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Why learn math? => Money!

Hi! I'm Mr. Stephenson.

Revised 1/18/2010

Why Math?

How to Study
Math Anything

Accomplishment!
You Can!
Make It Happen!

A Little Math History
Counting Boards
Roman Abacus
Inca Khipu

Exact Units
Words

Our Home, 2, 3, 4

Health Care

Big Business

Alcohol Can be a Gas!

I teach math at Lowell High School in the Lowell Public School District, Lowell, MA, USA.
In academic year 2009-2010 (Fiscal Year 2010), I'll be teaching:
Intro to Statistics - College
(1411 - Fall)		 Normal Distribution Curve
Discrete Math - College
(1414 - Spring)		 Fair Division 7 Bridges of KoenigsbergYour Vote Counts
Precalculus - Honors
(1441/1442)		 Sine & Cosine Animation
Calculus - Honors
(1443/1444)
     Area Under Curve by Adding Rectangles
DON'T "EVER" GIVE UP

You must print The Classroom Management Plan at the beginning of the course.
Then you and your parents must read, sign, and date it and give it to Mr. Stephenson.

Here are class schedules, assignment sheets, and administrative information:
Sem Periods Room Course Name Course # Assignments 1 Assignments 2 MGB Classword
Both Advisory 656 Advisory -- -- -- 10sksAdvisory
S1 1 656 H-Calculus 1443-002 10q1aHCalc 10q2aHCalc 10s1HCalc
2 656 C-Statistics 1411-004 10q1aCStats 10q2aCStats 10s1CStats
4b,5b,6b 656 H-Precalculus 1441-{8,10,9} 10q1aHpreCalc 10q2aHpreCalc 10s1HpreCalc
S2 1 656 H-Calculus 1444-002 10q3aHCalc 10q4aHCalc 10s2HCalc
2 656 C-Discrete Math 1414-004 10q3aCDiscMath 10q4aCDiscMath 10s2CDiscMath
4b,5b,6b 656 H-Precalculus 1442-{8,10,9} 10q3aHpreCalc 10q4aHpreCalc 10s2HpreCalc

 See grades and attendance here: 

 LHS Missed Work Make Up Policy  Absence Policy
   
   

Course Links

All

A Straight Line: From Geometry to Algebra   
Derive the equations of a straight line from similar triangles.

Special Lines (Horizontal, Vertical, Perpendicular, Parallel, Identical), Distance, & Midpoint   

Essence of Basic Transformations  

Remainder Theorem, Synthetic Substitution, Synthetic Division  

Inverses: From the Basics  

Precalculus

Blitzer Checkpoint Movies

Calculus

Foliage Trip     
Introduction to Derivatives, Integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

Lab: The Tangent Line Problem   
Introduction to limits for differentiation.

Lab: The Area Problem   
Introduction to limits for integration.

Larson: p48, Introduction To Limits   

Larson: p49, Example 1, Estimating a Limit Numerically   

Larson: p56, problem 47  

Course Handouts

Graphing Rational Functions  

Other Stuff

You're going to college; so what high school math is really important, what will the colleges expect that you know? How do you prepare for the math placement tests you'll have to take? (If you don't pass the math placement tests, you'll have to take, and pay for, remedial math classes that don't count toward the requirements of your major.)

See Exercises in Math Readiness for University Study.

For a list of useful and interesting math web sites click here. (Updates sporadic.)

Past MCAS tests

Massachusetts Math Framework Learning Standards:

Algebra 1 (pre-requisite for both Geometry and Algebra II)

Geometry

Algebra 2

PreCalculus


4/5/2008: I've just found a wonderful alternative to Geometer's Sketchpad (click image to get it): 

The two main advantages to GeoGebra are: 

  1. it's FREE for everyone; and 
  2. it integrates geometry and algebra, and even some calculus.

My first attempt is All Conics from One Directrix, which I could never get to work in Geometer's Sketchpad, but was easy in GeoGebra.

I intend to use GeoGebra exclusively from now on, and to convert my existing Geometer's Sketchpad constructions to GeoGebra as time permits.

The Tangent Problem

Files:

Conic Sections

Paper Folding and Applications of Conic Sections  
by Bruce Yoshiwara, Professor of Mathematics, Los Angeles Pierce College

All Conics from One Directrix

Matrices

Elimination vs. Augmented Matrix Row Operations:

Polynomials

Remainder Theorem and Synthetic Substitution/Division:

Polynomial Root Theorems:

Pascal's Triangle:

Area and Volume

Volume and Area of a Sphere by Cavalieri's Principle:

Calculus

Derivations of Derivatives

Rules 

Trig Functions 

Other Functions 

Paper Calculator:  

Math Reference Sheets: MCAS: ; MCAS-like:

Grid Paper Generator

Grid Paper:  

Isometric Dot Paper: ; Isometric Line Paper:

Table of Common Logarithms:  

Counting Board:

Graphing Calculator Help

TI calculator Guide Books

Mathcasts

Triangle Concurrency Points: Video, Sketch.

All Conics from One Directrix: Video, Sketch

Area of Trapezoid Inscribed in Semicircle: Sketch

Java Applets

Parabola: Vertex Form, Standard Form

Geometer's Sketchpad (version 3) files and Files:

Tree Height

Classroom Files on the Web

Geometer's Sketchpad (version 4) files and Files:

A Triangle Within a Triangle, Lab Project Instructions

n-gons, n = 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96;  96-gon looks like a circle!

KillBird (Projectile Motion)

Java Applets:

Triangle Angles, Lab Project Instructions

© 2001-2008 by Stephen Kent Stephenson. All Rights Reserved.