Connected Mathematics
CMP4 Problem Hub
Michigan State University · College of Natural Science
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CMP4 Problem Hub for Teacher Education

CMP4 Problem Hub for Teacher Education. Learning to teach mathematics begins with rich mathematical problems. Explore field-tested CMP4 Problems and the teaching resources that help college students and faculty prepare lessons, teach mathematics, and learn from classroom experiences. Plan: plan lessons around rich problems and teaching resources. Teach: facilitate student discussions, explore strategies, and build understanding together. Reflect: reflect on instruction and student thinking to inform next steps. Three future teachers work at a table in front of a whiteboard asking What do you notice? What do you wonder?
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One Problem. Everything you need.

One Problem. Everything you need. Rich mathematics for students, thoughtful support for teachers. Four sample pages from What's a Mean Household Size?: the CMP4 Problem student pages to experience the mathematics; the At a Glance abbreviated lesson plan; Extended Teacher Support for planning what students might do during the Launch-Explore-Summarize; and Answers with Embedded Student Thinking to anticipate strategies and responses.

Built for mathematics teacher education

Built for Mathematics Teacher Education. College Students: whether you're taking a mathematics content course, a methods course, or preparing for a field experience, the CMP4 Problem Hub helps you find rich mathematical problems, prepare lesson plans, practice teaching, see how students might solve problems, and reflect on your teaching. College Faculty: use the CMP4 Problem Hub throughout your teacher preparation program — mathematics content courses, mathematics methods courses, lesson planning assignments, microteaching, field experiences, and student teaching.

Explore a rich math problem. Prepare to teach it. Teach it. Learn from it.

Explore a rich math problem. Prepare to teach it. Teach it. Learn from it. The same problem can support mathematics content courses, methods courses, teaching rehearsals, field experiences, and student teaching. A journey map traces where the Hub fits — methods and content courses, microteaching, field placement, student teaching, and professional practice — around one rich math problem. Why and purpose: explore the mathematics to build strong content knowledge; prepare your lesson with teacher guidance; teach the lesson with proven instructional strategies; see how students think through sample student work; and reflect and improve with evidence of learning.
School mathematics topics

Fourteen Problems, across the mathematics that matters.

14 Problems4 content strandsSpans grades 5–10English & Spanish student editions

Number & Operations

  • Adding & subtracting fractions
  • Dividing fractions
  • Integer operations
  • Proportional reasoning & rates

Algebra & Functions

  • Solving linear equations
  • Equivalent representations
  • Equivalent expressions
  • Exponential growth
  • Standard form of a line

Geometry & Measurement

  • Similarity & transformations
  • Circumference
  • The Pythagorean Theorem

Statistics & Probability

  • Mean
  • Median
Before you even sign in

CMP4 Teaching Resources.

The ideas behind every Problem — there when you need them.

CMP4 STEM Problem Format

How every CMP4 Problem is organized.

 Flip

Three prompts, one structure

The Initial Challenge, What If…?, and Now What Do You Know? — the prompts that structure every CMP4 Problem.

Read the overview

Launch-Explore-Summarize

The instructional model used throughout CMP4.

 Flip

Three phases of a lesson

Teachers launch the problem, students explore it together, and the class summarizes the mathematics.

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Arc of Learning

How mathematical ideas develop across Problems and Units.

 Flip

Five phases of understanding

Introduction, Exploration, Analysis, Synthesis, and Abstraction — tracing how understanding grows over time.

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Attending to Individual Learning Needs

Reaching every student in the room.

 Flip

The AILN framework

A framework — with general pedagogical strategies — for supporting each learner during a Problem.

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About

About the CMP4 Problem Hub for Teacher Education

For more than forty years, the Connected Mathematics Project team at Michigan State University has studied how students develop mathematical understanding and how teachers support that learning.

The CMP4 Problem Hub for Teacher Education extends that work by bringing together rich mathematical problems, teacher resources, and classroom experiences in one shared environment for teacher preparation.

Learn more about Connected Mathematics at connectedmath.msu.edu

CMP timeline: 1985 Middle Grades Mathematics Project; 1996 Connected Mathematics 1; 2006 Connected Mathematics 2; 2014 Connected Mathematics 3; 2025 Connected Mathematics 4; 2026 Problem Hub for Teacher Education.

Ready to begin?

Everything in the Hub is free for university teacher education.

Explore problemsDownload resourcesPrepare lessonsLearn to teach mathematics
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Simple terms, agreed at signup: use materials in your course, don’t redistribute them, and don’t upload them to AI systems. Already have an account? Sign in.