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Beast Academy 3B TOC (from Facebook page)


Deniseibase
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The 3B table of contents is up!

 

Chapter 4: Multiplication

- St. Ives

- The Times Table

- The Commutative Property

- Block Blob

- Multiplying Big Numbers

- The Associative Property

- Multiplying by 4 and by 5

- Winnie's Notes

- Penny Rows

- Grogg's Notes

 

Chapter 5: Perfect Squares

- Perfect Squares

- Squares that End in 5

- Squaring Up

- Winnie's Notes

- Dots and Boxes

- In the Garden

- Dissections

- Alex's Notes

 

Chapter 6: The Distributive Property

- Order of Operations

- Big Rectangles

- Pirate Booty

- The Distributive Property

- Math Meet

 

 

Looks pretty awesome to me! :)

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I am SO CURIOUS to see how all of this works in practice.

 

Looking at the subtopics under "multiplication" in the ToC, I am encouraged that it won't be too simple even though my child already knows her times tables. The flip side of that is that now I wonder what this will be like for someone encountering multiplication for the first time.

 

She just spent most of a semester learning how to multiply and divide, apply multiplication, and memorize all the tables. It's veeeery interesting to see that condensed into a single chapter, and also apparently expanded.

 

My daughter is super excited about Beast Academy. She asked me to show her all the sample pages again today. :D

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I'm trying not to get too excited. My son is already doing great in Singapore plus Life of Fred elementary, and is looking forward to getting to the upper levels of Fred (this morning he woke me up with "Mom!! I just found out that when I get bigger, in Fred I get to study Algebra TWO times, and TRIGONOMETRY and CALCULUS! I CANNOT WAIT! Can we go do more math right now???")

 

I'm not sure adding a third math program to the mix is really necessary, as fun as it looks :D. He already does Khan Academy and other stuff on the side too . . .

 

(ie, Beast Academy looks really fun . . . I'm just trying to sit on my hands!).

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They said that they would update the website when BA is available. There's an online component too, isn't there? I'm betting it's not quite ready, so they're posting the little exciting bits on Facebook. That gives their website team the time and space they need to get their work for the final product done.

 

That's all just made up, but it sounds good, doesn't it?

:)

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I'm trying not to get too excited. My son is already doing great in Singapore plus Life of Fred elementary, and is looking forward to getting to the upper levels of Fred (this morning he woke me up with "Mom!! I just found out that when I get bigger, in Fred I get to study Algebra TWO times, and TRIGONOMETRY and CALCULUS! I CANNOT WAIT! Can we go do more math right now???")

 

 

:lol::lol::lol: My dd has similar reactions to Fred. Love! I am actually kind of relieved that we are "past" BA for this dd, so I don't have to try and figure out how to fit it in. By the time dd5 is ready for it, hopefully all 3-4 years will be done! I may have hit this one perfectly, for her.

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I have to scratch my head at having area covered in 3A and multiplication covered in 3B. Wouldn't it make WAY more sense to do it the other way around? :confused::confused::confused:

 

They use serial addition to teach area.

 

(but yeah, I would have switched it too :tongue_smilie:)

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Did anyone else notice in the comments of one of the posts on their FB, Beast Academy said that 3a and 3b only cover half of 3rd grade? I'm relieved because he TOC didn't seem to cover enough for a whole year, but 4 books will probably put it out of our price range. :(

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Looking at the subtopics under "multiplication" in the ToC, I am encouraged that it won't be too simple even though my child already knows her times tables. The flip side of that is that now I wonder what this will be like for someone encountering multiplication for the first time.

 

I had the same thoughts. My 8yo has seen these topics before (in Miquon) but she doesn't yet have her multiplication tables memorized. (I've been holding off because I want her to have more practice figuring in her head.) So she should be at the perfect place for this curriculum, but I have a feeling it would be too much for her if she'd only gone through Singapore and not Miquon, too. It IS for kids who are quick at math, though, so I guess you've gotta expect that it won't fit the average kid! I'm hoping it works for us! My 8yo is very sequential in her thinking and doesn't make the mental leaps that my 6yo does. I have a feeling she'll be needing the extra practice they plan to offer online.

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Did anyone else notice in the comments of one of the posts on their FB, Beast Academy said that 3a and 3b only cover half of 3rd grade? I'm relieved because he TOC didn't seem to cover enough for a whole year, but 4 books will probably put it out of our price range. :(

 

 

And I thought that I will not have to juggle all these Singapore books...:-(

I am afraid that the 8 books per year will push it our of our price range.

 

Does anybody know, if all of the 8 books will be available in March?

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It is.my understanding that there is.to be four books total for 3rd grade, 2 ready in March and the other 2ready by this fall.

 

It's 4 guides and 4 workbooks, so total of 8. You have a guide and workbook for each level.

