What would you do? - Ideas for finishing 2nd semester geometry in <2 months?

[Tardis Girl]

One of my teens has about 1/2 of her geometry book to finish this summer, and really wants/needs to get into Algebra 2 by September because of her concurrent science class. She did recently watch the Geometry DVD course through the Teaching Company/Great Courses (thirty 30m lectures, taking notes but not working through all the problems in the accompanying workbook, done in about 4 weeks), but still has 1/2 of her regular textbook to go -- it's a Glencoe textbook, which is fairly typical ps type of book.

 

I've got no problem just having her do the 2nd 1/2 of the book, if that's what it comes to (this is what she is planning on at this point). But I find myself wondering if this is the best option. I am considering having her do a pre-test of sorts at the beginning of each chapter and then just focus on problem areas.

 

So I thought I'd throw it out here to see if there are other options I should consider. The goal is to be done with whatever needs to happen by mid-August so she can start Algebra 2.

 

Oh, and of course she wants to do well on the ACT/SAT, and I was planning to have her and her sister go through the Chalkdust SAT Review course this summer, than maybe again later. ;) What would you do??

 

FWIW, here is the TOC from her Geometry book (I'm not sure how it compares to others). We are switching math publishers after this.

UNIT ONE: LINES AND ANGLES

1-Points, Lines, Planes, Angles

2-Reasoning and Proof

3-Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

UNIT TWO: TRIANGLES

4-Congruent Triangles

5-Relationships in Triangles

6-Proportions and Similarity

-----where she is right now, between chapters, typical "semester" break after chapter 7------

7-Right Triangles and Trigonometry

UNIT THREE: QUADRILATERALS AND CIRCLES

8-Quadrilaterals

9-Transformations

10-Circles

UNIT FOUR: AREA AND VOLUME

11-Areas of Polygons and Circles

12-Surface Area

13-Volume

 

What do you think? Just do the whole 2nd half of the book, or something else??

Edited July 2, 2010 by StaceyZ

[Jann in TX]

Unfortunately the 2nd half of the Geometry course contains the majority of the information/lessons she will need for standardized college placement tests (ACT/SAT). Formula work is important.

 

Geometry is not a pre-requisite for Algebra 2... Have her keep plodding away at Geometry and go ahead and start her in Algebra 2 this fall... make sure she has time set aside for 2 separate classes.

[MyThreeSons]

Many students take Algebra 2 after Algebra 1, then Geometry. I don't recommend it, because it's tougher to go on to Pre-Calc when it's been a year since Alg2.

 

And I have had several students over the years who have taken Algebra 2 and Geometry concurrently.

[Tardis Girl]

Thank you for the replies on this! Dd would like to start Alg2 while continuing on with geometry, BUT, I really think we should consider changing geometry courses, if that's do-able. Any recommendations? Is this even possible, realistically?? I posted the TOC (from current Geo book) in my first post above. Has anyone ever changed geo books *mid-year* and started the new book in the middle (roughly)?

 

I think she will feel quite defeated to start a new geo book from the beginning. IDK. <sigh>

 

I am wondering if she could do LoF or TT Geometry. But maybe there are others? She's not a math-lover, although really wants to hold her own on the ACT/SAT. For Alg2 she's doing either Lial's or LoF or a combo of both.

 

Update: I'm going to start a new thread about this since I've changed topics now. lol

Edited July 2, 2010 by StaceyZ