Honors Algebra 2 & Trigonometry

Pacing Guide: Review of Prerequisites and Chapter 1: Equations and Inequalities

For the first several weeks, this class will be reviewing important prior math concepts and then we will proceed into Algebra 2 topics. The topics and dates we will be addressing are:

-Introduction to Honors Algebra 2 and Trigonometry: August 7

-Project (Find the Height): August 10-11

-Section R.1 - Sets and the Real Number Line: August 12

-Section R.2 - Integer Components and Scientific Notation: August 13

-Section R.3 - Rational Exponents and Radicals: August 14

-Section R.4 - Polynomials and Multiplications of Radicals: August 17

-Section R.5 - Factoring: August 18

-Section R.6 - Rational Expressions and More Operations: August 19 - 21

(MAP Testing - August 20)

-Section 1.1 - Linear Equations and Rational Equations: August 24 - 26

-Section 1.2 - Applications with Linear and Rational Equations: August 27

-Section 1.3 - Linear Equations and Rational Equations: August 28 - 31

-Section 1.4 - Quadratic Equations: September 1 - September 3

-Section 1.5 - Applications of Quadratic Equations: September 4

-Section 1.6 - More Equations and Applications: September 7

-Section 1.7 - Linear, Compound and Absolute Value Inequalities: September 8 - 10

-Review: September 11

-Test 1: September 14

All Assignments can be viewed in the Canvas portion of the class. (Two weeks are posted.)

Friday, August 7:

We will be: introducing ourselves, discussing the aspects of the class, introducing the syllabus, answering your questions, will be introducing a math project that will open the class.

Monday, August 10, to Tuesday, August 11:

We will be completing a project that will take two days. Your work on the project is due Wednesday, August 12, at the beginning of class.

The Project: You will determine the distance/height of the dome of the planetarium's ceiling to the floor directly under the highest point of the dome (under the base of the planetarium projector). You may assume the floor of the planetarium is level and continuous under the projector's base.

The Rules:

1) You may complete this in pairs or individually. If you work in pairs, you will have to complete a little more work, but groups can turn in only one project submission (instead of both students turning in work).

2) You can use any measuring devices made available to you in class.

3) You can use any algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or precalculus concepts to complete this task.

4) You will have two class periods to complete this work. You are more than welcome to work on this outside of class too when Mr. Glaser has opened the doors to the planetarium.

5) Those working individually need to list 10 steps they took to complete the task. Those working in pairs need to list 15 steps they took to complete the task but will only submit one project paper for both students.

6) You may not climb on the planetarium projector's base or chairs. 

7) All work is due as you enter class on Wednesday, August 12.

What To Submit for the Project and How This Will Be Graded:

Part 1: Your estimation of the distance. (Do not forget units.)

   Grading (20 total points): 

      Within 1.0 feet of true measurement... 20 points

      Between 1.01 feet and 3.0 feet off true measurement... 15 points

      Between 3.01 feet and 5.0 feet off true measurement... 10 points

      More than 5.0 feet off true measurement... 5 points

Part 2: All your relevant math work that shows how you computed the distance.

    Grading (40 total points): 

      Best Work: All relevant math is shown, makes sense and has a good flow or can be understood... 40 points

      Decent Work: 80% relevant math is shown, makes sense and has a good flow or can be mostly understood... 30 points

      Work That Needs Help: A bit of relevant math is shown, does not really makes sense and has flow or can not really be understood... 15 points

      No Work Shown... 0 points

Part 3: Your 10 steps (individual work) or 15 steps (group work) that led you to your answer. Your steps must be complete sentences.

   Grading (40 total points): 

      Best Work: All steps are shown, all steps make sense and have good flow and can be understood... 40 points

      Decent Work: 80%+ steps are shown, all steps make reasonable but not perfect sense and have a flow that can be understood... 30 points

      Work That Needs Help: 60%-79.9% of steps are shown, all steps make reasonable but not perfect sense and have a flow that can be somewhat understood... 15 points

      Use complete sentences. Any steps that are not complete sentences lose half of that step's credit.

      No Work Shown... 0 points

Accepted Assignment Submissions:

Students may submit their assignments in any of the following formats:

a. Word document emailed to the teacher at glaser_j@aps.edu (for John Glaser) by the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 12.

b. Typed and printed submission turned in at the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 12.

c. An electronic poster emailed to the teacher at glaser_j@aps.edu (for John Glaser) by the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 12.

d. A physical poster turned in at the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 12.

e. Any other acceptable electronic medium (like Powerpoint, etc.) emailed to the teacher at glaser_j@aps.edu (for John Glaser) or made available to the teacher by the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 12.

Wednesday, August 12:

We will be reviewing basic number manipulations.

Resources Websites:

https://www.mathsisfun.com/operation-order-pemdas.html

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/simplify-square-roots.html

https://www.mathsisfun.com/associative-commutative-distributive.html

Homework:  Pages 15 - 16 (problems 75 - 84 all, 109, 111, 113), read pages 2-13.

Thursday, August 13:

We will be reviewing scientific notation and integer exponents.

Resource Websites:

https://www.mathsisfun.com/exponent.html

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/exponent-laws.html

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/scientific-notation.html

Homework:

Complete page 25 (problems 15 - 49 odds, 65 - 67 all), read pages 18 - 24.

Friday, August 14:

We will be reviewing rational exponents and radicals.

Resources and Websites:

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/simplify-square-roots.html

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/exponent-fractional.html

https://www.intmath.com/exponents-radicals/exponent-radical.php

Homework:

Complete pages 34 - 35 (problems 9-25 odds, 33 - 39 odds, 65, 67, 77, 79, 80, 82), read pages 27 - 33.

