions.

The Grade 9 mathematics course is organized into seven strands. Strand AA: Social-Emotional Learning
(SEL) Skills in Mathematics focuses on a set of skills to be developed in the context of learning across all
other strands. Strand A focuses on developing mathematical thinking and making connections to
students’ lived experiences as well as connecting curriculum to real-life applications as students acquire
the mathematical concepts and skills set out in strands B through F. The remaining strands cover the
interrelated content areas of number, algebra, data, geometry and measurement, and financial literacy.
The Grade 9 mathematics course consolidates learning from the elementary grades and sets a
foundation for learning in future secondary mathematics courses. The strands of the elementary
mathematics program are closely aligned with those of the Grade 9 mathematics course, as shown in
the following chart.

Elementary Mathematics Grade 9 Mathematics

AA. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in
Mathematics
A. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in A. Mathematical Thinking and Making
Mathematics and the Mathematical Processes Connections
B. Number B. Number
C. Algebra C. Algebra
D. Data D. Data
E. Spatial Sense E. Geometry and Measurement
F. Financial Literacy F. Financial Literacy
Strands in Grade 9 Mathematics
Strand AA: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Mathematics
Strand A: Mathematical Thinking and Making Connections
• Mathematical processes
• Making connections
Strand B: Number
• Development and use of numbers
• Number sets
• Powers
• Rational numbers
• Applications

Extract 36
 Strand C: Algebra
• Development and use of algebra
• Algebraic expressions and equations
• Coding
• Application of linear and non-linear relations
• Characteristics of linear and non-linear relations
Strand D: Data
• Application of data
• Representation and analysis of data
• Application of mathematical modelling
• Process of mathematical modelling
Strand E: Geometry and Measurement
• Geometric and measurement relationships
Strand F: Financial Literacy
• Financial decisions

Strand AA: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Mathematics

This strand comprises a single overall expectation that is to be included in classroom instruction
throughout the course, but not in assessment, evaluation, or reporting. Students are supported in
exploring social-emotional learning skills in mathematics.

Strand A: Mathematical Thinking and Making Connections

Throughout the course, students apply the mathematical processes to develop conceptual
understanding and procedural fluency while they engage in learning related to strands B through F. They
also make connections between the mathematics they are learning and their lived experiences, various
knowledge systems, and real-life applications, including employment and careers.

Strand B: Number

In this strand, students continue to make connections among various number systems, the cultural
development of number concepts, and real-life applications. They will extend their learning about
positive fractions, positive decimal numbers, and integers to work with negative fractions and negative
decimal numbers. Students also extend their knowledge and skills related to percentages, ratios, rates,
and proportions to make further connections to real life.

Strand C: Algebra

In this strand, students continue to develop an understanding of algebra by making connections

between algebra and numbers as they generalize relationships with algebraic expressions and
equations. Students will extend and apply coding skills to dynamically represent situations, analyse

Extract 37
mathematics concepts, and solve problems in various contexts. Students will be introduced to various
representations of linear and non-linear relations that they will study in more depth in future secondary
mathematics courses. Students develop an understanding of constant rate of change and initial values
of linear relations, and solve related real-life problems.

Strand D: Data

In this strand, students extend their data literacy skills to examine the collection, representation, and
use of data, as well as their implications in various contexts. Students consolidate and extend their
understanding of data involving one and two variables and its connections to real life. Using data,
students continue to apply the process of mathematical modelling to analyse real-life situations.

Strand E: Geometry and Measurement

In this strand, students make connections among various geometric properties and their real-life
applications. Students analyse and create designs to extend their understanding of geometric
relationships to include circle and triangle properties. Students solve problems using different units
within and between various measurement systems, examine the relationships between the volume of
cones and cylinders and of pyramids and prisms, and solve problems that involve the application of
perimeter, area, surface area, and volume.

Strand F: Financial Literacy

In this strand, students analyse financial situations to explain how mathematics can be used to
understand such situations and inform financial decisions. They extend their financial literacy knowledge
to answer questions related to appreciation and depreciation, and explain how budgets can be modified
based on changes in circumstances. Students compare the effects of different interest rates, down
payments, and other factors associated with purchasing goods and services. Students use their learning
from other strands to solve financial problems of interest.

Some Considerations for Program Planning

Teachers consider many factors when planning a mathematics program that cultivates an inclusive
environment in which all students can maximize their mathematical learning. This section highlights the
key strategies and approaches that teachers and school leaders should consider as they plan effective
and inclusive mathematics programs. Additional information can be found in the “Considerations for
Program Planning” section, which provides information applicable to all curricula.
Instructional Approaches in Mathematics
Instruction in mathematics should support all students in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and habits of
mind that they need in order to achieve the curriculum expectations and be able to enjoy and
participate in mathematics learning for years to come.

Extract 38
Effective mathematics instruction begins with knowing the complex identities and profiles of the
students, having high academic expectations for and of all students, providing supports when needed,
and believing that all students can learn and do mathematics. Teachers incorporate Culturally
Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) and provide authentic learning experiences to meet
individual students’ learning strengths and needs. Effective mathematics instruction focuses on the
development of conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, skill development, and
communication, as well as problem-solving skills. It takes place in a safe and inclusive learning
environment, where all students are valued, empowered, engaged, and able to take risks, learn from
mistakes, and approach the learning of mathematics in a confident manner. Instruction that is student
centred and asset based builds effectively on students’ strengths to develop mathematical habits of
mind, such as curiosity and open-mindedness; a willingness to question, to challenge and be challenged;
and an awareness of the value of listening intently, reading thoughtfully, and communicating with
clarity.

Learning should be relevant: embedded in the lived realities of all students and inspired by authentic,
real-life contexts as much as possible. This approach allows students to develop key mathematical
concepts and skills, to appreciate the beauty and wide-ranging nature of mathematics, and to realize the
potential of mathematics to raise awareness and effect social change that is innovative and sustainable.
A focus on making learning relevant supports students in their use of mathematical reasoning to make
connections throughout their lives.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI)

Students in every mathematics classroom vary in their identities, lived experiences, personal interests,
learning profiles, and readiness to learn new concepts and skills. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and
differentiated instruction (DI) are robust and powerful approaches to designing assessment and
instruction to engage all students in mathematical tasks that develop conceptual understanding and
procedural fluency. Providing each student with opportunities to be challenged and to succeed requires
teachers to attend to student differences and provide flexible and responsive approaches to instruction.
UDL and DI can be used in combination to help teachers respond effectively to the strengths and needs
of all students.

The aim of the UDL framework is to assist teachers in designing mathematics programs and
environments that provide all students with equitable access to the mathematics curriculum. Within this
framework, teachers engage students in multiple ways in order to support them in becoming purposeful
and motivated in their mathematics learning. Teachers take into account students’ diverse learner
profiles by designing tasks that offer individual choice, ensuring relevance and authenticity, providing
graduated levels of challenge, and fostering collaboration in the mathematics classroom. Teachers also
represent concepts and information in multiple ways to help students become resourceful and
knowledgeable learners. For example, teachers use a variety of media to ensure that students are
provided with alternatives for auditory and visual information; they clarify mathematics vocabulary and
symbols; and they highlight patterns and big ideas to guide information processing. To support learners
as they focus strategically on their learning goals, teachers create an environment in which learners can
express themselves using a range of kinesthetic, visual, and auditory strengths. For example, teachers

Extract 39
can improve access to tools or assistive devices; vary ways in which students can respond and
demonstrate their understanding of concepts; and support students in goal-setting, planning, and time-
management skills related to their mathematics learning.

Designing mathematics tasks through UDL allows the learning to be “low floor, high ceiling” – that is, all
students are provided with the opportunity to find their own entry point to the learning. Teachers can
then support students in working at their own pace and provide further support as needed, while
continuing to move student learning forward. Tasks that are intentionally designed to be low floor, high
ceiling provide opportunities for students to use varied approaches and to continue to be engaged in
learning with varied levels of complexity and challenge. This is an inclusive approach that is grounded in
a growth mindset: the belief that everyone can do well in mathematics.

While UDL provides teachers with broad principles for planning mathematics instruction and learning
experiences for a diverse group of students, DI allows them to address specific skills and learning needs.
DI is rooted in assessment and involves purposefully planning varied approaches to teaching the content
of the curriculum; to the processes (e.g., tasks and activities) that support students as they make sense
of what they are learning; to the ways in which students demonstrate their learning and the outcomes
they are expected to produce; and to the learning environment. DI is student centred and involves a
strategic blend of whole-class, small-group, and individual learning activities to suit students’ differing
strengths, interests, and levels of readiness to learn. Attending to students’ varied readiness for learning
mathematics is an important aspect of differentiated teaching. Learners who are ready for greater
challenges need support in aiming higher, developing belief in excellence, and co-creating problem-
based tasks to increase the complexity while still maintaining joy in learning. Students who are
struggling to learn a concept need to be provided with the scaffolding and encouragement to reach high
standards. Through an asset-based approach, teachers focus on these learners’ strengths, imbuing
instructional approaches with a strong conviction that all students can learn. To make certain concepts
more accessible, teachers can employ strategies such as offering students choice, and providing open-
ended problems that are based on relevant real-life situations and supported with visual and hands-on
learning. Research indicates that using differentiated instruction in mathematics classrooms can
diminish inequities.

Universal Design for Learning and differentiated instruction are integral aspects of an inclusive
mathematics program and the achievement of equity in mathematics education. More information on
these approaches can be found in the ministry publication Learning for All: A Guide to Effective
Assessment and Instruction for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2013).

High-Impact Practices

Teachers understand the importance of knowing the identities and profiles of all students and of
choosing the instructional approaches that will best support student learning. The approaches that
teachers employ vary according to both the learning outcomes and the needs of the students, and
teachers choose from and use a variety of accessible, equitable high-impact instructional practices.

