The problem in Algebra 2: too many topics, too many formulas that mean too little to most students.
We propose a partial solution: teach fewer topics, in more depth, to inject meaning into the course; provide access to all students through carefully selected tools, and still try to challenge the strongest students.
Naoko Akiyama and Scott Nelson had designed a one-hour presentation based on the Math 3 curriculum which we've all taught, and which was largely developed by me at the Urban School of San Francisco. I later joined them to expand the presentation into a 3-hour minicourse, which we presented at the California Math Council, Southern Section (Palm Springs, November 2001) and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (San Antonio, April 2003.) I updated it in 2011 to present at an NCTM summer institute.
Download the slides or view a short version on line.
2011 version of the slides, as a QuickTime movie, including animations (5.3 MB). Corresponding handout (3.6 MB).
Also available on this site :
Iterating Linear Functions from The Mathematics Teacher (with Jonathan Choate), and Algebra: Themes, Tools, Concepts (with Anita Wah). Also there: a bit on iterating non-linear functions and chaos.
Sequences and Series from Algebra: Themes, Tools, Concepts
Hands-on approach to quadratics and completing the square, with connections to graphing: Lab Gear Activities for Algebra 1, by Henri Picciotto. Start here.
A visual explanation of completing the square.
More on parabolas and quadratics.
Using the Graphing Calculator (scroll down to "Rolling Dice" for an intro to exponential functions, and to "Super-Scientific Notation" for an intro to logarithms.)
Perspective (lab on inverse variation, similar triangle review.)
A graphical approach to complex numbers, inspired by the out-of-print Algebra II/Trigonometry: A Guided Inquiry, by Chakerian, Stein, and Crabill. I follow this up in my Space course.
