High School Math 3A*
Note: This class is offered as both a Classic course and Honors course. Honors Math is for highly engaged students who like to think deeply and challenge themselves. Honors students will engage with a weekly project, reading, problem of the week, or research topic that will help them dive deeper into the subject and think more critically. These weekly WAM also provides students with an opportunity to explain their deep thinking and push past procedural math to a more complete, conceptual understanding.
Why This Class
As a parent, you want an open door for your student to embark on whatever career path they choose. Understanding advanced algebra is essential for anyone hoping to work in a STEM-related field—and it’s a requirement for most college applications. This course covers the algebra that will help ensure your student can pursue their goals without being held back.
Mentors in this course help students apply their existing mastery of arithmetic to problems involving variables instead of numbers. With the help of mentors and math tutors as needed, students also learn about exponential functions, radical functions, and complex numbers. In the process, they gain higher-level skills that will especially prepare them for success in a math-based trade or technical career.
Students emerge from this course with an enhanced ability to notice what changes and what remains constant—both in math and life. They are on track to completing the math skill set that will open doors along their chosen future path.
Overarching Questions
How can I use arithmetic sequence formulas to solve for missing variables?
How do geometric sequences differ from arithmetic sequences?
What is the difference between linear and exponential growth?
How do zeros of a polynomial relate to factors and roots? To real-life?
Readings for Live Course*
Fermat’s Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World’s Greatest Mathematical Problem by Simon Singh
This course requires a Scientific or Graphing Calculator. Please see the book list in SIS for details.
*If your student is taking the self-paced version of this course, no texts or materials are required.
Course Details
Recommended Grade: 11th (Junior)
Prerequisites*: High School Math 2 OR Algebra 1 and Geometry
Estimated Weekly Hours: 5-7
Format: Live, self-paced, independent
Credits: 0.5
*Transferring from a traditional track? Check out this guide for help!
*This course is equivalent to Algebra 2A