Teaching for Social Mathematics: Exploring the Collaborative Roles of Social Studies and Mathematics Educators

Citizens today are inundated with quantitative information in an information-rich world. However, students rarely get the opportunity to use mathematics to explore social issues— a concept known as Social Mathematics. Social Mathematics should be an important part of students’ K-12 experiences and is fundamental in preparing our students for active citizenship in a democratic society. This feature makes the case that social mathematics is an important but often neglected area of social studies and mathematics education, and improving students’ knowledge in this area requires the collaborative efforts of both social studies and mathematics teachers. A variety of strategies and resources for interdisciplinary collaboration between social studies and mathematics teachers is provided.