The thoughtful use of these high-impact instructional practices – including knowing when to use them
and how they might be combined to best support the achievement of specific math goals – is an

Extract 40
essential component of effective math instruction. Researchers have found that the following practices
consistently have a high impact on teaching and learning mathematics:4

• Learning Goals, Success Criteria, and Descriptive Feedback. Learning goals and success criteria
outline the intention for the lesson and how this intention will be achieved to ensure teachers
and students have a clear and common understanding of what is being learned and what
success looks like. The use of descriptive feedback involves providing students with the precise
information they need in order to reach the intended learning goal.
• Direct Instruction. This is a concise, intentional form of instruction that begins with a clear
learning goal. It is not a lecture or a show-and-tell. Instead, direct instruction is a carefully
planned and focused approach that uses questioning, activities, or brief demonstrations to guide
learning, check for understanding, and make concepts clear. Direct instruction prioritizes
feedback and formative assessment throughout the learning process and concludes with a clear
summary of the learning that can be provided in written form, orally, and/or visually.
• Problem-Solving Tasks and Experiences. It is an effective practice to use a problem,
intentionally selected or created by the teacher or students, to introduce, clarify, or apply a
concept or skill. This practice provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their agency
by representing, connecting, and justifying their thinking. Students communicate and reason
with one another and generate ideas that the teacher connects in order to highlight important
concepts, refine existing understanding, eliminate unsuitable strategies, and advance learning.
• Teaching about Problem Solving. Teaching students about the process of problem solving
makes explicit the critical thinking that problem solving requires. It involves teaching students to
identify what is known and unknown, to draw on similarities and differences between various
types of problems, and to use representations to model the problem-solving situation.
• Tools and Representations. The use of a variety of appropriate tools and representations
supports a conceptual understanding of mathematics. Carefully chosen and used effectively,
representations and tools such as manipulatives make math concepts accessible to a wide range
of learners. At the same time, student interactions with representations and tools also give
teachers insight into students’ thinking and learning.
• Math Conversations. Effective mathematical conversations create opportunities for all students
to express their mathematical thoughts and to engage meaningfully in mathematical talk by
listening to and responding to the ideas of others. These conversations involve reasoning,
proving, building on the thinking of others, defending and justifying their own thinking, and
adjusting their perspectives as they build their mathematical understanding, confidence,
and awareness of the mathematical thoughts of others.
• Small-Group Instruction. A powerful strategy for moving student learning forward, small-group
instruction involves targeted, timely, and scaffolded mathematics instruction that meets the
learning needs of specific students at appropriate times. By working with small and flexible
groups, whether they are homogeneous or heterogeneous, teachers can personalize learning in

4 John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Linda M. Gojak, Sara Delano Moore, and William Mellman,
Visible Learning for Mathematics: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning, Grades K–12
(Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Mathematics, 2017).

Extract 41
 order to close gaps that exist or extend thinking. Small-group instruction also provides
opportunities for teachers to connect with and learn more about student identities,
experiences, and communities, which the teachers can build on as a basis for their mathematics
instruction.
• Deliberate Practice. Practice is best when it is purposeful and spaced over time. It must always
follow understanding and should be continual and consistent. Teachers provide students with
timely descriptive feedback to ensure that students know they are practising correctly and
sufficiently. Students also need to practise metacognition, or reflecting on their learning, in
order to become self-directed learners.
• Flexible Groupings. The intentional combination of large-group, small-group, partnered, and
independent working arrangements, in response to student and class learning needs, can foster
a rich mathematical learning environment. Creating flexible groupings in a mathematics class
enables students to work independently of the teacher but with the support of their peers, and
it strengthens collaboration and communication skills. Regardless of the size of the group, it is of
utmost importance that individual students have ownership of their learning.

While a lesson may prominently feature one of these high-impact practices, other practices will
inevitably also be involved. The practices are rarely used in isolation, nor is there any single “best”
instructional practice. Teachers strategically choose the right practice, for the right time, in order to
create an optimal learning experience for all students. They use their socio-cultural awareness of
themselves and their students, a deep understanding of the curriculum and of the mathematics that
underpins the expectations, and a variety of assessment strategies to determine which high-impact
instructional practice, or combination of practices, best supports the students. These decisions are made
continually throughout a lesson. The appropriate use of high-impact practices plays an important role in
supporting student learning.

More information can be found in the resource section on high-impact practices in mathematics.

When teachers effectively implement Universal Design for Learning, differentiated instruction, and high-
impact practices in mathematics programs, they create opportunities for students to develop
mathematics knowledge and skills, to apply mathematical processes, and to develop transferable skills
that can be applied in other curricular areas.

The Role of Information and Communication Technology in

Mathematics
The mathematics curriculum was developed with the understanding that the strategic use of technology
is part of a balanced mathematics program. Technology can extend and enrich teachers’ instructional
strategies to support all students’ learning in mathematics. Technology, when used in a thoughtful
manner, can support and foster the development of mathematical reasoning, problem solving, and
communication. For some students, technology is essential and required to access curriculum.

Extract 42
When using technology to support the teaching and learning of mathematics, teachers consider the
issues of student safety, privacy, ethical responsibility, equity and inclusion, and well-being.

The strategic use of technology to support the achievement of the curriculum expectations requires a
strong understanding of:

• the mathematical concepts being addressed;

• high-impact teaching practices that can be used, as appropriate, to achieve the learning goals;
• the capacity of the chosen technology to augment the learning, and how to use this technology
effectively.

Technology (e.g., digital tools, computation devices, calculators, data-collection programs and coding
environments) can be used specifically to support students’ thinking in mathematics, to develop
conceptual understanding (e.g., visualization using virtual graphing or geometry tools), and to facilitate
access to information and allow better communication and collaboration (e.g., collaborative documents
and web-based content that enable students to connect with experts and other students; language
translation applications).

Coding has been introduced into the Grade 9 mathematics course as a continuum from the elementary
mathematics curriculum. The elementary mathematics curriculum outlines a developmental progression
for students to develop foundational coding skills. In Grade 9, students transition to using coding as a
tool to interact with the mathematics they are learning. They use the skills developed in elementary to
create and alter code in a multitude of coding environments including text-based programming
languages, spreadsheets, computer algebra systems (CAS), and virtual graphing and geometry tools.

Technology can support English language learners in accessing mathematics terminology and ways of
solving problems in their first language. Assistive technologies are critical in enabling some students with
special education needs to have equitable access to the curriculum and in supporting their learning, and
must be provided in accordance with a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Technologies are important problem-solving tools. Computers and calculators are tools of
mathematicians, and students should be given opportunities to select and use the learning tools that
may be helpful or necessary for them as they search for their own solutions to problems.

Teachers understand the importance of technology and how it can be used to access and support
learning for all students. Additional information can be found in the “The Role of Information and
Communications Technology” subsection of “Considerations for Program Planning”.

Education and Career/Life Planning

Education and career/life planning supports students in their transition from secondary school to their
initial postsecondary destinations, whether in apprenticeships, college, community living, university, or
the workplace.

Extract 43
Mathematics teachers can support students in education and career/life planning by making authentic
connections between the mathematics concepts students are learning in school and the knowledge and
skills needed in different careers. These connections engage students’ interest and allow them to
develop an understanding of the usefulness of mathematics in the daily lives of workers.

Teachers can promote students’ awareness of careers involving mathematics by exploring real-life
applications of mathematics concepts and providing opportunities for career-related project work. Such
activities allow students to investigate mathematics-related careers compatible with their interests,
aspirations, and abilities.

Community members can also act as a valuable resource by sharing their career expertise and
supporting students in understanding the relevance of mathematics to various fields of study and
careers. Career fairs, guest speakers, and job-shadowing days can provide opportunities for students to
identify and explore mathematics-related careers.

Students may need support to comprehend the wide variety of professions and careers where
mathematical concepts and processes are used. For example:

• fractions and imperial measures are used in various trades and daily activities;
• rates and percentages are used in banking, investing, and currency exchange;
• ratios and proportions are used in architecture, engineering, construction, nursing, pharmacy
practice, hair colouring techniques, and fields related to culinary arts;
• algebraic reasoning is used in the sciences and computer programming;
• geometry and measurement concepts are used in construction, civil engineering, and art;
statistics are used in real estate, the retail sector, tourism and recreation, conservation, finance,
insurance, sports management, and research.

Students should be made aware that mathematical literacy, problem solving, and the other skills and
knowledge they learn in the mathematics classroom are valuable assets in an ever-widening range of
jobs and careers in today’s society. More information can be found in the “Education and Career/Life
Planning” subsection of “Considerations for Program Planning”.

Planning Mathematics Programs for Students with Special

Education Needs
Classroom teachers hold high expectations of all students and are the key educators in designing and
supporting mathematics assessment and instruction for students with special education needs. They
have a responsibility to support all students in their learning and to work collaboratively with special
education teachers, where appropriate, to plan, design and implement appropriate instructional and
assessment accommodations and modifications in the mathematics program to achieve this goal. More
information on planning for and assessing students with special education needs can be found in the
“Planning for Students with Special Education Needs” subsection of “Considerations for Program
Planning”.

Extract 44
Principles for Supporting Students with Special Education Needs

The following principles5 guide teachers in effectively planning and teaching mathematics programs to
students with special education needs, and also benefit all students:

• The teacher plays a critical role in student success in mathematics.

• It is important for teachers to develop an understanding of the general principles of how
students learn mathematics.
• The learning expectations outline interconnected, developmentally appropriate key concepts
and skills of mathematics across all of the strands.
• It is important to support students in making connections between procedural knowledge and
conceptual understanding of mathematics.
• The use of concrete, visual, and virtual representations and tools is fundamental to learning
mathematics and provides a way of representing both concepts and student understanding.
• The teaching and learning process involves ongoing assessment. Students with special education
needs should be provided with various opportunities to demonstrate their learning and thinking
in multiple ways.

An effective mathematics learning environment and program that addresses the mathematical learning
needs of students with special education needs is purposefully planned with the principles of Universal
Design for Learning in mind and integrates the following elements:

• knowing the student’s cultural and linguistic background, strengths, interests, motivations, and
needs in mathematics learning in order to differentiate learning and make accommodations and
modifications as outlined in the student’s Individual Education Plan;
• building the student’s confidence and positive identity as a mathematics learner;
• valuing the student’s prior knowledge and connecting what the student knows with what the
student needs to learn;
• identifying and focusing on the connections between broad concepts in mathematics;
• connecting mathematics with familiar, relevant, everyday situations and providing rich and
meaningful learning contexts;
• fostering a positive attitude towards mathematics and an appreciation of mathematics through
multimodal means, including through the use of assistive technology and the performance of
authentic tasks;
• implementing research-informed instructional approaches (e.g., Concrete – Semi-Concrete –
Representational – Abstract) when introducing new concepts to promote conceptual
understanding, procedural accuracy, and fluency;

5 Adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education, Education for All: The Report of the Expert Panel on
Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students with Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6
(Toronto, ON: Author, 2005).

