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What does Jacobs' Algebra book cover?


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I know a lot of people love the Jacobs Algebra book. I think it sounds appealing and I'm thinking about ordering a copy for review. We're not there yet, but I think we'll need it next year....

 

In another thread on this board, people mentioned that the beginning of this book has good pre-algebra content. But a review I read on a different site says that Jacobs is good for Algebra I plus some advanced algebra.

 

So... what does it contain, and what levels would it best cover?? Also... good for advanced mathy kids, or not so much? We'd be starting it during 5th grade once we're through MM if we continue with our plan.

 

Thanks!! :

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Did you look at the preview on google books yet? It's pretty lengthy and includes the table of contents.

 

I'm on my phone, so linking to it would be a pain, but just search google books for â€Jacobs elementary algebraâ€.

 

Unfortunately, the book runs about $30+ used (I was lucky to get it and the solutions manual for $30ppd earlier this year).

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No, I had been looking for samples, but hadn't checked there! Thanks, I will take a peek.

 

I would still like people to chime in with additional thoughts... though I have an idea, I'm not *entirely* sure what would count for prealgebra vs. algebra vs. advanced algebra!! :)

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Bumping for the OP. :)

 

I do seem to recall reading that there were some topics that are typically in an Algebra I course that weren't in Jacobs, but that they're topics that are reviewed at the beginning of all Algebra II courses, so it didn't matter.

 

Jacobs is also useful for young students, as it has humor and isn't dry and repetitive.

 

I will say I was surprised at how HUGE the book is! I think it's almost twice the size of Foerster. :lol:

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Jacobs Algebra is only an Algebra 1 course, with just a few topics touching on Pre-Algebra topics, and a few topics touching on beginning Algebra 2 topics, but not at all going into depth on the Alg. 2 topics.

 

 

 

... good for advanced mathy kids, or not so much? We'd be starting it during 5th grade once we're through MM if we continue with our plan.

 

 

Just one possible "caveat" to take into consideration as you plan for math next year -- you mention you'd be doing Jacobs Algebra in 5th grade. Many times families find that an advanced student who flies through math in the elementary years often "hits the wall" when they attempt to go on to the next level of math, which would be Algebra. Algebra is very abstract-thinking and logic-based, and the average student does not begin to develop those areas of the brain until around about age 12-14. So a student who was chewing through math and loving it heads into the algebra -- and really gets frustrated, because they just don't have the "brain tools" to be able to process the algebra. One suggestion would be to take a year before moving on into the Algebra and focus on some other math program from a different perspective to continue to give the student a challenge, but one they have the brain maturity to do and enjoy. Some ideas:

 

- Art of Problem Solving: Pre-Algebra

- Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra with Economics

- Consumer Math (real-life problem solving and applications) -- the one linked is published by Walch and is a middle school program

- Mathematics: A Human Endeavor (Jacobs)

- Keys to Algebra series

 

 

re: who is Jacobs Algebra good for

Jacobs is not a particularly rigorous course, nor would I say it is necessarily for advanced or mathy kids. As with any math program, it's all about matching up your teaching style and your student's learning style with the text that works best. Jacobs is a very solid and thorough program; it is a mastery-based program, with gentle incremental steps of each lesson adding on to the lesson before in that chapter. Each chapter opens with a cartoon and an example of how the topic being covered in that lesson works in real-life applications. There are four problem sets:

 

I = review problems from past lessons

II = incremental problem set (the problems increase in difficulty from the start to the end of the problem set)

III = identical to set II, just with different numbers, for additional practice if needed

IV = optional "challenge" problem

 

Some people find Jacobs to be "too wordy" -- I believe these are people who work best with a concise instruction on what to do/how to do it and focus on the equation and steps of the equation; the real-life example and cartoon just get in the way for the style of these teachers/learners. Foerster's Algebra 1 or Lial's Basic College Math (Algebra 1 program) would be a better fit for this learning/teaching style.

 

Those with visual-spatial learners (VSL) may find that the real-life example helps the VSL student make big-picture connections with the abstract topic of Algebra, but for highly VSL students, Math-U-See (MUS) or Teaching Textbooks may be a better fit. (This was the case with our younger son; very VSL and does not "get" the abstract topic of math; we did all of Jacobs Algebra in 9th, but it really didn't quite "click", and so we did MUS Algebra 1 in the first half of 10th grade -- I believe the combination of seeing it a second time and from a more visual perspective finally helped it "click" for him.) Jacobs Algebra 1 is definitely much more thorough in coverage and depth than MUS Algebra 1 -- however, I know that 8FillsTheHeart very successfully uses the OLD original MUS Advanced (Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 topics) as a great first, gentle introduction and explanation of the higher math topics, and then goes on to have her students use more rigorous programs. So, MUS might be an option for your student as a "first exposure" and then the following year do a more rigorous Algebra...

