Problem-solving is where mathematics comes to life. When students reason, explore multiple strategies, and justify their thinking, they build confidence and deeper understanding. This post explores why problem-solving must be central to instruction and how high-quality instructional materials support students in becoming resilient, capable mathematicians.
In Environmental Science: Sustaining Your World, students explore marine conservation through the work of National Geographic Explorer Enric Sala.
True fluency is not about recalling facts on demand; it’s an ongoing process of setting the right conditions for learning so that understanding grows. For students, procedural fluency is the ability to use procedures accurately, efficiently, and flexibly. Fluency isn’t about racing through drills; it’s about giving students a toolkit of strategies they can adapt with confidence.
Partnership expands access to engaging, standards-aligned computer science curriculum for students and teachers worldwide
Learn how strong conceptual foundations give mathematical procedures meaning and unlock deeper learning. This blog shares classroom-ready strategies that help students connect ideas, reason flexibly, and confidently apply mathematics to real-world contexts.
Explore how educators can strike the right balance between conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in math instruction. This blog highlights strategies for creating lessons that are rigorous yet accessible, helping students connect mathematical ideas to real-world applications while building confidence and mastery.
Discover strategies for narrowing focus on essential math concepts and ensuring coherence across lessons so students build deep understanding rather than surface-level knowledge. Learn how high-quality instructional materials can help sequence learning deliberately and connect ideas from fractions to functions so students stay engaged, purposeful, and ready to apply math in new contexts.
Help students take control of their financial future with this engaging, real-world lesson plan. Through interactive activities, relatable scenarios, and practical tools, students will learn how to calculate gross and net pay, explore employee benefits, and build personal budgets.
Every day, in classrooms across the globe, teachers change lives. A carefully chosen question, a word of encouragement, or a well-sequenced lesson can transform mathematics from symbols on a page into a language for understanding the world. This series is written for you. It translates rigorous research into practical strategies you can use with confidence, strategies that are evidence-based, teacher-friendly, and grounded in classroom realities.
Unpack the essential elements of effective math instruction with this in-depth eBook that centers the teacher as a skilled artisan and instructional materials as their tools.
As a Social Studies teacher with over 20 years of experience, I still get excited when students make historical connections I hadn’t thought of. Their ability to find new ways to link ideas, people, and events across time never stops impressing me.
The National Geographic Society, with support from Allen Family Philanthropies, is launching the 2026 Slingshot Challenge, which provides a platform for youth to voice ideas about the future of conservation work.