TEACHERS: Dan Appel & Jessica Quindel

RESTRICTIONS: Open to all students.

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION:

What is mathematics? The first year of the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) re-defines math for students, illustrating how math can be used to understand our world. Students will explore ideas including algebra, geometry, probability, statistics, graphing, and trigonometry in an integrated curriculum that makes connections with their identity, media, social justice, history, and literature. Students will develop mathematical literacy while working collaboratively in groups to solve challenging yet accessible problems, and the teacher will serve as the students' coach, encouraging students to use each other as resources. Students begin this exciting mathematical journey by exploring patterns. They continue their adventure using probability to understand strategy in a game, graphing to understand the settlement of western United States, and statistics to advise the prisoner in Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. The year's journey ends with students using similarity and trigonometry to understand shadows. California content standards in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Probability & Statistics are covered in the first year of the IMP curriculum. In addition, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards including Number & Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Data Analysis & Probability, Problem-Solving, Connections, Representation, Communication and Reasoning & Proof are addressed in Year 1 of IMP. Throughout their year in IMP 1, students will be exploring math together to come to their own understanding of how to use math in their lives.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES:

In an IMP classroom, students are active learners. Students will experiment, investigate, ask questions, make and test conjectures, and reflect on their learning and mathematical understanding. Students will learn how to participate actively and effectively in groups and build their confidence as mathematical learners. They will develop literacy skills by communicating their mathematical ideas and reflections through group discussions, oral presentations and written work. They will have access to the mathematics they will need in the changing world of the 21st century and will be prepared to use math in college and in the world of work. Ultimately, students will begin to use math as a tool to read their world.

UNITS OF STUDY:

Patterns (September/October)
. How do we learn mathematics?
. Function tables, variables, positive and negative numbers
The Game of Pig (October/November)
. What is the best strategy for the game of Pig?
. How can we use probability to determine whether luck exists?
. Expected value, observed vs. theoretical probability, area model for probability, and probability simulations
The Overland Trail (December-February)
. How do equations, tables, and graphs help us to understand real-life situations?
. Planning, estimating costs and time, rates of consumption and travel
The Pit and the Pendulum (February-April)
. Will the prisoner have enough time to escape?
. Normal distribution and standard deviation
. Quadratic equations and curve-fitting
Shadows (April-June)
. How can you predict the length of a shadow?
. Using similarity and trigonometry to find heights and distances

GRADES/CREDITS:
All students can achieve excellence in the IMP 1 course. Students will be evaluated based on their mathematical understanding, assignment completion and active learning in class. Active learning includes participating in groups, whole class discussions and on individual assignments; presenting to the class; asking questions; learning from mistakes; attendance; and respectful behavior.

LATE/MAKE-UP WORK POLICY:
Students who have excused absences can turn in assignments from the time of the absence(s) within three days after returning to school, unless otherwise arranged with the teacher. If a student has late homework for any other reason, s/he can turn in one old assignment on each day s/he turns in a new assignment for partial credit. Late homework will be checked at the teacher's discretion and may not be checked during class time, so students may have to come in before school, after school, or during lunch to get credit for late assignments.

In order to actively participate in class, students need to be in class, on time, and focused. As a result, we will be following the school attendance policy that states that for every 5 unexcused absences, a student's grade will be dropped one letter grade. Further, every 3 tardies equals one unexcused absences, so 15 tardies lower a student’s grade as well. Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class, so unless a late student signs the "Tardy Book", the student will be marked absent for the period.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:
We will be using the Interactive Mathematics Program Year 1 curriculum. Students will need a composition notebook for all assignments (unless otherwise specified). Additional materials will be distributed for supplemental projects and activities.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT WORK:

. Solve supplemental problems provided at the end of each unit.
. Read a book related to math and present findings to the class (books are provided to students if desired).
. Explore media such as newspapers, magazines, and journals to find articles about math or that use math to justify the author's claims; compile your findings and write a report.
. Research a mathematician and write a report on what you found interesting about the person's life and interests.