Algebra 1 – Course Overview

The study of algebra involves finding patterns, balancing equations, and using graphs, lines,
and arithmetic to understand quantities or dimensions. It also includes the study of ratios,
percents, and probability. The concepts learned in Algebra I extend middle school math learning and
prepare students for future high school learning in Algebra II and Geometry. Beginning algebra
students learn concepts through lessons and practice. Online and offline projects allow students to
practice their new skills in practical, real-life situations, building an appreciation for how what they
are learning in school applies to life outside of school.

The Algebra I projects are designed to allow students to apply the algebra skills they have
been learning to real life situations.Students use problem solving skills to run a profitable business
in The Paddle Boat Trip. They compare and contrast interest rates and terms as they choose a loan
for a new business in DRD Enterprises. The Architect puts students to work using spatial-reasoning
skills as they fill in missing house dimensions and measure and compute the amount of carpeting
needed. In The Neighborhood, students value properties and redraw property lines using visual
skills, computation skills, and percents to find the information they need to complete the project.
Real-life applications can help engage students in their mathematics learning as they see directly
how what they’re learning applies to their lives.

Algebra 1 lessons are organized into 14 chapters that introduce and cover:

1. Real Numbers – Students will learn to work with the real number system, which includes lessons
on how to identify the subsets of real numbers and perform arithmetic operations. Lessons will cover
topics such as absolute values, operations with integers, square roots, and irrational numbers.
2. Introduction to Algebra – Students will learn to work with algebraic expressions, evaluating them
for variable values and combining like terms to simplify them. Lessons will include applying
standardized problem solving plans and adding and subtracting algebraic expressions.
3. Writing and Solving Equations – Students will learn to determine the values of variables in
equations that involve varying degrees of complexity. Lessons include solving one and two step
equations, solving multi-step equations, solving equations with variables on both sides, and solving
for a variable and formulas.
4. Proportional Reasoning – Students will learn to apply the rules of ratio and proportion to a variety
of problems, including those involving percents and probabilities. Lessons cover topics that include
percent increase and decrease, experimental and theoretical probability, and probabilities of
independent and dependent events.
5. Writing and Solving Inequalities – Students will learn to use skills for solving equations and apply
them to finding solutions to inequalities of varying degrees of complexity. Lessons will include writing
and graphing inequalities with one variable, solving and graphing inequalities with one, two, or three
steps, solving compound inequalities, and absolute value equations and inequalities.
6. Graphs and Functions – Students will learn to use a variety of data-gathering and interpreting skills
useful in statistics. Students will also learn basic function descriptions and rules. Lessons will cover
topics such as displaying data; the coordinate planes and relations; identifying functions; function
rules, tables, and graphs; and arithmetic sequences.
7. Graphing Equations – Students will explore linear equations and their characteristics including their
graphs. Lessons will include slope, using x- and y- intercepts, the forms of linear functions, parallel
and perpendicular lines, and scatter plots and correlations.
8. Solving Systems of Equality and Inequality – Students will learn to graph and find the solutions
to systems of equations and inequalities. Lessons include different strategies for solving systems of
 equality and inequality including graphing, substitution, and elimination. Lessons also include linear
inequalities and parent functions.
9. Exponents and Polynomials – Students will learn the rules for working with algebraic expressions
that contain exponents and polynomials. Lessons include working with exponents, polynomials, and
binomials.
10. Factoring Polynomials – Students will learn techniques for factoring polynomials. Lessons include
the basics of factoring, factoring quadratics, and factoring special products such as perfect square
trinomials and the differences of perfect squares.
11. Quadratic Equations and Functions – Students will learn to identify and graph quadratic functions
and solve quadratic equations with real and complex solutions. Lessons will include examining
graphs of quadratic functions, solving quadratic functions by graphing, simplifying radicals and
complex numbers, solving quadratic equations, completing the square, and the quadratic formula
and the discriminant.
12. Exponential Equations and Functions – Students will learn to solve problems involving
exponential functions. They will learn about exponential growth and decay, graphing exponential
functions, and solving problems involving geometric sequences.
13. Radical Expressions and Equations – Students will learn to simplify radicals and solve radical
equations and work with trigonometry. Lessons will include graphing square root functions, the
Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometry ratios, and the midpoint and distance formula.
14. Rational Expressions and Equations – Students will learn to perform a variety of operations on
rational expressions including simplifying quotients and solving equations. Lessons will include
inverse variation, graphing rational functions, simplifying rational expressions, dividing polynomials,
multiplying and dividing rational expressions, adding and subtracting rational expressions, mixed
expressions and complex fractions, and solving rational expressions.

