Chris in PA Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I don't think we are going to finish Lial's precalculus. We are slogging through the trigonometry chapters right now and it is taking a considerable amount of time. DD is a senior and did very well with Lial's Intermediate Algebra. Both she and I are really frustrated with math (and it used to be her favorite subject). She will be starting nursing school in the fall and will not need calculus. Therefore I am not concerned with the need to finish the text as my need for her to understand what she is doing. My question is: What do I call this on her transcript if we cannot finish the text? Would we call is trigonometry? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Unless you finish the Trig section just call the class College Algebra. College Algebra is a college-level course worth 1 semester credit if taken in high school OR in college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in PA Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 Jann, If we make it through chapters 7 and 8 do I still call it college algebra? Or would I call it college algebra and trigonometry? Also do you have a recommendation for any place I can get better explanations of some of these concepts? We bought the DVD's from Pearson but it is just a person going through the problems in the lesson without adding in any real additional information for understanding. Thanks so much for your insight. We just finished working sec.6.5 on harmonic motion. I just hate it that my math skills are so lacking. Calculus was freshman year of college in 1984. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Have you tried Kahn Academy? His explanations are good. Thinkwell's Pre-Calc videos are also very good. I took calc 26 years ago (1985)... I'm now preparing to take it again because so much has changed (graphing calculators)--and I have NOT used Calc in the past 26 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 In my edition (3e hardback) if you stopped at chapter 8 then you will have completed all of the Trig and most of the College Algebra... If you could piddle with chapter 9 (matrices) I'd feel more comfortable with calling the course Pre-Calc... It is a tough call-- as Pre-Calc texts tend to have so 'much' in them-- they have to cater to both future business AND future technical students... most Pre-Calc texts have about 3 semesters of 'stuff' inside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 If you finish functions, logs, and trig, I personally would have no compunctions about calling it precalculus. Matrices and conic sections are usually taught from scratch in further classes, as not everyone gets them in high school precalculus, and even fewer understand them. At my grad school, we skipped the chapter on matrices and most of the chapter on vectors (because they teach vectors from scratch in physics and matrices from scratch later on). At my undergrad, we skipped the chapter on conic sections and most of the chapter on vectors (they were taught in calculus). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yinne Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 (edited) Chris: My dd is using Lial's PreCalculus (Lials PreCalculus w/ Limits; A Circle Approach) as well and anytime she has been stuck she has found the Thinkwell videos very helpful. She has stated more than once that if there was a textbook that went with the Thinkwell videos she would prefer it because he makes everything so clear in the videos. She is currently working through the chapter on matrices. Yvonne in NE Edited January 27, 2011 by yinne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in PA Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 Jann: Thanks sooooo much for the Kahn Academy recommendation. We are going to watch a list of videos from there are well as go through Ch. 6 review problems. I think she is really going to understand it! I think we will be able to get through all the trig plus Ch. 9 on matrices. Yvonne and Kiana: Thanks for the information. It really helps with the decision process here. If the Kahn Academy stuff doesn't work, we will look into the Thinkwell videos. I love this board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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