Math

Current Courses are marked with an *

• *Algebra I

  This course serves to strengthen and expand upon students existing numeracy and operational skills and introduce the use of variables, equations, and graphing to represent and solve situations involving known and unknown quantities. The goal of the course is to encourage mathematical thinking in understanding and analyzing situations – be they social, economic, political, or otherwise – and to hone students’ abilities to use math to create and strengthen their arguments about such situations. Throughout the curriculum there will be an emphasis on clear mathematical arguments and presentation.

• *Algebra II

  This course serves to strengthen and deepen knowledge of content introduced in Algebra I and introduce domain, range, and transformations of functions. Additionally, polynomials, rational equations, complex numbers, and logarithmic functions will be introduced. The goal of the course is to encourage mathematical thinking in understanding and analyzing situations – be they social, economic, political, or otherwise – and to hone students’ abilities to use math to create and strengthen their arguments about such situations. Throughout the curriculum there will be an emphasis on clear mathematical arguments and presentation.

• Business Math

  This class will be looking at how math is used in the real world in and for business, construction and home economics to assist the student in learning how best to utilize the math needed to navigate life from graduation forward. There will be many real-life situational projects that we will do to see how best and how many ways there are to budget. We will study the financial systems and have started a stock market analysis project to try and demystify how the world financial markets work. Also, how banking systems work from all aspects from checking accounts to how mortgages work. Basically, we will be trying to strengthen the student’s ability to use math effectively in their lives and have the understanding and knowledge to make smarter decisions when it comes to how to navigate life’s budget.

• *Calculus I

  Limits, Derivatives, Integrals… Oh my! Don’t be alarmed at the many words below you may not recognize. In this course, we will learn one of the most useful and beautiful branches of mathematics. Calculus at its core aims to answer two basic questions: 1. How do we quantify the rate of change of a physical process? and 2. What is a numerical way to represent the area under a curve? To answer these questions, we will need all the tools in mathematics we have learned so far: Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry, etc. Building up our notation and methodology, we will be able to answer both of these questions and unlock many real-world applications to learn why Calculus matters.

• *Calculus II

  So you made it through Calculus I… now what? This next course in Calculus is designed to be a deeper exploration of the essential questions we discussed last year: 1. How do we quantify the rate of change of a physical process? (Derivatives) and 2. What is a numerical way to represent the area under a curve? (Integrals). The good news: this class uses ALL of the information you learned last year, and we are going to review it! The (not bad but…) other news: We have even more information to learn and master. Some of the units we went through last year will go even deeper, and there are also two additional units we will accomplish. By the end of this year, you will know as much as a typical engineer knows about Calculus. That should feel really good!

• Financial Literacy

  This course is designed to give students a practical understanding of the financial landscape they will be expected to navigate throughout their lives. Students will start with the basics: “What Is Money?” and “Why are Banks Important?” We will study compound interest, credit scores and bank loans. In addition to being exposed to the IRS financial forms (W2, W4, 1040, FAFSA, I9 and the 941) students will track current financial events and participate in a semester-long stock market simulation where they will buy and sell their own stocks using $100,000 of VIRTUAL currency.

• Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry (FST)

  This course serves to revisit content introduced in Algebra II and introduce statistical and trigonometric concepts with a focus on understanding these concepts in real world applications. The goal of the course is to encourage mathematical thinking in understanding and analyzing situations – be they social, economic, political, or otherwise – and to hone students’ abilities to use math to create and strengthen their arguments about such situations. Throughout the curriculum there will be an emphasis on clear mathematical arguments and presentation.

• *Geometry

  Geometry is one of the oldest branches of mathematics, finding its roots with Eucilid as early as 300 BCE. Although the methods of how we teach the subject may have changed over time, the subject at its core is much the same. Geometry, like mathematics as a whole, is fundamentally a study of inquiry. In this course we will look at structures such as lines, angles, polygons, and three dimensional solids, and grapple with the questions of “Why..?”, “When…?”, and “How…?” In this class you will learn how to answer these questions by use of computation, deduction, and inductive reasoning. Apart from learning this foundational material, the goal of this course is to train the brain how to think deeply and critically about mathematics, which may be a stark difference from the type of math you’ve learned so far in school.

• Introduction to Engineering 

  Introduction to Engineering has two goals: 1) to give students a chance to explore the engineering design cycle and its similarities to the process of scientific discovery; and 2) to expose students to the wide range of engineering disciplines. Students will learn the iterative process of defining and delimiting a problem, designing a solution, and then optimizing that solution – the essence of problem-solving in any subject. Multiple projects throughout the year will provide students with chances to experience this process in areas such as mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and civil engineering.

• Introduction to Proof-Based Mathematics

  Thus far in your mathematics courses, you have been told rules and results to apply and follow without question. This should rub you the wrong way, how do we know these things can be taken as true? In fact, before these things showed up in a “Algebra” or “Calculus” course, there were people toiling over that very question. For centuries, mathematicians have been proving mathematical principles and statements using the language of formal logic and proof. It may seem intimidating to attempt to learn this mysterious branch of study, and to attempt to compete with the bright minds of mathematicians past, such as Euler or Newton. However, once you have a few simple tools in your belt, you will be able to think critically about complex statements, and be able to communicate why they must be true through “proof”. This course will build up the foundational knowledge of formal logic, set theory, and methods of proof necessary to do this well. We will then be able to prove some of the mathematical principles you have known since grade school. By building up this skillset, you will also be better equipped to analyze the truth of all types of logical arguments and statements, not limited to just the mathematical.

• Personal Finance

  This course serves to introduce students to basic financial concepts including managing money, saving, and investing. The goal of the class is to demystify finances and prepare students to make informed and responsible financial decisions as they become independent adults.

• *Pre-Calculus

  Precalculus, as the name suggests, primarily serves as a bridge between Algebra II and Calculus I. This course will build off the foundation gained from succeeding in both geometry and algebra, as we now go deeper into understanding the connections between the two, as well as how we can apply these concepts to the world around us. The first semester of this course will focus on expanding our algebraic knowledge, as we delve deeper into functions. The spring semester will largely focus on building a foundation in trigonometry, which plays a huge part in the study of calculus. Both mathematical literacy and deep critical thinking will be required to succeed in this course. It is intended that by the end of this course, you will further understand the usefulness and necessity of the structures and concepts introduced in geometry and algebra.

• *Statistics

  Knowledge of statistics is important for people from all walks of life and within a wide range of academic fields of study such as biological and environmental sciences, physical and behavioral sciences, medicine, business, and economics. The course will include but not be limited to the study of data analysis, probability, pattern analysis, experimental design, simulation, and statistical inference. An emphasis on the gathering of data, both categorical and quantitative, from the real world around us will be core in this course, as well as rigorous ways to analyze and explain it in a variety of ways.