Contact: Derek Owens
email: derek_owens@comcast.com
phone: 404) 644-7736
Description
This course will cover the topics normally covered in a middle school prealgebra course. This course is normally taken by students in grade seven or eight, and is designed to prepare students for 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. Instead of purchasing the workbook, each chapter may be printed from the website after logging in. Students may borrow a copy of the textbook from the teacher at no charge, and videos of the class lectures will be provided on line at no additional cost.
Lectures 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
Prealgebra, An Integrated Equations Approach by Donald Hutchison, published by McGraw Hill. The topics covered in this course will correspond closely to the topics covered in this book, and students will work numerous practice problems from the textbook.
Homework, Tests and Grades
Students will be given specific assignments to complete each week. Assignments will consist of study and practice from the textbook, instructional videos online, and written assignments.
In this class there is a distinction between Practice Problems and Homework Problems. Practice problems are assigned in the textbook and 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.
Internet Access
Access to a computer with a high speed internet connection is strongly recommended, and is required for distance learning. Instructional materials such as lecture videos, lecture notes, homework assignments and tests will available over the internet. Graded assignments and tests may also be returned via email in order to provide more timely feedback. Progress reports will be put on the website and updated regularly.