The Grade 3–9 Sequence
PRISM Pet Supply: Grand Opening
Students design, build, and operate a pet supply store using physical tiles and rulers. 10 sessions covering area, perimeter, and multiplication in context.
3.OA, 3.MD, 3.NBT · 2.MD advanced · 4+ reviewMega Mini Games: Design Game X
Students play oversized physical fraction games, then design and build their own. The fraction math has to be structurally correct for the game to work. 10 sessions.
3.NF, 4.NF, 5.NF · 3 advanced · 5+ reviewMega Mini Games: The Next Big Game
All four fraction operations across 10 sessions. Students play Rollerslide, Collision, and Apex with oversized tracks and felt boards, then design their own game.
3.NF, 3.MD, 4.NF, 5.NF · 4 advanced · 6+ reviewSpace Academy: Finding P.I.P.E.R.
Students plot coordinates on planet maps, build a motorized racer, collect real data, and graph results — all in a rescue mission narrative. 10 sessions.
5.G, 5.OA, 5.NBT, 6.RP · 4 advanced · 6+ reviewSpace Academy: Journey to Titan
Ratios, proportional relationships, unit rate, percent, and scale. Students use motorized racers and real data collection across 10 sessions in a space exploration narrative.
5.OA, 6.RP, 6.EE, 7.RP, 7.G · 5 advanced · 7+ reviewBalance Lab
Equation-solving with a physical balance, cups, and cubes. From one-step through variables on both sides. 14 sessions covering the foundational half of algebra.
6.EE, 7.EE, 8.EE.C.7 · 5 advanced · 9+ reviewSlope Lab
Rate, slope, and y = mx + b with motorized racers and real data. Students build physical understanding of linear relationships before abstract representation. 21 sessions.
7.RP, 8.EE, 8.F · 7 advanced · 9+ reviewPitching the full sequence
"Algebra Studio is a coherent grade 3–9 progression — one instructional philosophy, increasing mathematical sophistication at each grade level. PRISM is area and perimeter in grade 3, Mega Mini Games covers fractions in grades 4 and 5, Space Academy handles coordinates and ratios in grades 5 and 6, and Balance Lab and Slope Lab cover equations and linear functions in grades 6 through 9. Same collaborative, hands-on approach at every level."
Don't say "complete curriculum" or "full math program" — that overpromises and triggers standards-coverage questions you can't win. Math Labs are supplemental. The sequence story is about coherence and depth across grades, not breadth within a grade.
After a successful pilot
"Your grade 3 teachers saw how PRISM worked. Design Game X picks up exactly where PRISM leaves off — same instructional approach, same team structure, but now the math is fractions instead of area. Your grade 4 teachers would recognize the format immediately."
Don't lead with the full sequence if they only know one product. Expand one grade at a time. The sequence diagram is for coordinators and superintendents who are already thinking at the district level — not for a teacher who tried one lab.
The algebra story
"Balance Lab and Slope Lab together cover the foundational half of Algebra 1 — equations, rate, slope, y = mx + b. That's 35 sessions of hands-on instruction on the concepts that determine whether students succeed or struggle in algebra. If the district cares about algebra readiness, this is the path."
Don't say "replaces Algebra 1" — it covers the foundational half, not the full course. Systems, quadratics, polynomials are not included. Be precise about what's covered and what isn't.
Best audience
Curriculum coordinators and superintendents — people who think in terms of grade-level progression and district-wide adoption. The sequence argument is less useful for an individual teacher buying one kit. It's most powerful when the buyer is already thinking about coherence across grades.
After a pilot
The strongest sequence conversation happens after a successful single-grade pilot. "Your grade 5 teachers loved The Next Big Game. Here's what the grade 6 version looks like." Move one grade at a time — the full 3–9 diagram is the closer, not the opener.
In an RFP or large district conversation
When a district is evaluating supplemental math programs, the sequence is the differentiator. No other hands-on supplemental program offers a coherent 3–9 progression. Digital platforms do, but they're screen-based. Traditional manipulatives don't have a curriculum attached. Math Labs sit alone in that space — structured, hands-on, collaborative, and connected across grades.
Connecting to the evaluation partnership
The sequence argument pairs naturally with the evaluation partnership. A district that adopts across multiple grades has a built-in research story: they can measure impact at each grade level and track student progress through the sequence over time. Point them to the Evaluation page when this comes up.
The multi-grade cost picture
For detailed pricing by product, see the individual collection pages: PRISM, Mega Mini Games, Space Academy, Essentials.