$75

weekly

or $300 for 12 classes

Interesting Problems in Algebra 1: Part A in 4 Weeks

New class

Ages 11-14

Live Group Class

This course is inspired by Soviet and Japanese mathematics education. It aims at equipping future mathematicians, physicists, and engineers at an early stage.

Bertrand Valery, MIRHR, MA, University of Toronto

Average rating:

5.0

Number of reviews:

(7 reviews)

Live video meetings

3x per week, 4 weeks

2-6 learners per class

75 min

About Learning Overview Teacher Reviews

What's included

12 live meetings

15 in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 7 - 10

Intermediate - Advanced Level

I draw great inspiration from the problem-based approach of distinguished mathematicians such as Gelfand in the Soviet mathematics education (see his trilogy: Algebra, Functions and Graphs, and Method of Coordinates) and Kodaira in the Japanese mathematics education (see his sequence: Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2, and Algebra and Geometry). 

Each class will consist of solving 5 to 10 interesting or/and challenging problems. The problems are chosen so that the students will:
-Develop their problem-solving and analytical skills
-Understand how algebra fits with the broader structure of mathematics
-Exploit fundamentals of arithmetics to extend their understanding of algebra (without memorizing algorithms)
-Discover how reasoning through a few fundamentals of algebra allows us to know far more
-Enjoy learning about algebra 
All of which will help to bridge the gap between high school and university math at an early stage. 

I have arranged the problems that we will consider in each class to match the content of the first half of a typical honors Algebra 1 course. These topics include: Expressions and Equations, Solving One-Variable Linear Equations, Distributing: Axioms and Other properties, Harder Equations, Some Operations With Polynomials And Radicals, Quadratic Equations, Expressions And Equations Containing Two Variables.

How is the class structured? 
Students will be presented with a problem. When faced with an easier problem, the student will have a limited amount of time, after which we will go over the solution and review relevant fundamentals. When faced with a particularly challenging problem, each student can work as a team or on their own. At such times, I will offer some suggestions and review the relevant fundamentals before allowing the class to complete the problem. At the end of class, we will discuss the bigger picture and establish deeper connections to Algebra.  

Students may join all of the classes or may choose from the topics according to their preference as outlined in the syllabus

Learning Goals

The students will develop their problem-solving and analytical skills. Students will sharpen their understanding of the fundamentals of Introduction to Algebra. The problems are designed to help bridge the gap between high school and university math at an early stage. See the description above.

Syllabus

12 Lessons

over 4 Weeks

Lesson 1:

Translation of Verbal Information into Symbols

 Translation
Introduction to Equations
Word Problems

75 mins online live lesson

Lesson 2:

Solving One-Variable Linear Equations

 Solving Equations
Word Problems

75 mins online live lesson

Lesson 3:

Percent, ratio, and rate problems

 Solving Equations
Word Problems

75 mins online live lesson

Lesson 4:

Multi-variable linear equations

 Word Problems
Solving Two Variables Linear Equations
Elimination Method
Substitution Method

75 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Pre-Requisites

The ideal student is taking or has taken, a traditional Introduction to Algebra 1 course, usually with an emphasis on the presentation and execution of algorithms but now wants to be comfortable applying those fundamentals to solve novel pr

External Resources

Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Meet the teacher

Bertrand Valery, MIRHR, MA, University of Toronto

Joined August, 2022

5.0

7reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

2 Degrees

Master's Degree from University of Toronto - Industrial Relations and Human Resources

Bachelor's Degree from York University Glendon College - Economics

I am producing a series of math courses that are designed to better prepare students to make the leap from high school level math to university level math. In my 15+ years of teaching and tutoring I have noticed that most students are unprepared for the level of math needed to study subjects such as economics, statistics, and other applied social sciences. I aim to teach the series in a way that will be useful to those students wishing to transition to more advanced mathematics courses. 

I have been teaching and tutoring through my undergraduate years at York University as well as through my 5 years of graduate studies at the University of Toronto (completing two Masters and two years of Ph.D. coursework). 

As a graduate assistant, I delivered weekly tutorials and seminars to a subset of 200 undergraduate students for introductory courses in Statistics, Microeconomics (Mathematical Approach), and Macroeconomics (Mathematical Approach). I headed and trained a team of graduate assistants, which delivered weekly tutorials and seminars to a class of 1000 undergraduate students for the same introductory courses. I have also designed marking schemes and graded papers for 300+ MBA students at the University of Toronto. 

While I have been on an atypical path, one thing has been constantly reinforced: my great passion for teaching. I believe that the same passion, when combined with my natural aptitudes and abilities, allows me to create great value for my students.