Extract 45
 • creating a balance of explicit instruction, problem solving within a student’s zone of proximal
development, learning in flexible groupings, and independent learning. Each instructional
strategy should take place in a safe, supportive, and stimulating environment while taking into
consideration that some students may require more systematic and intensive support, and more
explicit and direct instruction, before engaging in independent learning;
• assessing student learning through observations, conversations with the students, and frequent
use of low-stakes assessment check-ins and tools;
• providing immediate feedback in order to facilitate purposeful, correct practice that supports
understanding of concepts and procedures, as well as efficient strategies;
• providing environmental, assessment, and instructional accommodations in order to maximize
the student’s learning (e.g., making available learning tools such as virtual manipulatives,
computer algebra systems, and calculators; ensuring access to assistive technology), as well as
modifications that are specified in the student’s Individual Education Plan;
• building an inclusive community of learners and encouraging students with special education
needs to participate in various mathematics-oriented class projects and activities;
• building partnerships with administrators and other teachers, particularly special education
teachers, where available, to share expertise and knowledge of the curriculum expectations; co-
develop content in the Individual Education Plan that is specific to mathematics; and
systematically implement intervention strategies, as required, while making meaningful
connections between school and home to ensure that what the student is learning in the school
is relevant and can be practised and reinforced beyond the classroom.

Planning Mathematics Programs for English Language Learners

English language learners are working to achieve the curriculum expectations in mathematics while they
are developing English-language proficiency. An effective mathematics program that supports the
success of English language learners is purposefully planned with the following considerations in mind.

• Students’ various linguistic identities are viewed as a critical resource in mathematics instruction
and learning. Recognizing students’ language resources and expanding linguistic competence
enables students to use their linguistic repertoire in a fluid and dynamic way, mixing and
meshing languages to communicate. This translingual practice6 is creative and strategic, and
allows students to communicate, interact, and connect with peers and teachers using the full
range of their linguistic repertoire, selecting features and modes that are most appropriate to
communicate across a variety of purposes, such as when developing conceptual knowledge and
when seeking clarity and understanding.
• Students may be negotiating between school-based mathematics and ways of mathematical
reasoning from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. They may have deep mathematical

6Ofelia García, Susana Ibarra Johnson, and Kate Seltzer, The Translanguaging Classroom: Leveraging
Student Bilingualism for Learning (Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2017).Sunny Man Chu Lau and Saskia Van
Viegen, Plurilingual Pedagogies (Springer Cham, New York City, NY: 2020).

Extract 46
 knowledge and skills developed in another educational cultural and/or linguistic context, and
may already have learned the same mathematical terms and concepts that they are studying
now, but in another language.
• Knowledge of the diversity among English language learners and of their mathematical
strengths, interests, and identities, including their social and cultural backgrounds, is important.
These “funds of knowledge”7 are historically and culturally developed skills and assets that can
be incorporated into mathematics learning to create a richer and more highly scaffolded
learning experience for all students, promoting a positive, inclusive teaching and learning
environment. Understanding how mathematical concepts are described in students’ home
languages and cultures can provide insight into how students are thinking about mathematical
ideas.8
• In addition to assessing their level of English-language proficiency, an initial assessment of the
mathematics knowledge and skills of newcomer English language learners is required in Ontario
schools.
• Differentiated instruction is essential in supporting English language learners, who face the dual
challenge of learning new conceptual knowledge while acquiring English-language proficiency.
Designing mathematics learning to have the right balance for English language learners is
achieved through program adaptations (e.g., accommodations that utilize their background
knowledge in their first language) that ensure the tasks are mathematically challenging,
reflective of learning demands within the mathematics curriculum, and comprehensible and
accessible to English language learners. Using the full range of a student’s language assets,
including additional languages that a student speaks, reads, and writes, as a resource in the
mathematics classroom supports access to their prior learning, reduces the language demands
of the mathematics curriculum, and increases engagement.
• Working with students and their families and with available community supports allows for the
multilingual representation of mathematics concepts to create relevant and real-life learning
contexts and tasks.

In a supportive learning environment, scaffolding the learning of mathematics assessment and

instruction offers English language learners the opportunity to:

• integrate their linguistic repertoire rather than engage in language separation, and select and
use the linguistic features and modes that are most appropriate for their communication
purposes;

7Elizabeth Marshall and Kelleen Toohey, "Representing Family: Community Funds of Knowledge,
Bilingualism, and Multimodality," Harvard Educational Review 80, no. 2 (2010), 221–42.
8Lisa Lunney Borden, “What’s the Word for…? Is There a Word for…? How Understanding Mi’kmaw
Language Can Help Support Mi’kmaw Learners in Mathematics", Mathematics Education Research
Journal 25, no. 1 (2013): 5–22.

Extract 47
 • discuss how mathematical concepts are described in their language(s) and cultures;9
• draw on their additional language(s) (e.g., some newcomer students may use technology to
access mathematical terminology and ways of solving problems in their first language), prior
learning experiences, and background knowledge in mathematics;
• learn new mathematical concepts in authentic, meaningful, and familiar contexts;
• engage in open and parallel tasks to allow for multiple entry points for learning;
• work in a variety of settings that support co-learning and multiple opportunities for practice
(e.g., with partners or in small groups with same-language peers, as part of cooperative or
collaborative learning, in group conferences);
• access the language of instruction during oral, written, and multimodal instruction and
assessment, during questioning, and when encountering texts, learning tasks, and other
activities in mathematics;
• use oral language in different strategically planned activities, such as “think-pair-share”, “turn-
and-talk”, and “adding on”, to express their ideas and engage in mathematical discourse;
• develop both everyday and academic vocabulary, including specialized mathematics vocabulary
in context, through rephrasing and recasting by the teacher and through using student-
developed bilingual word banks or glossaries;
• practise using sentence frames adapted to their English-language proficiency levels to describe
concepts, provide reasoning, hypothesize, make judgements, and explain their thinking;
• use a variety of concrete and/or digital learning tools to demonstrate their learning in
mathematics in multiple ways (e.g., orally, visually, kinesthetically), through a range of
representations (e.g., portfolios, displays, discussions, models), and in multiple languages (e.g.,
multilingual word walls and anchor charts);
• have their learning assessed in terms of the processes they use in multiple languages, both
during the learning and through teachers’ observations and conversations.

Strategies used to differentiate instruction and assessment for English language learners in the
mathematics classroom also benefit many other learners in the classroom, since programming is
focused on leveraging all students’ strengths, meeting learners where they are in their learning, being
aware of language demands in mathematics, and making learning visible. For example, different cultural
approaches to solve mathematical problems can help students make connections to the Ontario
curriculum and provide classmates with alternative ways of solving problems.

English language learners in English Literacy Development (ELD) programs require accelerated support
to develop both their literacy skills and their numeracy skills. These students have significant gaps in
their education because of limited or interrupted opportunities for or access to schooling. In order to
build a solid foundation of mathematics, they are learning key mathematical concepts missed in prior
years. At the same time, they are learning the academic language of mathematics in English while not
having acquired developmentally appropriate literacy skills in their first language. Programming for

9Lisa Lunney Borden, “What’s the Word for…? Is There a Word for…? How Understanding Mi’kmaw
Language Can Help Support Mi’kmaw Learners in Mathematics", Mathematics Education Research
Journal 25, no. 1 (2013): 5–22.

Extract 48
these students is therefore highly differentiated and intensive. These students often require focused
support over a longer period than students in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The use of
students’ oral competence in languages other than English is a non-negotiable scaffold. The strategies
described above, such as the use of visuals, the development of everyday and academic vocabulary, the
use of technology, and the use of oral competence, are essential in supporting student success in ELD
programs and in mathematics.

Supporting English language learners is a shared responsibility. Collaboration with administrators and
other teachers, particularly ESL/ELD teachers, and Indigenous representatives, where possible,
contributes to creating equitable outcomes for English language learners. Additional information on
planning for and assessing English language learners can be found in the “Planning for English Language
Learners” subsection of “Considerations for Program Planning”.

Cross-Curricular and Integrated Learning in Mathematics

When planning an integrated mathematics program, educators should consider that, although the
mathematical content in the curriculum is outlined in discrete strands, students develop mathematical
thinking, such as proportional reasoning, algebraic reasoning, and spatial reasoning, that transcends the
expectations in the strands and even connects to learning in other subject areas. By purposefully
drawing connections across all areas of mathematics and other subject areas, and by applying learning
to relevant real-life contexts, teachers extend and enhance student learning experiences and deepen
their knowledge and skills across disciplines and beyond the classroom.

For example, proportional reasoning, which is developed through the study of ratios and rates in the
Number strand, is also used when students are working towards meeting learning expectations in other
strands of the math curriculum, such as in Geometry and Measurement and in Algebra, and in other
disciplines, such as science, geography, and the arts. Students then apply this learning in their everyday
lives – for example, when adjusting a recipe, preparing a mixture or solutions, or making unit
conversions.

Similarly, algebraic reasoning is applied beyond the Number and Algebra strands. For example, it is
applied in measurement when learning about formulas, such as volume of a pyramid =
area of the base × height
. It is applied in other disciplines, such as science, when students study simple
3
machines and learn about the formula work = force × distance. Algebraic reasoning is also used when
making decisions in everyday life – for example, when determining which service provider offers a
better consumer contract or when calculating how much time it will take for a frozen package to thaw.

Spatial thinking has a fundamental role throughout the Ontario curriculum, from Kindergarten to Grade
12, including in mathematics, the arts, health and physical education, and science. For example, a
student demonstrates spatial reasoning when mentally rotating and matching shapes in mathematics,
navigating movement through space and time, and using diagonal converging lines to create perspective
drawings in visual art and to design and construct objects. In everyday life, there are many applications

Extract 49
of spatial reasoning, such as when creating a garden layout or when using a map to navigate the most
efficient way of getting from point A to point B.

Algebraic and proportional reasoning and spatial thinking are integral to all STEM disciplines. For
example, students may apply problem-solving skills and mathematical modelling through engineering
design as they build and test a prototype and design solutions intended to solve complex real-life
problems. Consider how skills and understanding that students gain across the strands of the Grade 9
Mathematics course, such as Financial Literacy, Number, and Data, can be integrated into real-life
activities. For example, as students collect financial data relating to compound interest, and examine
patterns in the data involving compound interest, they apply their understanding of exponents and non-
linear growth to generalize rules that can be coded in technology programming environments. This
process allows students to create a variety of mathematical models and analyse them quantitatively.
These models can then be used to support discussions about what factors can enable or constrain
financial decision making, while taking ethical, societal, environmental, and personal considerations into
account.