 

You mentioned you are using Math Mammoth (MM); I believe that is very similar in approach to Singapore. Our older DS did Singapore and loved it, and went on to do both Jacobs Algebra and Geometry and did very well with both and enjoyed both. Saxon will probably not be a good match for students who have connected with/enjoyed MM -- it is a spiral approach, very abstract in presentation (focus on formulas and "plug and chug" rather than math thinking), and the instruction on topics is broken into very small "bites" with "bites" often separated by 2-5 lessons before seeing the next "bite". For a rigorous algebra, most people on this board go with Dolciani.

 

In case it is of help, below is the table of contents for Jacobs Algebra. BEST of luck as you look forward to the higher math programs, and in finding what works best for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

1 = Fundamental Operations

(addition, substraction, multiplication, division, raising to a power, zero and one, order of operations, parentheses, distributive rule)

 

2 = Functions and Graphs

(coordinate graph, functions, direct variation, lenear functions, inverse varieation)

 

3 = Integers

(addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, several operations)

 

4 = Rational Numbers

(absolute value, operations with rational numbers, approximations)

 

5 = Equations in One Variable

(inverse operations, equivalent operations, equivalent expressions, solving equations, length and area, distance and rate and time)

 

6 = Equations in Two Variables

(formulas, graphing linear equations, intercepts, slope, slope-intercept form)

 

7 = Simultaneous Equations

(solving by subtraction, graphing simultaneous equations, inconsistent and equivalent equations, solving by substitution)

 

8 = Exponents

(large numbers, properties of exponents, zero and negative exponents, small numbers, powers of products and quotients, exponential functions)

 

9 = Polynomials

(monomials, polynomials, add/subtract/multiply/divide polynomials, squaring binomials)

 

10 = Factoring

(prime and composite numbers, monomial and polynomials and their factors, factoring second-degree polynomials, factoring the difference of two squares, factoring trinomial squares and higher-degree polynomials)

 

11 = Fractions

(algebraic fractions, add/subtract/multiply/divide fractions, complex fractions)

 

12 = Square Roots

(squares and square roots, square roots of products and quotients, add/subtract/multiply/divide square roots, radical equations)

 

13 = Quadratic Equations

(polynomial equations and functions, solving by graphing, solving by factoring, solving by taking square roots, completing the square, quadratic formula, the discriminant, solving higher-degree equations)

 

14 = Real Numbers

(rational, irrational, pi, real numbers)

 

15 = Fractional Equations

(ratio and proportion, equations containing fractions, solving formulas)

 

16 = Inequalities

(solving linear inequalities, absolute value and inequalities)

 

17 = Number Sequences

(arithmetic sequences, geometric sequences, infinite geometric sequences)

Edited by Lori D.
added info
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In another thread on this board, people mentioned that the beginning of this book has good pre-algebra content. But a review I read on a different site says that Jacobs is good for Algebra I plus some advanced algebra.

 

So... what does it contain, and what levels would it best cover?? Also... good for advanced mathy kids, or not so much? We'd be starting it during 5th grade once we're through MM if we continue with our plan.

 

Hi Cris,

I used Jacobs Algebra with a "younger, mathy" student (beginning in 6th grade), and he loved it. Jacobs gives interesting introductions to each lesson that might help grab a younger student's attention. And these introductions help answer that ever-present question of "why do this". Jacobs clearly shows the advantages of learning algebra well. I also used Life of Fred and AoPS with this same student; I wanted him to have a solid, solid base in algebra. We spent 1 and 1/2 years on the subject.

 

As far as the topics, the first 3-5 chapters *could* be partly review if you have used a strong pre-algebra program (refer to Lori's toc). Certainly the first chapter. But even in that chapter, Jacobs adds in some higher level problem solving that might not have been approached in pre-algebra. I'm not familiar with MM, so I really can't tell you how prepared your student would be for Jacobs.

 

The only chapter that might be considered "advanced algebra" would be the very last one on number sequences. Not all first year algebra programs cover that topic, and really, it is just a brief intro in the Jacobs text. Not worth any further credit.

 

Good luck with your algebra search! By the way, my son went on to use Jacobs 2nd edition geometry and is now using Forester's Algebra and Trigonometry for Algebra II. This text is quite challenging!!

HTH!

Jetta

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Wow, thanks for all the great information!!

 

Jetta, I appreciate hearing about your experience. Sounds like something I'll definitely want to further explore!

 

Lori, thanks for the thoughts on moving on to higher math. I agree with you... I'm not convinced he'll be ready to fully jump into algebra next year, we'll have to see as the time gets closer. I do have AoPS Pre-Algebra here, and we may start with that... I'm not sure that he'll appreciate the "discovery" approach, though. He also adores the LOF books, so I'm considering getting either or both Pre-Algebra books in that series as well.

 

Thanks again, all, you've given me some good food for thought. :)

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