AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL PRECALCULUS CURRICULUM
Units of Study
Unit 1: Univariate Data
In this unit students will explore and compare basic statistics. The objective for this unit is for students to become more comfortable reading and evaluating the statistics that are thrown at them on a daily basis.
Prerequisite Units: None
Materials Needed: Calculator, computer, CODAP program (free online), Fathom software is optional (use CODAP or FATHOM)
Approximately 16 - 20 Days needed
Unit 2: Bivariate Data
In this unit students will use functions to model bivariate data. The focus is primarily on linear and quadratic functions, but other functions are used towards the end of the unit. Students will create models, analyze residuals, and make conclusions about the accuracy of their models. Students also review transformations of functions in this unit.
Prerequisite Units: Unit 1
Materials Needed: Calculator, computer, CODAP program (free online)
Approximately 16 - 20 Days needed
Unit 3: Trigonometry
In this unit students will study the six trigonometric functions in depth. Requisite time will be spent on this unit to give students the opportunity to understand the unit circle, the culminating lesson being the graphing of the sine, cosine, and tangent functions.
Prerequisite Units: None
Materials Needed: Computer (for lesson 3.9 specifically)
Approximately 22 Days needed
Unit 4: Sequences and Series
In this unit students will explore sequences and series, specifically arithmetic and geometric sequences and series. Students will learn how to write write sequences in recursive and explicit notation. They will also learn sigma notation and evaluate series in sigma notation. Students will also use Microsoft Excel to build recursive patterns.
Prerequisite Units: None
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel), Calculator
Approximately 17 Days needed
Unit 5: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
In this unit students will explore exponential and logarithmic functions. They will understand how exponential functions relate to geometric sequences that they learned in Unit 4 and that exponential and logarithmic functions are inverses of one another.
Prerequisite Units: Unit 4 (not 100% necessary, but helpful)
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel (5.0) and internet research (5.7), Calculator
Approximately 20 Days needed
Unit 6: Personal Finance
In this unit students will learn the basics of Microsoft Excel by exploring elements of personal finance. This unit is built for exploration and class discussion - I encourage you to let your students guide you and explore what they're interested in. There are five major lessons: Building Basic Budgets, Purchasing a Vehicle (getting a loan), Credit Cards, Saving for Retirement, and Buying a Home.
Prerequisite Units: all basic excel functions that has been taught in units 4 and 5
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets)
Approximately 18 Days needed
Unit 7: Probability and Simulation
In this unit students will study probability. They will also learn how to run some basic simulations in Microsoft Excel.
Prerequisite Units: Microsoft Excel (Google sheets) skills from Unit 6
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets)
Approximately 15 Days needed
Unit 8: The Normal Distribution
In this unit students will explore and discover the Empirical Rule.
Prerequisite Units: Unit 1 and Microsoft Excel (Google sheets) skills from Unit 6
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets)
Approximately 10 - 15 Days needed
In this unit students will explore and compare basic statistics. The objective for this unit is for students to become more comfortable reading and evaluating the statistics that are thrown at them on a daily basis.
Prerequisite Units: None
Materials Needed: Calculator, computer, CODAP program (free online), Fathom software is optional (use CODAP or FATHOM)
Approximately 16 - 20 Days needed
Unit 2: Bivariate Data
In this unit students will use functions to model bivariate data. The focus is primarily on linear and quadratic functions, but other functions are used towards the end of the unit. Students will create models, analyze residuals, and make conclusions about the accuracy of their models. Students also review transformations of functions in this unit.
Prerequisite Units: Unit 1
Materials Needed: Calculator, computer, CODAP program (free online)
Approximately 16 - 20 Days needed
Unit 3: Trigonometry
In this unit students will study the six trigonometric functions in depth. Requisite time will be spent on this unit to give students the opportunity to understand the unit circle, the culminating lesson being the graphing of the sine, cosine, and tangent functions.
Prerequisite Units: None
Materials Needed: Computer (for lesson 3.9 specifically)
Approximately 22 Days needed
Unit 4: Sequences and Series
In this unit students will explore sequences and series, specifically arithmetic and geometric sequences and series. Students will learn how to write write sequences in recursive and explicit notation. They will also learn sigma notation and evaluate series in sigma notation. Students will also use Microsoft Excel to build recursive patterns.
Prerequisite Units: None
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel), Calculator
Approximately 17 Days needed
Unit 5: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
In this unit students will explore exponential and logarithmic functions. They will understand how exponential functions relate to geometric sequences that they learned in Unit 4 and that exponential and logarithmic functions are inverses of one another.
Prerequisite Units: Unit 4 (not 100% necessary, but helpful)
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel (5.0) and internet research (5.7), Calculator
Approximately 20 Days needed
Unit 6: Personal Finance
In this unit students will learn the basics of Microsoft Excel by exploring elements of personal finance. This unit is built for exploration and class discussion - I encourage you to let your students guide you and explore what they're interested in. There are five major lessons: Building Basic Budgets, Purchasing a Vehicle (getting a loan), Credit Cards, Saving for Retirement, and Buying a Home.
Prerequisite Units: all basic excel functions that has been taught in units 4 and 5
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets)
Approximately 18 Days needed
Unit 7: Probability and Simulation
In this unit students will study probability. They will also learn how to run some basic simulations in Microsoft Excel.
Prerequisite Units: Microsoft Excel (Google sheets) skills from Unit 6
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets)
Approximately 15 Days needed
Unit 8: The Normal Distribution
In this unit students will explore and discover the Empirical Rule.
Prerequisite Units: Unit 1 and Microsoft Excel (Google sheets) skills from Unit 6
Materials needed: Computer (Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets)
Approximately 10 - 15 Days needed
HELPFUL HANDOUTS
Sample Syllabus
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Assessment Reflection Sheet
This form does must be edited to fit each assessment for the first section (Accuracy of Work). |
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