Teaching mathematics as a narrowly defined subject area places limits on the depth of learning that can
occur. When teachers work together to develop integrated learning opportunities and highlight cross-
curricular connections, students are better able to:

• make connections among the strands of the mathematics curriculum, and between
mathematics and other subject areas;
• improve their ability to consider different strategies to solve a problem;
• debate, test, and evaluate whether strategies are effective and efficient;
• apply a range of knowledge and skills to solve problems in mathematics and in their daily
experiences and lives.

When students are provided with opportunities to learn mathematics through real-life applications,
integrating learning expectations from across the curriculum, they use their lived experiences and
knowledge of other subject matter to enhance their learning of and engagement in mathematics. More
information can be found in “Cross-Curricular and Integrated Learning”.

Literacy in Mathematics

Literacy skills needed for reading and writing in general are essential for the learning of mathematics. To
engage in mathematical activities and develop computational fluency, students require the ability to
read and write mathematical expressions, to use a variety of literacy strategies to comprehend
mathematical text, to use language to analyse, summarize, and record their observations, and to explain
their reasoning when solving problems. Mathematical expressions and other mathematical texts are

Extract 50
complex and contain a higher density of information than any other text.10 Reading mathematical text
requires literacy strategies that are unique to mathematics.

The learning of mathematics requires students to navigate discipline-specific reading and writing skills;
therefore, it is important that mathematics instruction link literacy practices to specific mathematical
processes and tasks. To make their thinking visible, students should be encouraged to clearly
communicate their mathematical thinking, using the discipline-specific language of mathematics, which
provides educators with the opportunity to correct student thinking when necessary.11 The language of
mathematics includes special terminology. To support all students in developing an understanding of
mathematical texts, teachers need to explicitly teach mathematical vocabulary, focusing on the many
meanings and applications of the terms students may encounter. In mathematics, students are required
to use appropriate and correct terminology and are encouraged to use language with care and precision
in order to communicate effectively.

More information about the importance of literacy across the curriculum can be found in the “Literacy”
and “Mathematical Literacy” subsections of “Cross-curricular and Integrated Learning”.

Transferable Skills in Mathematics

The Ontario curriculum emphasizes a set of skills that are critical to all students’ ability to thrive in
school, in the world beyond school, and in the future. These are known as transferable skills. Educators
facilitate students’ development of transferable skills across the curriculum, from Kindergarten to Grade
12. They are as follows:

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. In mathematics, students and educators learn and apply
strategies to understand and solve problems flexibly, accurately, and efficiently. They learn to
understand and visualize a situation and to use the tools and language of mathematics to
reason, make connections to real-life situations, communicate, and justify solutions.
• Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship. In mathematics, students and educators solve
problems with curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to take risks. They pose questions, make
and test conjectures, and consider problems from different perspectives to generate new
learning and apply it to novel situations.
• Self-Directed Learning. By reflecting on their own thinking and emotions, students, with the
support of educators, can develop perseverance, resourcefulness, resilience, and a sense of self.
In mathematics, they initiate new learning, monitor their thinking and their emotions when
solving problems, and apply strategies to overcome challenges. They perceive mathematics as
useful, interesting, and doable, and confidently look for ways to apply their learning.

10Joan M. Kenney et al., Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction (Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2005).

William G. Brozo and Sarah Crain, “Writing in Math: A Disciplinary Literacy Approach”, The Clearing
11

House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas 91, no. 7 (2017): 2.

Extract 51
 • Collaboration. In mathematics, students and educators engage with others productively,
respectfully, and critically in order to better understand ideas and problems, generate solutions,
and refine their thinking.
• Communication. In mathematics, students and educators use the tools and language of
mathematics to describe their thinking and to understand the world. They use mathematical
vocabulary, symbols, conventions, and representations to make meaning, express a point of
view, and make convincing and compelling arguments in a variety of ways, including
multimodally; for example, using combinations of oral, visual, textual, and gestural
communication.
• Global Citizenship and Sustainability. In mathematics, students and educators recognize and
appreciate multiple ways of knowing, doing, and learning, and value different perspectives. They
recognize how mathematics is used in all walks of life and how engaged citizens can use it as a
tool to raise awareness and generate solutions for various political, environmental, social, and
economic issues.
• Digital Literacy. In mathematics, students and educators learn to be discerning users of
technology. They select when and how to use tools to understand and model real-life situations,
predict outcomes, and solve problems, and they assess and evaluate the reasonableness of their
results.

Transferable skills can be developed through the effective implementation of high-impact instructional
strategies. More information can be found in “Transferable Skills”.

Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement

Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition, Covering
Grades 1 to 12, 2010 sets out the Ministry of Education’s assessment, evaluation, and reporting policy.
The policy aims to maintain high standards, improve student learning, and benefit all students, parents,
and teachers in elementary and secondary schools across the province. Successful implementation of
this policy depends on the professional judgement12 of teachers at all levels as well as their high
expectations of all students, and on their ability to work together and to build trust and confidence
among parents and students.

Major aspects of assessment, evaluation, and reporting policy are summarized in the main “Assessment
and Evaluation” section. The key tool for assessment and evaluation in mathematics – the achievement
chart – is provided below.

12“Professional judgement”, as defined in Growing Success (p. 152), is “judgement that is informed by
professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, context, evidence of learning, methods of
instruction and assessment, and the criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning. In
professional practice, judgement involves a purposeful and systematic thinking process that evolves in
terms of accuracy and insight with ongoing reflection and self-correction”.

Extract 52
Culturally Responsive and Relevant Assessment and Evaluation in Mathematics

Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) reflects and affirms students’ racial and social
identities, languages, and family structures. It involves careful acknowledgement, respect, and
understanding of the similarities and differences among students, and between students and teachers,
in order to respond effectively to student thinking and promote student learning.

Engaging in assessment from a CRRP stance requires that teachers gain awareness of and interrogate
their own beliefs about who a mathematical learner is and what they can achieve (see the questions for
consideration provided below). In this process, teachers engage in continual self-reflection – and the
critical analysis of various data – to understand and address the ways in which power and privilege
affect the assessment and evaluation of student learning. Assessment from a CRRP stance starts with
having a deep knowledge of every student and understanding of how they learn best. Teachers seek to
build authentic, trusting relationships with students, and with their families and community, as they
seek opportunities to build new understanding and support equitable outcomes for all students.

Assessment from a CRRP stance, by its nature, encompasses a wide variety of assessment approaches. It
is designed to reflect, affirm, and enhance the multiple ways of knowing and being that students bring
to the classroom while maintaining appropriate and high academic expectations for all students. The
primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Assessment for learning creates
opportunities for teachers to intentionally learn about each student and their sociocultural and linguistic
background in order to gather a variety of evidence about their learning in an anti-racist, anti-
discriminatory environment, in a way that is reflective of and responsive to each student’s strengths,
experiences, interests, and cultural ways of knowing. Ongoing descriptive feedback and responsive
coaching for improvement is essential for improving student learning.

Teachers engage in assessment as learning by creating ongoing opportunities for all students to develop
their capacity to be confident, independent, autonomous learners who set individual goals, monitor
their own progress, determine next steps, and reflect on their thinking and learning in relation to
learning goals and curriculum expectations. Teachers engage in culturally responsive and relevant
practices by supporting students in the development of these skills by holding positive and affirming
views of their students and of their ability to learn and achieve academic success. One way in which
teachers differentiate assessment is by providing tasks that allow multiple entry points for all students
to engage and that enable all students to access complex mathematics.

Assessment of learning is used by the teacher to summarize learning at a given point in time. This
summary is used to make judgements about the quality of student learning on the basis of established
criteria, to assign a value to represent that quality, and to support the communication of information
about achievement to each student, parents, teachers, and others. Teachers engage in culturally
responsive and relevant practices that honour and value the importance of student agency and voice in
determining the variety of ways in which students can demonstrate their learning.

The evidence that is collected about student learning, including observations and conversations as well
as student products, should reflect and affirm the student’s lived experiences within their school, home,
and community, learning strengths, and mathematical knowledge. This process of triangulating evidence

Extract 53
of student learning allows teachers to improve the accuracy of their understanding with respect to how
each student is progressing in their learning. Assessment that is rooted in CRRP is an equitable, inclusive,
and transparent process that values students as active participants in their learning.

When teachers engage in the process of examining their own biases regarding classroom assessment
and evaluation practices, they might consider some of the following questions:

• Are the tasks accessible to, and inclusive of, all learners? Do the tasks include appropriate and
varied entry points for all students?
• Do the tasks connect to students' prior learning and give them opportunities to be sense makers
and to integrate their new learning? Do the selected tasks reflect students’ identities and lived
experiences?
• Do all students have equitable access to the tools they need to complete the tasks being set?
• What opportunities can teachers build into their practice to offer students descriptive feedback
to enhance learning? Are graded assessment tasks used in a way that complements the use of
descriptive feedback for growth?
• How can information be conveyed about students’ learning progress to students and parents in
an ongoing and meaningful way?
• What is the purpose of assigning and grading a specific task or activity? Are student choice and
agency considered?
• How do teacher biases influence decisions about what tasks or activities are chosen for
assessment?

The Achievement Chart for Grade 9 Mathematics

The achievement chart identifies four categories of knowledge and skills and four levels of achievement
in mathematics. (For important background, see “Content Standards and Performance Standards” in the
main Assessment and Evaluation section.)

Knowledge and Understanding – Subject-specific content acquired in each grade (knowledge), and the
comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)

Categories 50–59% 60–69% 70–79% 80–100%

(Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3) (Level 4)
Knowledge of content The student The student The student The student
(e.g., terminology, demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
procedural skills, limited some considerable thorough
mathematical models) knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of
content. content. content. content.
Understanding of content The student The student The student The student
(e.g., concepts, principles, demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
mathematical structures limited some considerable thorough
and processes) understanding understanding understanding understanding
of content. of content. of content. of content.

