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Math Class Syllabus
- Whole Numbers—Something You Can Count On
The basic foundation. What is a number, as opposed to the things you are
counting.
- How Do Numbers Work: Patterns "To Infinity, and Beyond"
Numbers form patterns. Recognizing patterns, we can take short-cuts. From
counting, we get addition and subtraction. From addition, multiplication and
division. From those, fractions and powers. And so on.
- Notation
Everybody hates "word problems," so we'll replace the words with simple signs.
- Precedence of
Operations – Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
"Please, don't stop" vs. "Please don't. Stop" – what parts do we bind together
first when solving a problem.
- Fractions –
Divide and Conquer
How to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions. Lowest Common Denominators.
- Negative and
Positive
The number line, the past, debts, and rules for manipulating the signs.
- Tens and Zeros
– Romans X, Moderns 0. We Win!
How to use the power of our base-ten system.
- Calculators –
To Really Mess Something Up…
Once you have a display, does it make sense? How to tell, and how to operate a
calculator.
- Multiplication
Tables – Do I Have To?
Yes, it's part of basic literacy, but you never learned THIS about the tables.
- Go Figure – A
Map and a Toolkit
Quick math without a calculator using tips and tricks, and familiarity with
numbers.
- Estimation and
Approximation – Close Enough?
What time is it? Wrong! Sometimes, close enough is best. Ways to know how good
an approximation is, and should be.
- Algebra –
Everything You Want To Know About X
A very basic introduction to using letters in place of numbers. Demystifying the
subject.
- Angles
Why 360 degrees? How to add and subtract minutes and seconds. Radian measure. A
feel for angles
- Trigonometry –
It's All Greek To Me
But really, it's only about 4 or 5 Greek words. Slopes, angles and sides made
easy
- Units – We're
Talking Apples and Oranges
How to manipulate and keep track of units along with their coefficients.
Dimensional analysis.
- The Metric
System – Let's Join The World
Proof that you don't know the American system and already prefer the Metric
system. Details on how to use it.
- Charts and
Graphs
How to get information from charts. How to choose the right type of chart. How
to avoid being misled by the wrong type of chart.
- Logarithms –
Earn Your Pocket Protector!
With only the log button on a simple calculator, we can do things for which
there is no button: We calculate the thickness of an absorbing filter, the cube
root of a number, even the 7/12 power of 2 to find the musical perfect fifth.
This even includes a small toolkit so you can do it in your head.
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