Question about Math?

[JDD]

Hello, 

I am a new member and I'm in 8th grade. I am currently taking Geometry and I love math. My question is what kind of math I should take next year in 9th grade? I have heard many answers from math teachers. Here are a few like next year I can do Algebra II in a few months and then start Pre-Calculus both with Lial's textbooks. Any review on these books would be great! Also, some say to take Algebra II and College Algebra, which seems to be the same as Algebra II. Any information would be great on which, route I should take or if theirs another route!

Jesse

[MamaSprout]

Are you familiar with AoPS? http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/

 

 

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

8th grade Geometry puts you on a track for 9th grade Algebra II, 10th precalc/trig, 11th calculus A, 12th calculus B (or another advanced calc).  I'm guessing Algebra I was last year.

[Brad S]

I'd look at the books you're considering wherever you can, even if they're just sample pages online. If you liked your algebra 1 book, you might want to consider using the algebra 2 version. I don't think there's anything really different about "college algebra." The big thing is what's covered and what's not (still very standard stuff) and the approach you like. Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) Introduction to Algebra is more for the pure math approach; the first half to two thirds would probably be review, but with much more challenging problems than you probably had before. A lot of students who love math love the AoPS approach. Lial is more of the standard approach, and I think at about an average level of difficulty for algebra 2. My understanding is that Foerster algebra 2 is slightly more challenging than Lial, but again a typical approach; Foerster and Prentice-Hall books at least in the last 15 years seem to have more applications, which might appeal to someone whose interest is more in sciences than as a "pure" math track. You can also search on algebra 2 in the forums here -- you'll hear lots of opinions and get different perspectives.

[LMV]

Our oldest daughter did Algebra II  & Trigonometry together as a freshman. She then went directly into calculus AB her sophomore year.  I think she would have struggled with this if she hadn't had a good trigonometry background so if that is something you haven't already covered already make sure it doesn't get overlooked.  Our next daughter is taking geometry this year as a freshman.  So far so good and I presume she will take the same course her sister took next year and then probably go directly into AP Calculus AB but she is much less math and science interested so perhaps not.  

[JDD]

So if I take Algebra II with Trig and get a good overview I can go straight to Calculus?

Jesse

[EKS]

College algebra is the same as the algebra part of precalculus.  You're going to want to do Algebra II and precalculus (college algebra + trigonometry) before calculus. 

[kiana]

I am pasting my response from your other thread.

 

Wow! You have a lot of questions.

 

1) You should take as long as it takes to do Algebra II with understanding and then do precalculus in my opinion, if you like math.

2) College algebra is usually the first half of precalculus.

3) Algebra II adds a significant amount more depth -- if it is easy, yes, you should go through it rapidly. But again, take as long as you need -- you don't have to have decided in advance whether you're going to do Alg II or precalc. You can also do part of precalc one year and part the next.

4) If your calculus transfers you usually won't have to do a placement test. If your calculus doesn't transfer, they will probably make you take a placement test, and this will determine whether or not you need to take college algebra or not. This is one reason that it's really important to take as long as necessary to make sure you understand algebra II, because it really sucks to take calculus in high school and then get booted back to college algebra or lower. You do not have to take college algebra in high school to place out of it.

5) I haven't done apologia, but according to this blog - https://blog.apologi...hing-science-2/ - you need algebra 1, geometry, and basic trigonometry (i.e. right triangle trigonometry) to do physics and precalculus to do advanced physics. Your geometry course may have included right triangle trig, but even if it did not, you can learn it in an afternoon if you understood geometry.

 

So if I take Algebra II with Trig and get a good overview I can go straight to Calculus?

Jesse

I would strongly recommend against this. You're at home, doing a self-paced program. In school, when you are tied to the pace of the class, a very bright student might skip a grade to be at an appropriate level of challenge ... *because* they cannot go through algebra 2 one semester and precalc the next. They would be filling in any holes left by skipping precalculus while their classmates are struggling with the calculus material. However, this doesn't work for some students, and if you find it's not working it's often too late to withdraw and start over again at a lower level. I would much rather see a bright student either do both courses faster or take a more challenging version of the courses such as AOPS than attempt to skip precalculus.

 

If you desperately want to hit calculus in 10th grade, I would recommend starting algebra 2 now (you can do it concurrently with geometry - many ps students who want to accelerate do this) and then start precalculus when you finish.

[JDD]

Thank you for all you responses!

Jesse