Extract 54
Thinking – The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes

Categories 50–59% 60–69% 70–79% 80–100%

(Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3) (Level 4)
Use of planning skills (e.g., The student The student The student The student
understanding the problem; uses planning uses planning uses planning uses planning
generating ideas; skills with skills with some skills with skills with a
formulating a plan of limited effectiveness. considerable high degree of
action; selecting strategies, effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness.
models, and tools; making
conjectures and
hypotheses)
Use of processing skills* The student The student The student The student
(e.g., carrying out a plan: uses processing uses processing uses processing uses processing
collecting data, skills with skills with some skills with skills with a
questioning, testing, limited effectiveness. considerable high degree of
revising, modelling, solving, effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness.
inferring, forming
conclusions; looking back at
a solution: evaluating
reasonableness, making
arguments in support of a
solution, reasoning,
justifying, proving,
reflecting)
Use of critical/creative The student The student The student The student
thinking processes* (e.g., uses critical/ uses critical/ uses critical/ uses critical/
posing and solving creative creative creative creative
problems, critiquing thinking thinking thinking thinking
solutions, using processes with processes with processes with processes with
mathematical reasoning, limited some considerable a high degree
evaluating mathematical effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness. of
models, making inferences effectiveness.
and testing conjectures and
hypotheses)

Communication – The conveying of meaning through various forms

Categories 50–59% 60–69% 70–79% 80–100%

(Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3) (Level 4)

Extract 55
 Expression and The student The student The student The student
organization of ideas and expresses and expresses and expresses and expresses and
information in oral, visual, organizes ideas organizes ideas organizes ideas organizes ideas
and/or written forms (e.g., and information and and and
pictorial, graphic, dynamic, with limited information information information
numeric, algebraic forms; effectiveness. with some with with a high
gestures and other non- effectiveness. considerable degree of
verbal forms; models) effectiveness. effectiveness.
Communication for The student The student The student The student
different audiences and communicates communicates communicates communicates
purposes (e.g., to share for different for different for different for different
mathematical thinking, to audiences and audiences audiences and audiences and
inform, to persuade, to purposes with and purposes purposes with purposes with a
share findings) in oral, limited with some considerable high degree of
visual, and/or written effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness.
forms
Use of conventions, The student The student The student The student
vocabulary, and uses uses uses uses
terminology of the conventions, conventions, conventions, conventions,
discipline in oral, visual, vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and
and/or written forms (e.g., terminology terminology terminology terminology
terms, symbols, units, with with with with a high
labels, structures) limited some considerable degree of
effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness.

Application – The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts

Categories 50–59% 60–69% 70–79% 80–100%

(Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3) (Level 4)
Application of knowledge The student The student The student The student
and skills (e.g., selecting applies applies applies applies
and using representations, knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and
mathematical tools, and skills in familiar skills in familiar skills in familiar skills in familiar
strategies) in familiar contexts with contexts with contexts with contexts with a
contexts limited some considerable high degree of
effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness.
Transfer of knowledge and The student The student The student The student
skills (e.g., selecting and transfers transfers transfers transfers
using representations, knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and
mathematical tools, and skills to new skills to new skills to new skills to new
strategies) to new contexts contexts with contexts with contexts with contexts with a
limited some considerable high degree of
effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness.

Extract 56
 Making connections within The student The student The student The student
and between various makes makes makes makes
contexts (e.g., connections connections connections connections connections
to real-life situations and within and within and within and within and
lived experiences; between between between between
connections among various contexts various various various
concepts and with limited contexts with contexts with contexts with a
representations; effectiveness. some considerable high degree of
connections between effectiveness. effectiveness. effectiveness.
mathematics and other
disciplines, including other
STEM [science, technology,
engineering, and
mathematics] subjects)

* Note: The processing skills and critical/creative thinking processes in the Thinking category include
some but not all aspects of the mathematical processes laid out in Strand A: Mathematical Thinking and
Making Connections.

Requirements for Strand AA and Strand A

Strand AA: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Mathematics. Learning related to the expectation in
Strand AA occurs in the context of learning related to the other six strands. The focus is on intentional
instruction; learning in this strand is not included in the assessment, evaluation, or reporting of student
achievement.

Strand A: Mathematical Thinking and Making Connections. Strand A has no specific expectations.
Students’ learning related to this strand takes place in the context of learning related to strands B
through F. Student achievement of the expectations in Strand A is to be assessed and evaluated
throughout the course.

Criteria and Descriptors for Grade 9 Mathematics

To guide teachers in their assessment and evaluation of student learning, the achievement chart
provides “criteria” and “descriptors” within each of the four categories of knowledge and skills.

A set of criteria is identified for each category in the achievement chart. The criteria are subsets of the
knowledge and skills that define the category. The criteria identify the aspects of student performance
that are assessed and/or evaluated, and they serve as a guide to what teachers look for. In the
mathematics curriculum, the criteria for each category are as follows:

Knowledge and Understanding

• knowledge of content (e.g., terminology, procedural skills, mathematical models)

• understanding of content (e.g., concepts, principles, mathematical structures and processes)

Extract 57
Thinking

• use of planning skills (e.g., understanding the problem; generating ideas; formulating a plan of
action; selecting strategies, models, and tools; making conjectures and hypotheses)
• use of processing skills (e.g., carrying out a plan: collecting data, questioning, testing, revising,
modelling, solving, inferring, forming conclusions; looking back at a solution: evaluating
reasonableness, making arguments in support of a solution, reasoning, justifying, proving,
reflecting)
• use of critical/creative thinking processes (e.g., posing and solving problems, critiquing
solutions, using mathematical reasoning, evaluating mathematical models, making inferences
and testing conjectures and hypotheses)

Communication

• expression and organization of ideas and information in oral, visual, and/or written forms (e.g.,
pictorial, graphic, dynamic, numeric, algebraic forms; gestures and other non-verbal forms;
models)
• communication for different audiences and purposes (e.g., to share mathematical thinking, to
inform, to persuade, to share findings) in oral, visual, and/or written forms
• use of conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline in oral, visual, and/or written
forms (e.g., terms, symbols, units, labels, structures)

Application

• application of knowledge and skills (e.g., selecting and using representations, mathematical
tools, and strategies) in familiar contexts
• transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., selecting and using representations, mathematical tools,
and strategies) to new contexts
• making connections within and between various contexts (e.g., connections to real-life
situations and lived experiences; connections among concepts and representations; connections
between mathematics and other disciplines, including other STEM [science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics] subjects)

“Descriptors” indicate the characteristics of the student’s performance, with respect to a particular
criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused. Effectiveness is the descriptor used for each of
the criteria in the Thinking, Communication, and Application categories. What constitutes effectiveness
in any given performance task will vary with the particular criterion being considered. Assessment of
effectiveness may therefore focus on a quality such as appropriateness, clarity, accuracy, precision,
logic, relevance, significance, fluency, flexibility, depth, or breadth, as appropriate for the particular
criterion.

Extract 58
Expectations by Strand
Note

Teacher Supports

The expectations are accompanied by “teacher supports”, which may include examples, key
concepts, teacher prompts, instructional tips, and/or sample tasks. These elements are intended to
promote understanding of the intent of the specific expectations and are offered as illustrations for
teachers. The teacher supports do not set out requirements for student learning; they are optional,
not mandatory.
“Examples” are meant to illustrate the intent of the expectation, the kind of knowledge, concepts,
or skills, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the
expectation entails.
“Teacher prompts” are sample guiding questions and considerations that can lead to discussions
and promote deeper understanding.
“Instructional tips” are intended to support educators in delivering instruction that facilitates
student learning related to the knowledge, concepts, and skills set out in the expectations.
“Sample tasks” are developed to model appropriate practice for the course. They provide possible
learning activities for teachers to use with students and illustrate connections between the
mathematical knowledge, concepts, and skills. Teachers can choose to draw on the sample tasks
that are appropriate for their classrooms, or they may develop their own approaches that reflect a
similar level of complexity and high-quality mathematical instruction. Whatever the specific ways in
which the requirements outlined in the expectations are implemented in the classroom, they must,
wherever possible, be inclusive and reflect the diversity of the student population and the
population of the province. When designing inclusive learning tasks, teachers reflect on their own
biases and incorporate their deep knowledge of the curriculum, as well as their understanding of
the diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities of students. Teachers will notice that
some of the sample tasks address the requirements of the expectation they are associated with and
incorporate mathematical knowledge, concepts, or skills described in expectations in other strands
of the course. Some tasks are cross-curricular in nature and will cover expectations in other
disciplines in conjunction with the mathematics expectations.

Extract 59
AA. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in
Mathematics
Overall expectations
Throughout this course, in the context of learning related to the other strands, students will:

AA1. Social-Emotional Learning Skills

develop and explore a variety of social-emotional learning skills in a context that supports and reflects
this learning in connection with the expectations across all other strands

This overall expectation is to be included in classroom instruction, but not in assessment, evaluation,
or reporting. See further information about approaches to instruction that support all students as
they work to apply mathematical thinking, make connections, and develop a healthy identity as
mathematics learners to foster well-being and the ability to learn mathematics.

Teacher supports

Examples

The following examples illustrate various ways teachers may provide instruction to support
students in developing social-emotional learning skills in connection to learning mathematics.

Recognizing and Identifying Emotions That Support Mathematical Learning

Scenario [checking observations with student]: A student has been given the task of multiplying
powers with variable bases (e.g., a2 ∙ a8).

Teacher Observation: The teacher perceives that the student appears to be frustrated with the
task.

Note: Each teacher’s perspectives are subject to and informed by their own experiences. What
the teacher observes and perceives may or may not align with what the student is actually
feeling and experiencing. A culturally responsive and relevant approach starts with the teacher
engaging in self-reflection, then considering elements of an inclusive learning environment and
the educational context in which they are observing the student.

Extract 60
Teacher Action and Student Response: The teacher asks the student if they would like to talk
through the task together. The student accepts. During the conversation, the teacher supports
the student in identifying the emotions they are feeling and helps build the student’s
understanding that thoughts, feelings, and actions are all connected and affect one another. In
this case, the student identifies that they are feeling confused and frustrated. The teacher
works with the student to identify strategies that will help in this situation (e.g., identify what
they do understand, develop related mathematical literacy, make connections by relating the
task to what they know about powers with numeric bases, seek further information by
reviewing class notes about exponent laws, explore different ways of looking at the problem,
take a break and come back to the task later). In this case, the teacher asks the student to think
about a similar situation and strategies they may have used when they multiplied powers with
bases that were integers. For example, the student could be encouraged to write out the
expanded form of the expression, without exponents, use that expression to recall what to do
and why the method makes sense, then generalize this understanding and apply the method to
the problem with the variable bases. In this way, the student makes the connection to their
prior learning and applies it to complete the task. The student could then reflect on how the
approach they took to work through this task might help them the next time they feel
frustrated with a task.

Teacher Reflection [continue reflection on an ongoing basis]: The teacher reflects on how their
actions may have affected the student’s level of confidence in using strategies for continuing to
problem solve when the student feels frustrated. The teacher thinks about potential
alternatives for future interactions with this student. This interaction also supports teacher
decisions on future tasks that may improve this particular student’s perseverance skills and
confidence.

