Math 10 Syllabus

Math 10 Course Syllabus

Math 10 Mission Statement:

The mission of this course is to help learners see the world through a rigorous mathematical lens by using the habits of a mathematician (generating ideas, recognizing/resolving errors, communicating, and synthesizing) to solve real world problems.

Course Overview

As a 10th grade mathematician you are someone who is willing to work hard and advocate for yourself. Being an awesome student is being someone who is serious about broadening their thinking, and being someone who is not afraid to get a wrong answer. The key to success in this class is being open to learning how to explain your thinking and collaborating with others.

This class is based on the Interactive Mathematics Program which aims to use problem based learning to learn mathematics. In this model, you will need to position yourself as an explorer of math, rather than someone who absorbs information and then recalls it for a test. This class is meant to help you develop an analytical mind and problem solving skills through the use of math. With problem based learning, be prepared to try to solve problems that you may not have the skills to solve initially, but through the process expect to develop the skills you need to ultimately find the answer.

Projects at a Glance

Tessellation Project

Unit Question: What makes shapes efficient and how do geometric patterns in nature demonstrate this efficiency?

Topics Covered:

Geometric transformations (isometries)
Geometric Constructions
Mathematical Tilings
Colony Collapse Disorder
Modeling population trends
Congruence of triangles
Pythagorean theorem
SOH CAH TOA
Law of cosines
Area and Volume

Tessellation by Grayson Milam

Cookies Project

Unit Question: How do you optimize profit for selling cookies with a fixed number of materials and time?

Topics Covered:

Inequalities
Systems of linear equations
Substitution
Systems of linear inequalities
Feasible regions
Modeling linear equations and inequalities

Chi-Squared Project

Unit Question: How do you statistically prove there is a difference between populations given one metric?

Topics Covered:

Null and Alternative Hypothesis
Normal Distributions
Sampling
Correlations
Probability
Chi-Squared
Standard Deviation

Rocket Project

Unit Question: How do you create a successful water rocket and how do you describe its flight?

Topics Covered:

Projectile Motion
Velocity and Acceleration
Vectors (combining vectors pictorially)
Quadratic Functions (vertex form, standard form, factored form)
Factoring
Completing the square
Quadratic Formula

Responsibilities for Learning

A huge part for success in this class is your responsibility to come ready to engage and get involved in the learning process. Below you will find some expectations for this class:

Attendance: If you miss class for any reason, let me know ahead of time, and check my google classroom for any work you have missed.
Tardiness: You will be marked tardy if you are more than 5 minutes late.
Phone Use: At the start of class everyday you may put your phone in the phone box or stow it in your backpack unless instructed otherwise. I will require you to download the desmos app on your phone and use this as your primary calculator and graphing tool. Using your phone in class is a responsibility, and with that the expectation is that you use it in a productive manner.
1. When can I use my phone? Only when you get explicit instructions from Ande, if you need a calculator use your computer instead. Irresponsible phone use results in phone jail until the und of class.
2. Can I listen to music during class? Only during work time but if it becomes a distraction I reserve the right to tell you to put it away. If you have ear buds in I will ask you take them out during lessons and instruction.
Extra Credit: There will occasionally be extra credit for volunteering for leadership roles during exhibitions or by my own discretion.
Turning in Assignments: There are two ways to turn in assignments in this class.
1. Google Classroom: All assignments will be posted on google classroom and you can turn in everything here.
2. Turn in box: Physical assignments can be turned in in the turn in box in the front of the room.
Late Work: All late work will receive a 20% deduction. If it is more than a week late I will not take it. I value advocacy, and if you talk to me beforehand I will gladly work with you.

Parent Communication Policy: You are all young adults, and as such, I ask that you the student take ownership of assignments and grades. Please do not have your parents contact me regarding your grades until you have asked the questions to me first, via email, speech, or writing. If you or your parents still have questions after you have talked to me, I would be happy to address your/their concerns at that point.

Grades

Participation: Most days there will be a starter at the beginning of class which will serve as a way to hold you accountable for showing up to in-person class and online class. Aside from that, your success in this class depends on your engagement and willingness to learn.
Problem of the Week (POWs): POWs are open ended problems that require multiple steps and problem solving skills to complete. These are valuable assignments that teach you skills relevant to any subject. The process of completing the POW is valued more than the answer and these assignments usually require a short write up or presentation.
Projects: This is the biggest part of your grade in this class and is connected to the units we will be doing this year. Each unit is usually 4-6 weeks of content and at the end of the unit there will be a unit project. This is how I will assess your learning and understanding of the content, so it is important to take these projects seriously.
Tests/Quizzes: There may be occasional tests and quizzes.