Geometry – Course Overview

High school Geometry involves learning the attributes and relationships of geometric
objects. At this level of study, geometry is primarily focused on plane Euclidean geometry. Students
build on concepts of symmetry, shape, and relations and learn to use tools, formulas, and theorems
to determine dimensions, angles, volumes, and surface area. In addition, students learn to use more
detailed definitions and develop careful proofs. Geometry students learn concepts through lessons
and practice. Fun projects extend the study of geometry and make a connection to real-world use of
geometry skills. Practical uses for geometry include building, including measuring amounts and
angles of wood for construction, graphic design, interpreting schematic drawings or interpreting and
copying sewing patterns.

The projects in Geometry allow students to practice geometry in a hands-on manner, often
in ways that clearly and directly relate to real-world challenges. In Geometric Constructions,
students use their tools: straight edge, compass and pencil to create a variety of geometric shapes.
In Non-Euclidean Geometry students learn to apply the principals of non-Euclidean geometry to
calculate the distance between points on a map. The Architect requires students to design an
aquarium and find missing values including volume and surface area. Finally, in Geometric Art
students will study shapes in the context of art, looking especially at the works of M. C. Escher.

Geometry lessons are organized into 11 chapters that introduce and cover:

1. Introduction to Geometry – Students will be introduced to the basic building blocks of Geometry
including lines, planes, points, angles, some basic Euclidian constructions, direct and indirect proof
and classification of polygons.
2. Reasoning and Proofs – Students will be introduced to the basic processes and elements of
geometric reasoning and logic including conjectures, counter-examples, inductive reasoning,
deductive reasoning, theorems, if/then statements, conditionals and bi-conditionals.
3. Lines and Angles – Students will learn to apply properties, postulates, and theorems for angles and
lines including parallel lines, transversals, supplementary, complementary, right angles, alternate
interior and exterior angles, slope, perpendicular lines and coordinate proof.
4. Triangles I – Students will work with the basic properties of triangles and triangle postulates and
theorems including classifying triangles by type, proofs involving SAS, ASA, SSS, AAS, HL and
CPCTC, midsegments, altitude, median, centroid and orthocenter.
5. Triangles II – Students will learn to use postulates and theorems for indirect proofs. They will use
the triangle inequality. Students will learn to apply basic properties of triangle similarity including
using proportions to find missing measures and proving similarity.
6. Polygons – Students will learn to apply properties of the interior angles of polygons. Students will
learn to classify quadrilaterals with a focus on different types of parallelograms. Students will learn
to apply the properties of similarity to similar polygons.
7. Area of Polygons and Circles – Students will learn to apply formulas for area for all types of
polygons, circles and circle sectors including composite figures, will understand the relationship
between perimeter and area and will be introduced to geometric probability. Lessons will include
perimeter, circumference, and area; area of polygons; perimeters and area of similar figures; circles,
arcs, and sectors; and geometric probability.
8. Circles – Students will apply basic properties of circles to solve problems and create proofs involving
tangents, arcs, chords, central angles, inscribed angles and intercepted arcs and will be introduced
to the equation of a circle and the Reuleux Triangle.
9. Transformations – Students will learn to understand and apply the concepts of geometric
transformation including translation, reflection, rotation, symmetry, dilation and tessellation. Students
will learn to use matrices for translation and rotation.
10. Surface Area and Volume – Students will learn to apply formulas for surface area and volume of
geometric solids including prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones and spheres. Students will explore
how increasing side length affects volume.
11. Special Geometric Relations – Students will apply concepts of special geometric relations to solve
problems including using geometric mean, the Pythagorean Theorem, right triangles, basic
trigonometry (sine, cosine and tangent), angle of depression, elevation and vectors.

Algebra 2 – Course Overview

The study of algebra involves finding patterns, balancing equations, and using graphs, lines, and
arithmetic to understand quantities or dimensions. It also includes the study of ratios, percents, and
probability. Algebra II continues the study of algebra where Algebra I left off. Students revisit and
build upon concepts from their earlier algebra study, broadening their understanding of functions,
probability, matrices, graphing, sequences and series. Students solve equations, analyze and graph
data, and learn and use theorems. Algebra II students learn concepts through lessons and practice.