 

It's not as bad as Singapore though. You just have 2 books to juggle at one time, not 5. ;)

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I've looked over their site (and I'm not very good with navigating the internet at times) and I can't find information on pricing. What do their curriculum items usually cost? I'm trying to work out a budget for next year and it would help if I had some range to use in figuring things out.

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I've looked over their site (and I'm not very good with navigating the internet at times) and I can't find information on pricing. What do their curriculum items usually cost? I'm trying to work out a budget for next year and it would help if I had some range to use in figuring things out.

 

No one knows what the price will be yet. Their middle/high school texts are quite reasonably priced (roughly $50 for a student book and solution manual combined - excellent for algebra on up type courses), but those texts are not full color comic books like BA will be. BA texts are likely going to have to cost more just because of that... unless they changed things a bit. I know a lot of people gave input about the pages being busy and confusing to the kids sometimes. My own son said, "Um... where do I start?" He'd never read a comic book before. :tongue_smilie:

 

So yeah, you're not going to be able to estimate cost on this one until they release the pricing. It sounds like they're still trying to nail that down themselves.

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I've looked over their site (and I'm not very good with navigating the internet at times) and I can't find information on pricing. What do their curriculum items usually cost? I'm trying to work out a budget for next year and it would help if I had some range to use in figuring things out.

 

No one knows.

It's a mystery. :p

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It's 4 guides and 4 workbooks, so total of 8. You have a guide and workbook for each level.

 

It's not as bad as Singapore though. You just have 2 books to juggle at one time, not 5. ;)

I wasn't for sure if those workbooks were to be separate or not. I think we will try to be patient and let everyone else try it out first :)

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I have to scratch my head at having area covered in 3A and multiplication covered in 3B. Wouldn't it make WAY more sense to do it the other way around? :confused::confused::confused:

But area does not necessarily imply multiplication (prior to developing formulae for specific shapes) except when shapes are rectilinear and the units line up perfectly in blocky groups. Counting/addition puts a clear initial emphasis on the spatial meaning of "area." Multiplication can be a handy shortcut, but is not necessary.

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But area does not necessarily imply multiplication (prior to developing formulae for specific shapes) except when shapes are rectilinear and the units line up perfectly in blocky groups. Counting/addition puts a clear initial emphasis on the spatial meaning of "area." Multiplication can be a handy shortcut, but is not necessary.

 

:iagree: And actually, MM teaches area before teaching the multiplication method of finding area also. They start with "count the squares". Of course, my son figured out on his own that it was just easier to multiply. :tongue_smilie:

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So yeah, you're not going to be able to estimate cost on this one until they release the pricing. It sounds like they're still trying to nail that down themselves.

 

Isn't that strange? :confused:

I can understand them not being ready with the new website and therefor not giving all the information, but I can't imagine designing a curriculum, hiring an artist to design the pages etc, and not knowing how it will work out with the pricing. Are they just going to say, 'Whoops. It turned out way more expensive and now noone is going to buy it.'??:tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, and I can't be the only one who doesn't find the TOC particularly helpful. I mean, Winnie's Notes, Grogg's Notes, Alex's Notes??? :confused:

 

 

 

Tress, who didn't get much sleep for the gazillionth night in a row, so might be a bit more cynical than normal.

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Oh, and I can't be the only one who doesn't find the TOC particularly helpful. I mean, Winnie's Notes, Grogg's Notes, Alex's Notes??? :confused:

 

Tress, who didn't get much sleep for the gazillionth night in a row, so might be a bit more cynical than normal.

 

They're going to release a full scope and sequence when they launch the new website and offer the curriculum for sale.

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Isn't that strange? :confused:

I can understand them not being ready with the new website and therefor not giving all the information, but I can't imagine designing a curriculum, hiring an artist to design the pages etc, and not knowing how it will work out with the pricing. Are they just going to say, 'Whoops. It turned out way more expensive and now noone is going to buy it.'??:tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, and I can't be the only one who doesn't find the TOC particularly helpful. I mean, Winnie's Notes, Grogg's Notes, Alex's Notes??? :confused:

 

 

 

Tress, who didn't get much sleep for the gazillionth night in a row, so might be a bit more cynical than normal.

 

It matches the sample, so it makes sense but isn't very informative. (The names are comic book characters who teach different parts of it.) They did say they wouldn't be sure on pricing until it was done at the printer, and that makes some sense having worked in a print field--you tweak & change & move things & switch paper & change margins until you reach a middle ground of cost & size & color & features that matter most. We were just making phone books but even those would come back as "it's ____ pages too long as printed in this font with the current cost of that paper, shrink the font size .25 and run it that way. No, that's not readable, up it .1 font size and remove this many of your own ads." Etc.

