This pivotal course is a bridge between elementary mathematics and Algebra, concentrating on conceptual understanding through development of number sense and application of critical thinking and reasoning. Throughout the course students are challenged to recognize patterns; explore relationships using equations, tables and graphs; and analyze data to make predictions. Teacher-led discussion and group work facilitate student discovery to stimulate and facilitate independent learning. Topics include: introduction to basic algebra concepts; integers and their operations; solving one-step (including with negative numbers); operations with negative rational numbers; solving and graphing linear equations; writing equations for word problems; introduction to the concept of slope; ratios; rates; proportions; percent; angle relationships; Pi; area and circumference of a circle; surface area; volume; the Pythagorean Theorem; probability; statistics; explaining strategies for solving real-world problems; and more.
Note: This course uses a customized version of the highly-rated [urlnew=http://www.mathmammoth.com]Math Mammoth[/urlnew] curriculum and is offered in cooperation with Math Mammoth. This curriculum is the same one used in TPS Elementary Math Fundamentals courses, and is specifically designed to prepare a student for the Pearson math series used in TPS Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2.
Note: For students planning to take Honors Algebra, we recommend considering the Honors version of this course. Either version is adequate preparation for Honors Algebra, but the Honors version is specifically designed toward that purpose.