All of this week's homework (except for the project) will be submitted for grading on Monday, August 17, at the beginning of class.

This week, we will be reviewing concepts of past algebra that are important for this year and we will be starting our new lessons in the class. All of this week's homework will be submitted for grading on Monday, August 24, at the beginning of class.

Here is the schedule for this week:

Monday, August 17:

We will be reviewing polynomials and the multiplication of radicals.

Resources and Websites:

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/polynomials-adding-subtracting.html

Links to an external site.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/polynomials-multiplying.html

Links to an external site.

https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Algebra/Advanced_Algebra/05%3A_Radical_Functions_and_Equations/5.04%3A_Multiplying_and_Dividing_Radical_Expressions

Links to an external site.

Homework:

Complete pages 44 - 45 (problems 17, 19, 23 - 26 all, 37 - 39 all, 43 - 46 all), read pages 38 - 43.

Tuesday, August 18:

We will be reviewing factoring.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/factoring.html

Links to an external site.

Homework:  Page 57 (problems 17, 19, 23 - 33 odds, 37 - 43 odds, 49 - 53 all), read pages 47 - 56.

Wednesday, August 19:

We will be reviewing rational expressions and other last-day review items.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/rational-expression.html

Links to an external site.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/rational-expression-operations.html

Links to an external site.

Homework:

Complete pages 68 - 69 (problems 27 - 53 odds, 70 - 76 evens), read pages 57 - 67.

Thursday, August 20: 

MAP Testing Day... No class today.

Friday, August 21:

We will be reviewing rational expressions and other last-day review items.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/rational-expression.html

Links to an external site.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/rational-expression-operations.html

Links to an external site.

Homework:

Complete pages 68 - 69 (problems 27 - 53 odds, 70 - 76 evens), read pages 57 - 67.

All of this week's homework will be submitted for grading on Monday, August 24, at the beginning of class.

HONORS ALGEBRA 2 AND TRIGONOMETRY - 2026/2027

Course Instructors: John Glaser a

Emails: glaser_j@aps.edu 

COURSE OVERVIEW:  The Honors Algebra 2 and Trigonometry class is designed to be a later high school math course that expands foundations in algebra and trigonometry to prepare students for future advanced math classes like AP Calculus AB and AP Statistics. The course covers functions and their graphs, multiplication and division of polynomials, exponent and logarithmic systems, quadratic equations, rational expressions, and trigonometric math. This class is designed to bridge a gap that has occurred since the Covid-19 lockdowns where many incoming calculus students have had major gaps in their math skills. These recent math skill gaps have limited many students’ success in AP Calculus AB. This class is designed to address those gaps before students join the AP Calculus AB class next year.

LEARNING OUTCOMES/INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:  The purpose of math is to help students develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Learning more algebra and trigonometry concepts helps students to analyze and model real-world phenomena and relationships, and to analyze and communicate their thinking processes. This course focuses on improving students’ understanding of content and skills learned in early high school, deepening students’ understanding of mathematical models for complex real-world applications, improving students’ problem-solving strategies, and improving students’ ability to communicate their mathematical reasoning using mathematical and verbal responses.

More specifically, upon successful completion of this course, the student will have acquired the following knowledge and skills:

• Demonstrate the fundamental principles of complex algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. 

• Understand the concepts of functions and their graphs.

• Describe the properties of different functions and their graphs. 

• Describe the relationship between the different mathematical situations and how they relate to each other.

• Understand and compute the different aspects of algebra and geometry. 

• Apply math skills to solve mathematical problems and/or situations. 

• Construct and analyze graphs from raw data. 

• Analyze graphical representation of data. 

CLASS TEXTBOOK: Our class textbook will be College Algebra & Trigonometry (2017) by Julie Miller and Donna Gerken. We will have class sets in the classroom to use and students will check out a book from ECA to keep at home.

COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

Daily attendance to the class is imperative. New concepts will be introduced every class and missed material may vitally impact future learning in the class. Homework can be expected every day. For the first semester, 30-45 minutes of homework will be typical. For the second semester, 30-60 minutes of homework will be typical. 

Students are expected to keep a binder in which all notes, classwork, and homework will be kept. Since this class is a somewhat college-preparatory class, the homework will be given daily, but occasionally the homework will be due in groups of assignments. Students are expected to turn in the homework for grading on the day the assignment is due. Late homework can be submitted one day late with a 20% penalty, per ECA late homework policies.

STUDENT SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR ALGEBRA 2

• Three-ring binder or spiral notebooks

• Notebook paper

• Graphing paper

• Pencils

• Graphing calculator (A class set of TI-Inspire calculators will be in the classroom.)

• Compass

• Protractor

CLASS GRADE BREAKDOWN

This class is designed to bridge a gap that has occurred since the Covid-19 lockdowns that shown that many incoming calculus students have had major gaps in their math skills that have limited success in calculus. This class’s grading structure will be close to the grading structure of ECA’s AP Calculus AB class to help those future calculus students be successful in the future.

Tests and quizzes – 50% of overall average

Classroom work  – 30% of overall average

Final exam – 20% of overall average

Other ECA/CEC Policies

Cell phone policy: At ECA/CEC, inappropriate cell phone usage is not allowed in the classroom.  If Mr. Glaser notices a student is using a cell phone without permission, he will confiscate the phone and return the phone to the student at the end of class. Repeated violations can result in Mr. Glaser giving a student’s cell phone (or other devices) to the administration. The school’s policy on cell phone retrieval will then need to be followed by the student or the parent to have the phone returned.   

Tardy policy: Students are expected to be on time to their classes. Tardy students will not be allowed to enter the class without a pass from the main office, per ECA/CEC policy. Students who are occasionally tardy will miss important information that may not be repeated later in the class.