Course Details

Our online Precalculus with Honors option course is designed to engage and challenge students as they prepare for college-level math.

• Self-Paced option: Students cover the same material as the live class, but all instruction is delivered by teacher-produced videos.

• Honors option: Students who choose the Honors option will be presented with supplementary instruction and practice that will reinforce and expand on topics covered in the class. Those choosing the honors option should plan to spend an additional 1-2 hours per week on classwork; however, some students find they can master the material more efficiently than that.

Format

• All instruction is delivered by teacher-produced videos where students will complete guided notes and additional examples alongside the guidance of their instructor.

• Study Hall (optional):  Thursdays, 12-1:30 p.m. Eastern

  • The study hall can be utilized in two ways:

    • Individual questions. Students can drop in to a Zoom study hall at any time to ask questions.

  • Homework time. They can join a Zoom study hall and work on their math homework, with mics muted and videos on or off. They can then unmute to ask for immediate help when questions arise.

• Average weekly time estimate, including recorded and live instruction:

  • Precalculus 6-7 hours

  • Honors Precalculus: 6-8 hours

• All Blue Tent live math classes are NCAA approved.

• See our FAQ for:

  • age/grade guidelines, prerequisites, and class fit recommendations

  • a complete list of days, times, and breaks

  • a list of CA charter schools where these courses are a-g approved

Foundational Elements

Precalculus with Honors option includes weekly instructional videos. Resources and requirements will vary, but a typical week might include some of the following:

• Multiple short videos, guided notes, and practice problems on concepts being covered each week

• Homework sets assigned and completed within WebAssign, providing immediate feedback.

• Regular "checkpoint quizzes" to test understanding of terms and concepts

• Quizzes and chapter tests that assess students' mastery of topics

• Games (similar to Kahoot and Jeopardy), where students solve puzzles/riddles in live class review weeks

• Real-life applications--encouraging critical thinking and applying math concepts to the real world.

• Students receive individual weekly feedback and assistance on submitted work.

The course will cover the following topics:

• Characteristics of complex functions such as domain/range, increasing/decreasing, minimums/maximums and asymptotes

• Factoring polynomials using synthetic division

• Properties of complex numbers

• Modeling logarithmic and exponential functions to study topics such as earthquake magnitudes, compound interest and population growth

• Trigonometry topics such as trigonometric functions, the Unit Circle, right angles, and trigonometric identities to study topics such as linear speed and harmonic motion

• Properties of vectors such as finding the dot product, cross product and triple scalar product

• Solving systems of linear equations algebraically and by use of matrices to study topics such as cryptography

• Proofs by mathematical induction

• Introduction to probability including use of the Binomial Theorem, Pascal’s triangle and permutations

• Exploration of conic sections including circles, parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas,

• Graphing and exploring properties of parametric and polar equations

• An introduction to Calculus through the evaluation of limits

Precalculus or Honors Precalculus?

Precalculus:

• This class is for students who wish to further their understanding of Algebra 2 and Trigonometry without the additional topics needed for Calculus.

• The class begins with an extensive Algebra 2 review.

• It will move at a pace that will allow students to dive deep and master each skill before moving on to a new unit.

• The class will cover all major topics within the class textbook as well as a unit on Probability & Statistics.

• This class is designed for students who are looking to satisfy an additional math credit but are not planning to take Calculus as their next math class.

Honors Precalculus:

• This class is for students who want a deep understanding of Algebra 2 and Trigonometry, and their applications in Calculus

• The class begins with a quick Algebra 2 review.

• It will cover all major topics within the class textbook as well as additional topics that are fundamental to Calculus.

• This class is designed to provide the foundation needed for students to successfully pursue AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, or a college-level Calculus class in the future.