Note: Ongoing teacher reflection is important throughout instruction, not just at the beginning
and end. It includes developing an understanding of individual student identities, strengths, and
needs, including language learning and educational experience. This is a critical first step in
building trust and relationships with students.

Recognizing Sources of Stress That Present Challenges to Mathematical Learning

Scenario [using culturally responsive pedagogy to build a plan of action in response to

individual student strengths and needs]: A student has been given a task that involves fractions.

Student’s Initial Reaction: The student shares with the teacher that they get stressed every time
they encounter a fraction.

Extract 61
Teacher and Student Conversation: The teacher thanks the student for sharing information
about how they are feeling and asks if they would like to share more about why fractions create
a stressful response for them. The student shares with the teacher that they do not see the
relevance of fractions to their everyday life, and that they have always struggled with fractions
for as long as they can remember.

The teacher acknowledges the student’s feelings of stress, and helps the student respond to
these feelings by identifying what they do know about fractions. Next steps could include
identifying what additional support is needed to help the student feel less stressed and be more
successful and confident when working with fractions. For example, the teacher could select
mathematical tasks that are contextualized to provide a relatable entry point for this student,
including the use of fraction manipulatives (e.g., fraction strips, relational rods) to complete the
tasks.

Teacher Reflection [consider strengths and needs of individual students]: The teacher thinks
about how their approach to working with individual students to identify personal strategies to
respond to stress seemed to have been received by this particular student. This provides useful
information about strategies that might best support this student in the future.

Identifying Resources and Supports That Aid Perseverance in Mathematical Learning

Scenario [providing one-on-one support]: A student has been given the task of writing code to
explore what happens to the volume of a rectangular prism when one, two, and three
dimensions of the prism are altered.

Student’s Initial Reaction: The student shares with the teacher that they do not know how to
begin the task and they feel overwhelmed.

Teacher’s Response to Student: The teacher has a conversation with the student to learn about
their prior experience with coding. The teacher then works directly with the student,
supporting them as they develop a physical model and a flow chart to plan out the code for
exploring what happens to the volume of a rectangular prism when one dimension changes.
Next, the teacher has the student write the code and execute it to see if they get the output
they were expecting.

Student’s Response to Teacher: The student shares that the code they wrote produced what
they expected.

Teacher’s Response to Student: The teacher then works with the student to identify how the
model and the flow chart will need to be altered to reflect a change in two dimensions instead

Extract 62
of one. The teacher points out that knowing the steps to follow and knowing that it is okay if
the results aren’t as expected both aid in persevering with the task.

Student’s Response to Teacher: The student shares with the teacher that they now know what
to do and can proceed with writing the remaining code to complete the task.

After getting to this stage, the student reflects that one of the benefits of coding is that one can
get feedback right away, and that it is okay if the results are not as expected. Identifying the
reason for the difference is part of the process and the challenge.

Teacher Reflection [consider strategies for uplifting students and impact of this]: The teacher
thinks about aspects of what this student did that could be helpful to other students. After
inquiring whether this student is willing to share their successes, the teacher can proceed to
highlight for the class effective strategies that this student employed. This might then further
improve this student’s experience with coding as well as their confidence. The teacher can
subsequently reflect on how these interactions were helpful for this student as well as for their
peers and imagine ways the experience could have been improved.

Building Healthy Relationships and Communicating Effectively in Mathematics

Scenario [supporting individual students within a group setting]: The teacher is presenting a
mathematical modelling task that students are to complete in a small group.

Students’ Initial Reaction: Some students express discomfort with working in a small group.

Teacher Prompt: The teacher checks in with these students to find out what makes them feel
uncomfortable about working in a group. The students indicate that the lack of structure and
accountability in group discussions and settings bothers them and makes them nervous about
completing the task. Students may need support to describe what makes them uncomfortable.

Whole-Class Discussion: The teacher facilitates a discussion with the class to co-create working
agreements that include guidelines and practices that are important to them in order to
collaborate effectively as a group – providing brief examples of effective strategies that they
already have seen from the students. Guidelines and practices could include listening
attentively to each other’s ideas; having one person at a time share their idea; ensuring that all
ideas are respected and valued; deciding as a group which ideas for solving the task they will
explore further. Students describe what these co-constructed agreements may look and sound
like; for example, listening to ideas before commenting, or asking probing questions to clarify.
The teacher records the agreements and posts them in the classroom as a reference for all
group tasks.

Extract 63
Small-Group Discussion: The students begin working in small groups to complete the
mathematical modelling task. The teacher visits each of the groups to monitor whether
discussions are following the working agreements that were set by the class. The teacher
checks in privately with the students who had expressed discomfort in group settings to see
how they are feeling and identifies whether additional supports are needed in order for the
students to be able to interact meaningfully with the group discussion. The teacher facilitates
the discussion with each group by posing questions about the mathematical modelling task and
supports students in using the guidelines that have been set.

Teacher Reflection [inform future action]: The teacher considers how these students responded
to the discussion, and how future activities can be structured with a positive experience for
these students in mind. The teacher reflects on how the guidelines established by the class can
be revisited and further established in future conversations with students – recognizing that
this is a fluid process.

Developing a Healthy Mathematical Identity Through Building Self-Awareness

Scenario [building empowerment through relevance using a strength-based approach]:

Students are given the task of researching and telling a story about the development of a
geometric concept that is relevant to them. The teacher provides guidance for a student who is
unsure of how to approach this.

Small-Group Discussion: The teacher asks students to brainstorm in small groups some possible
geometric concepts that they might be interested in researching and identify why each concept
is of interest.

Teacher Prompt: The teacher asks students to select one of the concepts from their
brainstorming session that might be relevant to them, in that they can make a personal
connection to the concept or tell a story about it in a way that reflects their identities or
interests.

Students’ Action: Students gather information on their selected concepts. They may collect
information from personal history, community organizations, or other resources.

Teacher Prompt: The teacher prompts students to decide how they would like to create and
share their story about their chosen concept with others in the class. The teacher also asks the
students to make connections to a career or to a discipline such as the arts (visual or media arts
or dance).

Extract 64
Student and Teacher Discussion: For the student who was unsure of how to create and share
their story, the teacher and student work together to identify an approach that uses the
student’s strengths and highlights the relevance of the concept they have chosen (e.g., telling
their story through a musical composition or a visual display).

Teacher Reflection [connect the intent of the curriculum and various global perspectives]: The
teacher reflects on how stories of geometric concepts were represented by various cultures
demonstrates their significant contributions to mathematics. The teacher thinks about including
the stories of various cultures in their teaching so that students come to understand and
appreciate mathematics as a human story.

Developing Critical and Creative Mathematical Thinking

Scenario [supporting students who are working in pairs in developing an appreciation of other
perspectives]: Students are given the task of creating a table of values, a graph, and an
algebraic expression to represent a linear relation.

Students’ Actions: One student chooses to start with creating a graph to represent their
relation. Another student chooses to start with creating a table of values.

Teacher Facilitation: The teacher is monitoring the class as students are creating their
representations and notices that two students are approaching the task by starting with
different representations. The teacher checks with the students to see if they are okay with
sharing with the rest of the class their work so far. The students agree, and the teacher pauses
the class and invites the students to share. The teacher reinforces the idea that mathematicians
use different representations as starting points in their problem solving and consolidates the
critical understanding that different starting points and approaches can lead to the same result.
These two students share their reasoning for why they chose to start with the representations
that they did, and elaborate on how they made connections and decisions as part of their
thinking process.

Students’ Responses: The student who started with a graph shared that they like to see whether
they are creating a line that has a positive slope or a negative slope. For them, a visual
representation is a helpful starting point. The student who started with the table of values
shared that they wanted to create their linear relation by seeing the pattern between each pair
of points. For this student, being able to see the numbers side by side helps to show the
relationship between the numbers.

Teacher Facilitation: The teacher encourages the rest of the students to think about why they
chose the representation that they did, and then asks them to also think about the benefits of

Extract 65
being aware of the reasons behind their decisions. The teacher also prompts a discussion about
the connections among the different representations and how each of them provides
information, such as comparing the amount the graph goes up or down at each iteration with
the change in the value in the chart of the dependent variable. Next, this might also be
compared to the slope, and the meanings all explicitly connected.

Teacher Reflection [consider the effectiveness of messaging]: The teacher reflects on the
effectiveness of their comments about various representations – whether students connected
their own experiences with the summary that the teacher shared when facilitating the
discussion. The teacher may continue to reflect on the direction of future lessons, and on
whether more activities are necessary or helpful for students to better appreciate the
importance of connecting various representations.

Instructional tips

Approaches to Instruction of Social-Emotional Learning Skills

See the section Elements of the Grade 9 Mathematics Course – Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Skills in Grade 9 Mathematics for essential information on approaches to instruction.

Opportunities for Planning Instruction

Teachers are encouraged to look for opportunities to highlight and embed explorations of and
connections to social-emotional learning skills, where appropriate, within the learning
throughout the course, in order to support students in developing and applying these skills.

When reviewing the Instructional Tips provided in each strand and planning for instruction
throughout the course, teachers consider how to use strategies such as the sample strategies
outlined in the section mentioned above to support the instruction of social-emotional learning
skills in an inclusive way.

Below are some examples of opportunities that teachers might find for instruction of social-
emotional learning skills as part of students’ learning related to the other expectations
throughout the course. Note that that there are many other possible opportunities for this to
occur, taking into account students’ strengths and needs and the learning context.

• Recognizing and Identifying Emotions That Support Mathematical Learning

Through instruction, teachers can support students in:
• recognizing that new or challenging learning may involve a sense of excitement or
an initial sense of discomfort, and honouring those emotions as they arise; for
example, when students are writing and altering code to represent mathematical
situations (C2.1, C2.2).

Extract 66
Note

Engaging in self-reflection is key for teachers in recognizing that various experiences in

mathematics will elicit a range of emotions from students. It is important for teachers to be
responsive to emotions they observe in the students they are working with and work to avoid
anticipating certain emotions based on personal experience. See Social-Emotional Learning
(SEL) Skills in Grade 9 Mathematics for further guidance.