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I had the same thoughts. My 8yo has seen these topics before (in Miquon) but she doesn't yet have her multiplication tables memorized. (I've been holding off because I want her to have more practice figuring in her head.) So she should be at the perfect place for this curriculum, but I have a feeling it would be too much for her if she'd only gone through Singapore and not Miquon, too. It IS for kids who are quick at math, though, so I guess you've gotta expect that it won't fit the average kid! I'm hoping it works for us! My 8yo is very sequential in her thinking and doesn't make the mental leaps that my 6yo does. I have a feeling she'll be needing the extra practice they plan to offer online.

 

I love how it seems BA is going to build on the explicit knowledge of employing the distributive and associative properties that children get in Miquon. Happy dance.

 

Bill

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Maybe they end up using area to teach the concept of multiplication. Area would be a nice visual for that, anyway.

 

But area does not necessarily imply multiplication (prior to developing formulae for specific shapes) except when shapes are rectilinear and the units line up perfectly in blocky groups. Counting/addition puts a clear initial emphasis on the spatial meaning of "area." Multiplication can be a handy shortcut, but is not necessary.

 

:iagree:

 

I think they are deliberately using the concept of area to spatially demonstrate multiplication. There is a logic to this choice.

 

Bill

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They're going to release a full scope and sequence when they launch the new website and offer the curriculum for sale.

 

Thanks, Rivka, that is good to know!

 

They did say they wouldn't be sure on pricing until it was done at the printer, and that makes some sense having worked in a print field--you tweak & change & move things & switch paper & change margins until you reach a middle ground of cost & size & color & features that matter most. We were just making phone books but even those would come back as "it's ____ pages too long as printed in this font with the current cost of that paper, shrink the font size .25 and run it that way. No, that's not readable, up it .1 font size and remove this many of your own ads." Etc.

 

LittleIzumi, thank you for your explanation. That makes sense. I have no experience with publishing, so I found it really weird, but this is restoring my faith in the AoPS guys :D.

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x8?

 

Oh no.

 

Well, at least I've got MEP!

 

I highly doubt x8. :lol:

 

The workbooks themselves are very plain and should be cheap (maybe $10ish like the Singapore workbooks?), though I don't know how big they'll be. It might be more if they're thicker than Singapore. The guide is what will probably be expensive. I have nothing comparable here, so I couldn't even hazard a guess. I just know it had a LOT of color to it.

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:iagree:

 

I think they are deliberately using the concept of area to spatially demonstrate multiplication. There is a logic to this choice.

 

Bill

 

The more I think about that, the more obvious it becomes. And, it makes me want to buy BA all the more (in spite of the fact that I have no current need; though it won't be long before my current Ker is looking toward multiplication, I can at least wait till some of you buy it first :))

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"Ideally, we would be able to publish a new book every 3 months (since each book is 1/4 of a grade). At our current production rate, that is too optimistic a schedule. We are hoping to be able to release a new pair of books (Guide and Practice) about every 4 months. We expect 3C to be ready by August, and 3D by December (2012). Hope this helps."

 

Did anyone else see this comment on FB? This makes me not want to be an early adopter to increase the chances that once we start (if we do go that route, I'm still waffling) we'll be able to continue to advance without pause. (Although, honestly, it's not like I'm lacking for mathematical filler around here!)

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Has anyone on facebook asked them what the expected price might be, and if they will sell the books as PDFs?

 

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/beastacademymath?sk=wall

 

We haven't made any decisions yet on price. We'll have a new site up with scope and sequence, along with new samples, when the books are in next month (barring any printing issue delaying the printing!)

 

There will not be a digital version of the book right away, but the books have been designed with the idea that they will eventually be available electronically.

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The more I think about that, the more obvious it becomes. And, it makes me want to buy BA all the more (in spite of the fact that I have no current need; though it won't be long before my current Ker is looking toward multiplication, I can at least wait till some of you buy it first :))

 

I have to agree with you. Having already gone through multiplication and figuring out area with DD, I like BA's approach. The other way around doesn't seem to allow the child to make a connection but has the teacher showing it with more explicit instruction. All of which means I need to buy this set for research purposes. :D

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I highly doubt x8. :lol:

 

The workbooks themselves are very plain and should be cheap (maybe $10ish like the Singapore workbooks?), though I don't know how big they'll be. It might be more if they're thicker than Singapore. The guide is what will probably be expensive. I have nothing comparable here, so I couldn't even hazard a guess. I just know it had a LOT of color to it.

Eek!:eek:

I think I'll let you all try it out, and make my decision in August.:lol:

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Have you noticed the differences in formatting? All capital letters are out! There is less color and it looks cleaner and easier to read. This should make it easier for kids on the younger side to work with books more independently.

 

Yes, it looks far more subdued. I wonder if they have decided to print on less glossy paper than the sample? This look strikes me as being more suitable for less fancy printing. The sample was great but I worried about the co$t.

 

I have to believe the "pirate-talk" got toned down a bit too ;)

 

Bill

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