ALGEBRA 1

Description

This course will cover the topics normally covered in a first year high school algebra course. This course is normally taken by students in grade eight or nine. Students should have completed a course in Pre-algebra or its equivalent before enrolling in Algebra 1.

Fees

The cost of the course is $68 per month for nine months for students attending a live class on site, $58 per month for distance learners. Registration fees for homeschool classes at various locations (LAC, LEAD, Dunwoody, etc.) also apply. Students will need to purchase a copy of the “Student Workbook”, which should be around $20 each semester. Videos of the class lectures will be provided on line at no additional cost.

Lecture and Class Time

Class time will primarily be spent on instruction. Students should bring their Student Workbook to each class, or a printout of the pages for that week. The pages of the workbook are identical to the instructor's lecture notes, except the student version has the solutions and answers deleted. During the lecture the students take notes and solve the example problems in the workbook.

Videos of the lectures are also available online, and these videos go through the same lecture notes, point by point. Students use the videos to cover any material that time constraints did not permit us to cover in our weekly class. Or, if a student misses a class or needs to review the material, all of the course content is available online. It is possible to take the entire course online via distance learning, and many students have done so.

Textbook

The textbook is no longer required for this class. All of the course content comes from the lectures and the Student Workbook. The course was originally based on Algebra, Structure and Method, Book 1 by Brown, Dolciani, Sorgenfrey, and Cole, published by McDougal Littell, 2000 edition. The topics covered in this course correspond closely to the topics covered in this book, although the explanations in the lectures are expanded over those in the book, at times significantly. If needed, a copy of the textbook can be provided to serve as a reference and as a source of additional practice problems.

Homework, Tests and Grades

Students will be given specific assignments to complete each week. Assignments will consist of Practice Problems from the workbook, instructional videos online, and written assignments.

In this class there is a distinction between Practice Problems and Homework Problems. Practice Problems are found in the workbook, and students check their answers with the solutions provided. Homework assignments and tests are printed from the website, completed, and turned in for a grade.

To maximize instructional time in class, tests will be given at home. One final exam for each semester will be taken in class at the end of each semester. Students will receive a numerical grade for each semester and for the year. The grade is calculated based on tests, graded homework and the final exams.

Difficulty Level

Not all students require the same pace and difficulty level. Some may need or prefer a class that is more challenging and at a faster pace, while some may desire a class that is not accelerated. This class is offered simultaneously on two difficulty levels, regular and honors. The lectures are the same for both. The honors students will have additional homework problems that are more difficult, and on each test will have an extra page with more challenging questions. Note that the honors class is not an AP class. It is simply a more challenging version of the same course. The goal is for the classes to closely correspond to “Regular Algebra 1" and “Honors Algebra 1" classes at a good private school. Students may decide whether they will take the regular or honors version of the course after completing one or two chapters.

Internet Access