MathScape: Seeing and Thinking Mathematically is an NSF-funded, standards-based mathematics curriculum for grades 6-8. The curriculum encourages students to learn mathematics by doing mathematics, by using and connecting mathematical ideas, and by actively constructing their own understanding. The materials are intended to help teachers create an inviting, exploratory classroom in which all students gain mathematical power. The curriculum builds on the central theme of mathematics in the human experience. Through the various units, students explore mathematics as it is used for planning, predicting, designing, creating, exploring, explaining, comparing, deciding, and other activities fundamental to human experience.

The curriculum incorporates four levels of learning goals: (1) An ability to engage in mathematical thinking; (2) An understanding of mathematical "big ideas," including patterns and functions, multiple representations, proportional reasoning, and mathematical modeling; (3) Proficiency with mathematical processes, such as conjecturing, experimenting, visualizing, proving, abstracting, and communicating about mathematics; (4) Competency with specific mathematical concepts and skills in the areas of algebra and functions, geometry and measurement, number and operations, and probability and statistics.

The pedagogy of the curriculum reflects a view of learning as a process of constructing one's own knowledge, and emphasizes the importance of the social context of learning for middle grades students. Assessment is integrated with learning activities.

The materials consist of 21 units -- 7 at each grade level -- and emphasize four major strands of mathematics: (1) number, (2) geometry and measurement, (3) data (including probability and statistics), and (4) algebra and functions. In addition, the materials support a number of mathematical "habits of mind," such as seeking patterns and relationships, abstracting essential aspects of situations, experimenting, testing the generality and limit of ideas, approaching problems systematically, trying alternative representations and strategies, and communicating mathematically.

Because of its modular nature, units of the curriculum can easily be reconfigured to meet the needs of specific schools and districts. Many schools will want to have all or most of the units form the bulk of their mathematics program. However, it is also possible to use MathScape units in conjunction with other mathematics programs. For example, some schools might want to combine select MathScape units to form a program for the sixth and seventh grades that prepares students for a more traditional algebra course in the eighth grade. Other schools will use MathScape units to supplement their regular mathematics materials.