Course Description

Introductory Algebra is a full year course designed to immediately precede first year Algebra.  Content will include real number and algebraic expressions, solutions of open sentences, problem solving strategies, data collection and interpretation, probability, measurement, geometric applications, and use of calculators.

Students recognize similarities and generalize patterns; use patterns to create models and make predictions; describe the nature of patterns and relationships, and construct representations of mathematical relationships.

Students will:

• Use diagrams to discover number patterns in real-life situations.
• use formulas to model real-life situations.
• Recognize and describe number patterns.

Students develop spatial sense, use shape as an analytic and descriptive tool, identify characteristics and define shapes; identify properties and describe relationships among shapes.

Students will:

• Identify line symmetry and rotation symmetry.
• Reflect a figure in a line and use properties of reflections to answer question about real-life situations.
• Describe the rotation about a point and rotate a figure in a coordinate plane.
• Translate a figure in a plane and represent translations in a coordinate plane.
• Identify polygons and parts of polygons.
• Discover properties of polygons.
• Plot points in a coordinate plane.
• Identify points, lines, and planes to describe real-life objects.
• Measure angles.
• Use numbers to measure and identify objects.
• Use simple geometric figures to estimate simple areas and more complicated areas.
• Classify angles, triangles, and quadrilateral.
• Find the volume of prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres.
• Use volumes to solve real-life problems.
• Calculate circumference and area of a circle.
• Use the Pythagorean Theorem to solve right triangles in real-life situations.
• Find areas of parallelograms and trapezoids.
• Use area and perimeter to solve real-life problems.
• Use tables to organize data.
• Use graphs to organize data visually.
•  Read and make pictographs and timelines.
• Use bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, line plots and scatter plots to represent data.
• Choose an appropriate graph to represent data.
• Recognize and correct misleading pictographs and bar graphs.
• Use organized data to help make decisions.

Student will:

• Use scientific notation to represent numbers and solve real-life problems.
• Perform fraction, decimal, percent conversions to solve real-life problems.
• Model integers on a number line.
• Compare two fractions.
• Write a decimal as a fraction.
• Classify real numbers as rational or irrational.
• Represent real numbers with a number line.
• Find rates and ratios from real-life situations.
• Use divisibility test and factor numbers.
• Classify natural numbers as prime or composite.
• Find greatest common factor and least common multiple.
• Evaluate powers that have negative and zero exponents.
• Use percents to solve real-life problems.

Students will:

• Use a number line to find the absolute value of a number.
• Use the four basic number operations to use models for multiplication.
• Use a calculator to discover number patterns.
• Use absolute value to add two integers.
• Use integer addition to solve real-life problems.
• Add, subtract, multiply, divide integers and rational numbers.
• Use the four operations to simplify expressions.
• Combine fractions by writing them as decimals.
• Calculate a percent of a number.
• Evaluate powers and use square roots.
• Use the order of operations to simplify expressions with grouping symbols.
• Evaluate expressions that contain variables.
• Use the distributive property in real-life problems.
• Simplify expressions by adding like terms.
• Translate verbal phases and sentences into algebraic expressions and equations.
• Model real-life situations with algebraic expressions and equations.
• Use addition, subtraction, multiplication or division to solve equations and real-life problems.
• Solve simple inequalities and use inequalities to solve real-life problems.
• Solve equations by using two or more operations, multiplying by a reciprocal, and using the distributive property.
• Solve equations with variables on both sides.
• Use tables and graphs to solve real-life problems.
• Solve real-world problems that involve proportions or percent equations.
• Solve equations whose solutions are square roots.
• Graph and solve inequalities.
• Use a general problem solving plan and other problem solving strategies.

Students will:

• Calculate the probability of an event.
• Use concepts of probability to solve real-life problems.