• Recognizing Sources of Stress That Present Challenges to Mathematical Learning

Through instruction, teachers can support students in:
• approaching peers, teachers, other staff, family, and/or their extended
community for support in a range of situations; for example, when students are
applying the process of mathematical modelling to solve real-life problems (D2.2,
D2.3, D2.4, D2.5);
• applying strategies such as engaging in guided imagery and visualization to help
make mathematical connections; for example, when students are making
connections between y = ax and its various transformations (C4.3).
• Identifying Resources and Supports That Aid Perseverance in Mathematical Learning
Through instruction, teachers can support students in:
• recognizing mistakes as a necessary and helpful part of learning; for example,
when students are solving problems involving conversions between different units
or between measurement systems (E1.3);
• encouraging students to persevere and seek support when they find concepts and
exercises to be challenging;
• noticing strengths and positive aspects of experiences, appreciating the value of
practice and the necessity of repetition, and reflecting on the process of practice;
for example, when students are solving problems involving operations with
positive and negative fractions and mixed numbers (B3.4).
• Building Healthy Relationships and Communicating Effectively in Mathematics
Through instruction, teachers can support students in:
• listening attentively and respectfully in various situations; for example, when
peers are sharing their stories about a mathematical concept of their interest, in
order to understand and appreciate the perspectives of others’ identities,
knowledge, and experiences (B1.1, C1.1, E1.1);
• considering other ideas and perspectives from peers, parents, and the wider
community; for example, when students are sharing their rationales for budget
modifications (F1.4).
• Developing a Healthy Mathematical Identity Through Building Self-Awareness
Through instruction, teachers can support students in:

Extract 67
 • identifying their personal strengths and exercising their own creativity as they
engage in a variety of tasks; for example, when students are creating and
analysing geometric designs that are relevant to them (E1.2);
• nurturing a sense of belonging and community; for example, when students are
making connections between mathematics, various knowledge systems, and real-
life applications of mathematics, by recognizing a range of experiences (A2).
• Developing Critical and Creative Mathematical Thinking
Through instruction, teachers can support students in:
• making connections between different forms of representation; for example,
when students are comparing characteristics of graphs, tables of values, and
equations of linear and non-linear relations (C4.1);
• making decisions; for example, when students are considering how to represent
and analyse data (D1.2).

A. Mathematical Thinking and Making Connections

This strand has no specific expectations. Students’ learning related to this strand
takes place in the context of learning related to strands B through F, and it should
be assessed and evaluated within these contexts.

Overall expectations
Throughout this course, in connection with the learning in the other strands, students will:

A1. Mathematical Processes

apply the mathematical processes to develop a conceptual understanding of, and procedural fluency
with, the mathematics they are learning

Teacher supports

Instructional tips

Teachers can:

• highlight the interconnectedness of the seven mathematical processes (problem solving,

reasoning and proving, reflecting, connecting, communicating, representing, and

Extract 68
 selecting tools and strategies) and model ways for students to combine them while
doing mathematics;
• support students in activating their prior knowledge when encountering new concepts
(connecting);
• provide students with opportunities to integrate their learning within and across the
strands, explicitly demonstrating and reinforcing connections between various
mathematical concepts (connecting);
• support students’ appreciation of the innate beauty of mathematics (problem solving,
reasoning and proving, reflecting, connecting, communicating, representing, selecting
tools and strategies);
• pose problems that have multiple entry points and can be solved in various ways
(problem solving);
• provide students with opportunities to pose and solve authentic problems that are of
interest to them (problem solving);
• make available a range of materials and technologies for students to choose from and
teach them how to select and use tools to represent mathematical situations, solve
problems, and communicate their thinking (selecting tools and strategies);
• support students in understanding that the same mathematical situation can be
represented in various ways, and in making connections among different
representations (representing, connecting);
• empower students to think about and strategize how they solve problems, including
steps such as representing the situations, selecting tools and strategies, reflecting on the
reasonableness of their solutions, and justifying their thinking (problem solving,
representing, selecting tools and strategies, reflecting, reasoning and proving);
• encourage students to reflect on their mistakes and on feedback they are given and to
revise their mathematical solutions as necessary, demonstrating how doing so can move
learning forward (reflecting);
• provide opportunities for students to respectfully listen, reflect, and discuss strategies
and reasoning in pairs or small groups (communicating, reflecting, reasoning and
proving);
• facilitate the purposeful sharing of different problem-solving strategies for the same
problem, including validating, recognizing, and encouraging fruitful aspects in each
student’s strategy (communicating, reflecting);
• support all students in expanding their communicative repertoire to include a broader
range of terminology and conventions (communicating);
• create opportunities for meaningful peer feedback and emphasize the benefits of
discourse in the learning of mathematics (communicating).

Teacher prompts

Extract 69
Prompts that highlight specific mathematical processes

Problem Solving

• Explain in your own words the problem you need to solve.

• What information, knowledge, and strategies may be helpful to solve this problem?
• What assumptions are inherent in the problem? What assumptions are you making?
• What information do you know already and what additional information is required to
solve the problem?

Reasoning and Proving

• Is this statement true for all cases?

• How can you verify this answer?
• What would happen if …? (e.g., if the rate of change increased? if this number were
negative?)
• How can you extend these ideas to more general cases?

Reflecting

• Does this answer make sense to you? Why or why not?

• How did the learning tool you chose contribute to your understanding of, or solution
for, the problem?
• How did the tool assist you in communicating your answer or your thinking?
• What strategies did you use that did or did not work?
• What did you learn in the process of working through this problem?

Connecting

• What connection(s) do you see between a problem you solved previously [describe the
problem student solved previously] and today’s problem?
• Describe the connections you see between … and …. (e.g., one representation with
another, a student’s interpretation with another, a student’s strategy with another)
• How does your representation (e.g., diagram, sketch, concrete/digital representation)
connect to …? (e.g., the algebraic solution? another student’s work?)
• How is the strategy that was just shared in the group discussion similar to or different
from your strategy?

Extract 70
Communicating

• Present your solution to a problem so that someone else will understand your thinking
and your process.
• Share your thinking with this group and consider their feedback as you revise your work.
• How can you express this in another way?

Representing

• In what other way(s) can you represent this situation?

• How could you represent this situation using a graph? using a diagram? using
concrete/digital tools? using a table of values?
• In what way(s) would a scale model help you solve this problem?

Selecting Tools and Strategies

• Explain why you chose to use this tool/strategy to solve the problem.
• What other tools/strategies did you consider using? Explain why you chose not to use
them.
• What were the advantages and disadvantages of the strategies you tried?
• What estimation strategy did you use? Was your result sufficiently accurate for the
situation?

Sample tasks

Sample tasks from Strands B to F that highlight various mathematical processes:

Number

B2.1 Sample task that highlights reasoning and proving, and selecting tools and strategies:

• Have students determine, using a strategy of their choice, which number is smaller, −4 ×
103 or 4 × 10−3.

Algebra

C4.2 Sample task that highlights representing and making connections:

Extract 71
 • Ask students to generate a set of coordinates that satisfy the equation x + y = 10. Have
them plot these coordinates on a grid, and then discuss whether they have found all the
possible values that satisfy the equation or if there are others between these points.
This discussion should lead to the idea of connecting the points with a line to represent
all possible values. Then have them choose points above and below the line they have
drawn, and ask them how these points are connected to the inequalities x + y > 10 and
x + y < 10.

Data

D2.5 Teacher prompts that highlight reflecting (after completing a mathematical modelling
task):

• Does your model help you to answer your question? Did you need to revise the model?
Why?
• Does your model allow you to make predictions?
• What predictions can be made based on the model?
• What are the limits of the model?

Geometry and Measurement

E1.3 Sample task that highlights problem solving:

• Have students solve problems that involve using unconventional units to measure. For
example: How many of the same type of coin are needed to go around the
circumference of Earth?

Financial Literacy

F1.4 Sample task that highlights communication:

• Show students the budget for a division of the local municipal government (e.g., Parks
and Recreation). Pose a scenario that is relevant to the current local situation (e.g.,
community members would like an outdoor skating rink) and have students discuss how
the budget could be modified based on this scenario.

Extract 72
A2. Making Connections
make connections between mathematics and various knowledge systems, their lived experiences, and
various real-life applications of mathematics, including careers

Teacher supports

Instructional tips

Teachers can:

• demonstrate that they honour and value connections identified by students, and share
their excitement over the connections they discover;
• build on students’ sense of their identities, experiences in school and other experiences,
ideas, questions, and interests to support the development of an engaging and inclusive
mathematics learning community;
• create opportunities for every student to feel that they are reflected in mathematical
learning;
• facilitate discussions about the applications of mathematics in the world outside the
classroom, including the natural world;
• provide opportunities for students to recognize that mathematical knowledge has been
developed by every culture around the globe;
• respectfully incorporate, in partnership through community connections (e.g., a
community member, Elder, knowledge holder, or other individual with expertise),
specific examples that highlight First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures and ways of
being and knowing, in order to infuse Indigenous knowledges and perspectives
meaningfully and authentically into the mathematics program;
• facilitate student-generated class discussions about careers and fields of study that
students are interested in exploring.

Note

Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with community partners to plan culturally responsive
and relevant teaching that honours and respects students’ identities, and that includes real-life
applications of mathematics that are relevant to students’ lives and their communities.

Teacher prompts

Extract 73
 • How does this mathematical concept connect to a story that has been shared by others
in the class?
• How does this mathematical concept connect to something you have experienced in
your life?
• How do you see this mathematical concept applied in real life?
• What are some careers that may use this mathematical concept, and in what ways?

Sample tasks

Connections students may make when completing sample tasks for strands B to F:

Number

B1.3 Sample Task

Have students make their own fractal triangles (Sierpinski triangles) by repeating a simple
pattern of triangles to create a complex image, then use these images to create as many kinds
of different number sets as they can (e.g., the number of blue triangles in each image, the
fraction of blue triangles to white triangles in each image) or another similar fractal.

A student engaged in this task might make connections between the concept of infinity in their
fractal designs and the fractal designs they have seen in nature, such as in pine cones, ice
crystals, and trees.

Algebra

C3.2 Sample Task

Provide students with one representation of a linear relation in context, and ask them to create
a different representation of the relation. Some examples of contexts that might be relevant to
students’ lives are:

• cost of participating in various classes (e.g., dance, yoga, martial arts, fitness, music)
• distance travelled over time

Extract 74
 • number of hours worked and total pay
• mass of bulk goods purchased and cost
• area of land and crop yield

A student engaged in this task might make connections between a real-life context that is
familiar to them and the way each type of representation reveals information about that
context.

Data

D2.1 Sample Task

Have students research careers that involve mathematical modelling.