Algebra 2 lessons are organized into 13 chapters that introduce and cover:

1. Functions I – Students will use operations and function notation to perform computations with
functions. Lessons will cover performing computations with functions and exploring the relationship
between functions and equations.
2. Linear Functions – Students will work with linear functions, learning to solve linear equations and
inequalities and to graph linear and piecewise linear functions.
3. Functions II – Students will learn to recognize and transform parent functions, find inverses of
functions, and perform the composition of functions.
4. Quadratic Functions – Students will learn to compute with complex numbers, plot complex
numbers as points, solve quadratic equations and inequalities, and graph quadratic functions.
Lessons include using graphic and algebraic methods to solve quadratic equations and inequalities
and analyzing and graphing quadratic functions.
5. Polynomial Functions – Students will learn to analyze, graph, and calculate with polynomials.
Lessons will include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of polynomials, and polynomial
functions.
6. Rational Functions – Students will learn to simplify rational expressions that contain negative
exponents, calculate with rational functions, simplify complex fractions, solve rational equations and
inequalities, and graph rational functions. Lessons include rational expressions, rational functions,
and rational equations and inequalities.
7. Radical Functions – Students will learn to simplify radical expressions and expressions with rational
exponents, solve radical equations and inequalities, and graph radical functions.
8. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions – Students will learn to analyze and graph exponential
and logarithmic functions, use the properties of logarithms, and solve exponential and logarithmic
equations and inequalities.
9. Probability and Statistics – Students will learn to describe data sets, fit functions to data, and
compute probabilities. Lessons include exposure to many different types of data sets and an analysis
of the types of graphs that fit different types of data.
10. Systems of Equations and Inequalities – Students will learn to solve systems of equations and
inequalities. Lessons include solving systems of linear and nonlinear equations, using graphing to
solve systems of inequalities, and solving linear programming problems.
11. Matrices – Students will learn to add, subtract, and multiply matrices, and solve systems of
equations using matrix row operations and Cramer’s Rule.
12. Conic Sections – Students will analyze and graph parabolas, circles, ellipses, and hyperbolas as
conic sections.
13. Sequences and Series – Students will analyze sequences and series, including arithmetic and
geometric sequences and series.

Trigonometry – Course Overview

Trigonometry is computational geometry. While geometry is the study of the attributes and
relationships of geometric objects, trigonometry focuses on angle measurement and quantities. In
trigonometry students learn to compute the sides of a triangle from the dimension of only one side
and two angles. Students learn to use sine, cosine, and tangent to find the measures of a triangle.
Students also learn vectors and vector operations. Trigonometry students learn concepts through
lessons and practice.

Trigonometry lessons are organized into 5 chapters that introduce and cover:

1. Trigonometry and Triangles – Students will learn to solve for the missing measure of a triangle
using the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines, and will use Heron’s Formula and the Sine Area
Formula to find the area of a triangle. Lesson topics will include right-triangle trigonometry and
solving triangles.
2. The Unit Circle – Students will learn to use right-angle relationships in the unit circle, measure
angles in degrees and radians, find angles of rotation and reference angles, and evaluate periodic
functions.
3. Trigonometric Functions – Students will learn to solve basic trigonometric functions,
transformations, reciprocal functions, and inverse trigonometric functions through evaluation,
analysis, and graphing.
4. Trigonometric Equations – Students will learn to use trigonometric identities and solve
trigonometric equations.
5. Vectors – Students will learn to use the component form and the trigonometric form of vectors and
will use vector operations.

Pre-Calculus – Course Overview

Calculus is the study of change. In pre-calculus, change can be looked at in two ways: in terms
of rate of change and in terms of accumulation. Pre-calculus allows students to extend what they
have learned in algebra and geometry to answer more complex questions. For example, pre-calculus
students will learn to extend what they know about finding the slope of a line and use that information
to find the curve of a line, something that can’t be computed simply by using algebra and geometry.
In pre-calculus, students learn concepts through lessons and practice.

Pre-calculus lessons are organized into 8 chapters that introduce and cover:

1. Functions and Graphs – Students will identify, analyze, and graph parent functions and
transformations, properties of functions, limits and continuity, inverse functions, and piecewise
functions.
2. Lines and Rates of Change – Students will take an in-depth look at, analyze and graph linear
functions. They will also learn about and rates of change.
3. Sequences and Series – Students will be introduced to the concepts of sequences, series, and
proofs by induction.
4. Polynomial & Rational Functions – Students will learn how to analyze and graph polynomial and
rational functions.
5. Exponential & Logarithmic Functions – Students will learn how to analyze and graph exponential
and logarithmic functions, including functions with base e .
6. Analytic Geometry – Students will be asked to analyze, graph, and apply conic sections and
functions in polar and parametric forms.
7. Linear Algebra and Matrices – Students will learn how to perform matrix operations, find inverse
matrices and determinants, and solve systems of equations by using matrix methods.
8. Probability and Statistics – Students will learn how to determine probability distributions, find
linear, polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic graphs of best fit using regression equations, and
analyze frequency distributions.