* FREE enrollment in my Pre-Algebra FLEX course included! (weekly video lessons and activities) $120 value
**8-weeks of FREE access to IXL math included in price! $20 value
*** Discounts on my games classes and private tutoring!

*This is Part 2 of a full year Pre-Algebra curriculum. If your learner has not completed Part 1 (either the live or FLEX version) please contact me prior to enrollment to ensure this class is the best fit.

A full year of rigorous, engaging, individualized mastery method middle school Pre-Algebra curriculum!  Because of the small class size (8 students maximum), individual attention and individualized instruction is guaranteed! For this class, I am bundling what I consider the best resources to ensure students reach mastery of Pre-Algebra concepts and continued math success! In addition to 2 live classes per week, students will have free access to my weekly video lessons and activities. I will post these videos each Sunday before the week of classes. This will allow students to preview the concepts we will be covering, so that more of class can be focused on problem solving and practice, creating a version of what is called a "Flipped Classroom".  For extra practice and building concept and skill mastery, students will have FREE access to IXL math--a great tool that gives instant feedback on individual progress, and can also be used in the class "Jam" setting to provide peer and teacher support. For students needing more support, private tutoring sessions can be scheduled at 20% off my regular rate. For those wanting a fun way to practice what we're learning, discounts on my middle school math games class will also be available!

In this second 8-week session, students will learn to solve for an unknown using the additive and multiplicative inverse, as well as the associative, commutative and distributive properties and order of operations. Our geometry component will focus on triangles, including the Pythagorean Theory. These concepts and operations will be explored through visual slide presentations, interactive Nearpod and Desmos lessons, student practice, real world problem solving and fun activities and games! (Scroll down for a week-by-week content breakdown)

This session is Part 2 of a larger series titled, “Pre-Algebra Mastery Math for Grades 6-8 ”. Taken as a whole, this will offer a full year's worth of Pre-Algebra for the middle school student. This is a Mastery approach to math--each concept will be demonstrated, explained and practiced in a meaningful, in-depth way to achieve full understanding before moving on and connecting to the next topic. This approach is ideal both for students who love math and want to take a deep dive into each concept, as well as anxious math learners who get easily overwhelmed by jumping quickly between concepts and prefer to take their time to fully learn and understand each concept. In both cases, the mastery method can build confidence, create a positive math identity and set students on a trajectory of math success. Because of the small size of this class,  I will be able to give each student the individual attention needed to ensure mastery. This course is geared towards the middle school student (most typically 7th grade), but because the mastery method builds on previously internalized concepts and skills, specific age or assigned grade level is not as important as the prerequisite foundations of mathematical understanding. 

**Specifically for this class, students should come with a solid number sense for whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents, and a thorough grasp of how to apply the four basic operations to each of these.

I want my students to feel fully engaged in the learning process--to find meaning, confidence (and yes, even joy!) in mathematical problem solving. To make math fun and engaging, I will be presenting lessons through interactive slides, which will include clear visual representations, virtual manipulatives, and connections to math in the real world. Additionally, I will be using applications such as Nearpod (nearpod.com) and Desmos (desmos.com) to create further opportunities for students to engage with the material and with one another. Activities will include collaborative idea boards, typed or drawn responses, polls, matching games, quizzes, graphing activities, and  embedded games. These activities provide not only engagement and fun for students, but also give me as the teacher the opportunity for ongoing, informal assessment.

Week-by-Week content for this second 8-week session:

Week 1: Solving for an Unknown using the Additive Inverse
Day 1: Variable expressions, Balancing equations, solving by "undoing"
Day 2: Review Topic: reciprocals (multiplying and dividing fractions)

Week 2: Angles and Triangles
Day 1: Classifying angles and triangles, measuring angles, finding missing angles 
Day 2: Review Topics: variable expressions, solving for unknowns, prime factorization

Week 3: More Triangles: Pythagorean Theory
Day 1: Using the Pythagorean Theory to find the length of a missing side
Day 2: Review Topics: Dividing fractions, fraction word problems

Week 4: Associative and Commutative Properties
Day 1: Combining Like terms and simplifying expressions using associative and commutative properties
Day 2: Review Topics: Mixed Numbers and Improper fractions

Week 5: Distributive Property
Day 1: Rewrite and solve expressions using distributive property
Day 2: Review Topics: Finding common factors, fractions on a ruler, simplifying fractions

Week 6: Solving for an Unknown using the Multiplicative inverse
Day 1: Solve 2-step equations by combining like terms and "undoing" using both additive and multiplicative inverse
Day 2: Review topics: Adding mixed numbers

Week 7: Solving for an Unknown using Order of Operations
Day 1: Simplifying expressions using order of operations, solving for the unknown and checking
Day 2: Review topics: Subtracting mixed numbers

Week 8: Unit 2 Review
Day 1: Review balancing equations and solving for an unknown
Day 2: Unit 2 Test and Review