2012-2013 Middle School Course Descriptions
Mathematics
Math 7 *
full yearThis course is aligned to the grade 7 CAS (Colorado Academic Standards in Mathematics) and follows 7th grade CAP documents. The course emphasize proficiency in skills involving rational numbers and operations; proportional reasoning and relationships; measurement; patterns; functions; algebraic formulas; algebraic expressions, equations and inequalities; 2D & 3D geometry; concepts of data analysis, including statistics and probability; and mathematical practices.
Math 8 (Pre-Algebra) *
full yearThis course is aligned to the grade 8 CAS (Colorado Academic Standards in Mathematics) and follows 8th grade CAP documents. Math 8 courses emphasize proficiency in skills involving rational numbers and operations, real numbers, exponents, measurement, patterns, proportional reasoning, linear functions and relationships, algebra, solving systems of equations, geometry transformations, bivariate statistics, probability; and mathematical practices.
All math courses after Math 8 require prerequisite math courses to be completed and require approval from the math teacher.
Per Jeffco district policy, no high school credit will be awarded to middle school students that complete a high school level math course (or any course). Colleges and universities, however, will recognize that a student took a high school level math course of Algebra or above in middle school if the student starts their high school math course at an advanced math level. Please consult CCHE's website at http://www.state.co.us/cche/ for details on the Colorado Higher Education Admissions Requirements (HEAR).
Algebra I *
full year
High School level course
Algebra I courses include the study of properties and operations of the real number system; evaluating rational algebraic expressions; solving and graphing first degree equations and inequalities; translating word problems into equations; operations with and factoring of polynomials; and solving simple quadratic equations.
Geometry *
full yearHigh School level course
Geometry courses, emphasizing an abstract, formal approach to the study of geometry, typically include topics such as properties of plane and solid figures; deductive methods of reasoning and use of logic; geometry as an axiomatic system including the study of postulates, theorems, and formal proofs; concepts of congruence, similarity, parallelism, perpendicularity, and proportion; and rules of angle measurement in triangles.
Algebra II *
full yearHigh School level course
Algebra II course topics typically include field properties and theorems; set theory; operations with rational and irrational expressions; factoring of rational expressions; in-depth study of linear equations and inequalities; quadratic equations; solving systems of linear and quadratic equations; graphing of constant, linear, and quadratic equations;
properties of higher degree equations; and operations with rational and irrational exponents.
Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry *
full yearHigh School level course
Pre-Calculus courses combine the study of Trigonometry, Elementary Functions, Analytic Geometry, and Math Analysis topics as preparation for calculus. Topics typically include the study of complex numbers; polynomial, logarithmic, exponential, rational, right trigonometric, and circular functions, and their relations, inverses and graphs; trigonometric identities and equations; solutions of right and oblique triangles; vectors; the polar coordinate system; conic sections; Boolean algebra and symbolic logic; mathematical induction; matrix algebra; sequences and series; and limits and continuity.
* All high school level math courses marked with an asterisk include multi-grade level students.