A student engaged in this task might make connections between mathematical modelling and
careers such as game designer, meteorologist, actuary, marketing analyst, and biostatistician.

Geometry and Measurement

E1.3 Sample Task

Ask students to share a recipe that is relevant to them, their family, and/or their community.
Have them exchange recipes and pose questions for other students to answer, such as:

• What ingredient do you need the most of, and how can you tell?
• If you are missing one of the measuring tools, how can you use another measuring tool
to measure the appropriate amount?
• If the recipe uses mass, how can you convert it to use capacity measuring tools?

A student engaged in this task might make connections between recipes that use imperial
measures, such as cups, those that use metric measures, such as grams, and other types of
measures, such as handfuls.

Financial Literacy

F1.2 Sample Task

Have students brainstorm examples of assets that appreciate or depreciate, including those
that might experience a short-term appreciation due to a current trend (e.g., trading cards,
trends started on social media). Show students graphs or provide them with data to graph

Extract 75
depicting the appreciation and depreciation of assets identified during the brainstorming
session and have them identify what they notice and what questions they might still have about
each of the graphs.

A student engaged in this task might make connections between assets that appreciate or
depreciate in value and items they are collecting, such as video games, comic books, or sports
memorabilia.

B. Number
Overall expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

B1. Development of Numbers and Number Sets

demonstrate an understanding of the development and use of numbers, and make connections
between sets of numbers

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Development and Use of Numbers

B1.1 research a number concept to tell a story about its development and use in a specific culture, and
describe its relevance in a current context

Number Sets
B1.2 describe how various subsets of a number system are defined, and describe similarities and
differences between these subsets
B1.3 use patterns and number relationships to explain density, infinity, and limit as they relate to
number sets

B2. Powers
represent numbers in various ways, evaluate powers, and simplify expressions by using the relationships
between powers and their exponents

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Extract 76
Powers
B2.1 analyse, through the use of patterning, the relationship between the sign and size of an exponent
and the value of a power, and use this relationship to express numbers in scientific notation and
evaluate powers
B2.2 analyse, through the use of patterning, the relationships between the exponents of powers and the
operations with powers, and use these relationships to simplify numeric and algebraic expressions

B3. Number Sense and Operations

apply an understanding of rational numbers, ratios, rates, percentages, and proportions, in various
mathematical contexts, and to solve problems

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Rational Numbers
B3.1 apply an understanding of integers to describe location, direction, amount, and changes in any of
these, in various contexts
B3.2 apply an understanding of unit fractions and their relationship to other fractional amounts, in
various contexts, including the use of measuring tools
B3.3 apply an understanding of integers to explain the effects that positive and negative signs have on
the values of ratios, rates, fractions, and decimals, in various contexts

Applications
B3.4 solve problems involving operations with positive and negative fractions and mixed numbers,
including problems involving formulas, measurements, and linear relations, using technology when
appropriate
B3.5 pose and solve problems involving rates, percentages, and proportions in various contexts,
including contexts connected to real-life applications of data, measurement, geometry, linear relations,
and financial literacy

Extract 77
C. Algebra
Overall expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

C1. Algebraic Expressions and Equations

demonstrate an understanding of the development and use of algebraic concepts and of their
connection to numbers, using various tools and representations

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Development and Use of Algebra

C1.1 research an algebraic concept to tell a story about its development and use in a specific culture,
and describe its relevance in a current context

Algebraic Expressions and Equations

C1.2 create algebraic expressions to generalize relationships expressed in words, numbers, and visual
representations, in various contexts
C1.3 compare algebraic expressions using concrete, numerical, graphical, and algebraic methods to
identify those that are equivalent, and justify their choices
C1.4 simplify algebraic expressions by applying properties of operations of numbers, using various
representations and tools, in different contexts
C1.5 create and solve equations for various contexts, and verify their solutions

C2. Coding
apply coding skills to represent mathematical concepts and relationships dynamically, and to solve
problems, in algebra and across the other strands

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Coding
C2.1 use coding to demonstrate an understanding of algebraic concepts including variables, parameters,
equations, and inequalities
C2.2 create code by decomposing situations into computational steps in order to represent
mathematical concepts and relationships, and to solve problems

Extract 78
C2.3 read code to predict its outcome, and alter code to adjust constraints, parameters, and outcomes
to represent a similar or new mathematical situation

C3. Application of Relations

represent and compare linear and non-linear relations that model real-life situations, and use these
representations to make predictions

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Application of Linear and Non-Linear Relations

C3.1 compare the shapes of graphs of linear and non-linear relations to describe their rates of change,
to make connections to growing and shrinking patterns, and to make predictions
C3.2 represent linear relations using concrete materials, tables of values, graphs, and equations, and
make connections between the various representations to demonstrate an understanding of rates of
change and initial values
C3.3 compare two linear relations of the form y = ax + b graphically and algebraically, and interpret the
meaning of their point of intersection in terms of a given context

C4. Characteristics of Relations

demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of various representations of linear and non-linear
relations, using tools, including coding when appropriate

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Characteristics of Linear and Non-Linear Relations

C4.1 compare characteristics of graphs, tables of values, and equations of linear and non-linear relations
C4.2 graph relations represented as algebraic equations of the forms x = k, y = k, x + y = k, x – y = k,
ax + by = k, and xy = k, and their associated inequalities, where a, b, and k are constants, to identify
various characteristics and the points and/or regions defined by these equations and inequalities
C4.3 translate, reflect, and rotate lines defined by y = ax, where a is a constant, and describe how each
transformation affects the graphs and equations of the defined lines
C4.4 determine the equations of lines from graphs, tables of values, and concrete representations of
linear relations by making connections between rates of change and slopes, and between initial values
and y-intercepts, and use these equations to solve problems

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D. Data
Overall expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

D1. Collection, Representation, and Analysis of Data

describe the collection and use of data, and represent and analyse data involving one and two variables

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Application of Data
D1.1 identify a current context involving a large amount of data, and describe potential implications and
consequences of its collection, storage, representation, and use

Representation and Analysis of Data

D1.2 represent and statistically analyse data from a real-life situation involving a single variable in
various ways, including the use of quartile values and box plots
D1.3 create a scatter plot to represent the relationship between two variables, determine the
correlation between these variables by testing different regression models using technology, and use a
model to make predictions when appropriate

D2. Mathematical Modelling

apply the process of mathematical modelling, using data and mathematical concepts from other strands,
to represent, analyse, make predictions, and provide insight into real-life situations

The Mathematical Modelling Process

Mathematical modelling provides authentic connections to real-life situations. The process starts with
ill-defined, often messy real-life problems that may have several different solutions that are all correct.
Mathematical modelling requires the modeller to be critical and creative and make choices,
assumptions, and decisions. Through this process, they create a mathematical model that describes a
situation using mathematical concepts and language, and that can be used to solve a problem or make
decisions and can be used to deepen understanding of mathematical concepts.

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The process of mathematical modelling13 has four key components that are interconnected and applied
in an iterative way, where students may move between and across, as well as return to, each of the four
components as they change conditions to observe new outcomes until the model is ready to be shared
and acted upon. While moving through these components, social-emotional learning skills and
mathematical processes are applied as needed.

1. Understand the problem

• What questions need answering?
• What information is needed?
2. Analyse the situation
• What assumptions do I make about the situation?
• What changes, what remains the same?
3. Create a mathematical model
• What representations, tools, technologies, and strategies will help build the model?
• What mathematical knowledge, concepts, and skills might be involved?
4. Analyse and assess the model
• Can this model provide a solution?
• What are alternative models?

Hirsch, C. R., & McDuffie, A. R. (Eds.). (2016). Annual perspectives in mathematics education 2016:
13

Mathematical modeling and modeling mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics.

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Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Application of Mathematical Modelling

D2.1 describe the value of mathematical modelling and how it is used in real life to inform decisions

Process of Mathematical Modelling

D2.2 identify a question of interest requiring the collection and analysis of data, and identify the
information needed to answer the question
D2.3 create a plan to collect the necessary data on the question of interest from an appropriate source,
identify assumptions, identify what may vary and what may remain the same in the situation, and then
carry out the plan
D2.4 determine ways to display and analyse the data in order to create a mathematical model to answer
the original question of interest, taking into account the nature of the data, the context, and the
assumptions made
D2.5 report how the model can be used to answer the question of interest, how well the model fits the
context, potential limitations of the model, and what predictions can be made based on the model

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E. Geometry and Measurement
Overall expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

E1. Geometric and Measurement Relationships

demonstrate an understanding of the development and use of geometric and measurement
relationships, and apply these relationships to solve problems, including problems involving real-life
situations

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Geometric and Measurement Relationships

E1.1 research a geometric concept or a measurement system to tell a story about its development and
use in a specific culture or community, and describe its relevance in connection to careers and to other
disciplines
E1.2 create and analyse designs involving geometric relationships and circle and triangle properties,
using various tools
E1.3 solve problems involving different units within a measurement system and between measurement
systems, including those from various cultures or communities, using various representations and
technology, when appropriate
E1.4 show how changing one or more dimensions of a two-dimensional shape and a three-dimensional
object affects perimeter/circumference, area, surface area, and volume, using technology when
appropriate
E1.5 solve problems involving the side-length relationship for right triangles in real-life situations,
including problems that involve composite shapes
E1.6 solve problems using the relationships between the volume of prisms and pyramids and between
the volume of cylinders and cones, involving various units of measure

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F. Financial Literacy
Overall expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

F1. Financial Decisions

demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to make informed financial decisions

Specific expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

Financial Decisions
F1.1 identify a past or current financial situation and explain how it can inform financial decisions, by
applying an understanding of the context of the situation and related mathematical knowledge
F1.2 identify financial situations that involve appreciation and depreciation, and use associated graphs
to answer related questions
F1.3 compare the effects that different interest rates, lengths of borrowing time, ways in which interest
is calculated, and amounts of down payments have on the overall costs associated with purchasing
goods or services, using appropriate tools
F1.4 modify budgets displayed in various ways to reflect specific changes in circumstances, and provide
a rationale for the modifications

Information for Parents

A parent’s guide to Mathematics, Grade 9 (2021)

Resources
Sample course plans for Grade 9 Mathematics

Key Changes – Grade 9 Mathematics, De-streamed (MTH1W), 2021

Ontario Mathematics Curriculum: Grades 7–8–9 Alignment Chart

Introduction to Effective Teaching Practices for the De-streamed Grade 9 Math Classroom

Webinars supporting the math curriculum

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Financial literacy modules for students

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