Math Courses
| Math Home | Faculty | Courses |
| Regular | |||
| Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | Senior |
|
Algebra I |
Geometry |
Algebra II/Trig |
Calculus or |
| Honors / Advanced Placement | |||
| Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | Senior |
|
Honors Algebra |
Honors Geometry |
Honors |
Honors Calculus |
The normal four-year course of studies is listed in the first table. In the course descriptions, the courses are grouped by grade level. The grade levels indicated are the grades when a typical Prep student would be ready to take a particular course. Based on the results of a Spring Qualifying exam, an incoming freshman might be placed in Honors Algebra or Geometry. If they take Honors Algebra, they will follow the advanced program. If they are placed in Honors Geometry as a freshman, they will take Honors Pre-Calculus as a sophomore and AP Calculus AB as a junior, with AP Calculus BC as their senior math course. In order to remain in our Honors/Advanced Placement courses a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, a math GPA of 3.5, and teacher recommendation are required. In order to move into a Honors/Advanced Placement course from a non-honors course, a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, a math GPA of 4.0, and teacher recommendation are required.
MATHEMATICS COURSES
GRADE 9
ALGEBRA I - MAT 101 1 credit
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the language
of mathematics and the applications of this language to the solution
of problems. Topics include the operations with signed numbers, integers,
polynomials, factoring; operations with rational expressions, solutions
of quadratic equations by factoring, completing the square, and the
quadratic formula; and solutions and graphs of equations, inequalities,
and systems of equations. Special emphasis is given to the solution
of verbal problems as applications of techniques taught throughout
the year. Where appropriate, graphing software may be utilized to
reinforce the instruction.
Prerequisite: None
HONORS ALGEBRA - MAT 102 1 credit
This course is an alternative to MAT 101 for students who have special
talent and proficiency in mathematics and who have had significant
exposure to Algebra prior to 9th grade. The course includes an intensive
review of Algebra I topics along with the introduction of all the
major topics included in a traditional Algebra II course. Students
are admitted to this course based upon the results of their math
placement test, entrance test, and prior math record and teacher
evaluation.
Prerequisite: Placement based on results of spring qualifying test, entrance scores and an evaluation from the eighth grade mathematics teacher.
GRADE 10
GEOMETRY- MAT 201 1 credit
This course introduces students to the mathematical principles of space
and shape and strives to give students an appreciation for the nature
of deductive proof and its importance in mathematics. Content includes
the concepts of congruence and similarity, parallelism, and area
as these apply to geometric shapes such as triangles, quadrilaterals,
other polygons, right triangles, circles, and solids such as prisms,
pyramids, cylinders, and cones. The course includes some review of
Algebra I, algebraic applications with geometric concepts and geometric
constructions.
Prerequisite: Algebra I or Honors Algebra.
HONORS GEOMETRY– MAT 202 1 credit
This accelerated course contains all the general concepts of traditional
Geometry including the construction and application of formal proofs.
However, these proofs do not dominate the course content. This permits
greater acceleration and the introduction of a greater variety of
topics including Trigonometry and, if time permits, Analytical Geometry.
Prerequisite: B+ in Honors Algebra or high A in Algebra I and teacher recommendation.
GRADE 11
ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY- MAT 301 1 credit
This course combines the content of a traditional Algebra II course
with the principles of Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry. The concepts
of relation and function are stressed throughout the course and many
concepts are presented using graphs of functions to give visualizations
of the ideas. Students will be required to have a TI-89 graphing
calculator.
Prerequisite: Geometry or Honors Geometry.
HONORS PRE-CALCULUS - MAT 302 1 credit
This course is designed for specially qualified students who have demonstrated
above-average ability and interest in mathematics and who have a
strong desire to study Calculus [particularly AP Calculus] in the
following year. The course presents content similar to that in MAT
301, but does so more rigorously. Students are also expected to encounter
more challenging exercises and homework assignments. All students
will be required to have a TI-89 graphing calculator.
Prerequisite: A minimum overall 3.0 GPA, a math GPA of 3.5 honors or 4.0 non-honors, qualifying test, and teacher recommendation.
GRADE 12
CALCULUS– MAT 402 1 credit
This course will cover many pre-calculus topics in detail including
a review of functions, trigonometry, and the transcendental functions.
Arithmetic and geometric sequences and series will be explored. The
course will also cover many calculus topics including limits, the
derivative and its many applications, and an introduction to the
integral. All students will be required to have a TI-89 graphing
calculator.
Prerequisite: Algebra II/Trig or Honors Pre-calculus and teacher recommendation.
HONORS CALCULUS- MAT 401 1 credit
The concept of function, developed in the Honors Pre-Calculus course,
is reviewed and further refined. The notion of limit is presented
and then the derivative is introduced. The derivative is used to
analyze functions and to solve practical problems involving maximization
or minimization and to analyze the motion of moving objects or other
quantities undergoing change. Integration is introduced as the reverse
of the process of differentiation. It is applied to the measurement
of areas and volumes. While most of the course deals with the calculus
of algebraic and trigonometric functions, if time allows, some time
is devoted to the exponential and logarithmic functions, their derivatives
and integrals. A TI-89 graphing calculator is required.
Prerequisite: A minimum overall GPA of 3.0, a math GPA of 3.5, qualifying test, and teacher recommendation.
AP CALCULUS AB- MAT 403 1 credit
This course follows the syllabus for AP Calculus AB established by the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. Limits, derivatives, integrals, and their applications will be explored. All students who take the AP Calculus course are required to have a TI-89 graphing calculator and to take the AP examination given in May.
Prerequisite: Honors Pre-calculus, a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, a math GPA of 3.5, qualifying test, and teacher recommendation.
AP CALCULUS BC- MAT 404 1 credit
This course follows the syllabus for AP Calculus BC established by the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. It is intended for those students who have already completed AP Calculus AB. Major topics to be covered are Integration techniques such as trigonometric substitution and partial fractions, convergence and divergence of infinite series. Taylor and Maclaurin series, approximation of definite integrals by series or by Simpson's Rule and applications of differentiation and integration on curves defined parametrically or in polar coordinates. All students taking the course must have a TI-89 graphing calculator and must take the AP examination in May.
Prerequisite: MAT 403 and teacher recommendation.
MATRICES, PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS- MAT 405 1 credit This course is geared toward students interested in business or the life and social sciences. Students in this course are introduced to mathematical ideas which lie outside of the typical high school mathematics program. This college level course begins with the study of the mathematics of finance [compound interest formulas, annuity formulas and loan payment formulas]. Considerable time is spent on the properties of and operations with matrices. This matrix theory is applied to the solution of multi-variable linear systems and in the "Simplex Method" of linear programming. During the second semester, the laws of probability are introduced and applied in statistics. Also included are the ideas of sample space, permutations, combinations and conditional probability (Bayes' Theorem). Additional topics that are developed are random variables, frequency and probability distributions, means, variances, standard deviations and normal and binomial distributions. The matrix concepts are integrated with the probability unit through the development of the ideas of probability and transition matrices in a Markov chain.
Prerequisite: Algebra II/Trig or Honors Pre-calculus.
AP STATISTICS - MAT 406 1 credit
This course is geared toward students interested in business or the life and social sciences. This course will follow the syllabus for AP Statistics established for the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. All students will be required to take the AP Statistics Exam in May. The topics for the course are divided into four major themes: exploratory analysis, planning a study, probability, and statistical inference. All students will complete their own statistical experiments. Students will be required to have a TI-89 graphing calculator.
Prerequisite: An overall GPA of 3.0, a math GPA of 3.5 honors or 4.0 non-honors, a qualifying test, and teacher recommendation.