High School Block:
Pre-Calculus 110
Pre-calculus provides foundations for calculus and includes algebra, trigonometry, and functions. Learners will model rational expressions and equations; solve quadratics and systems of equations; apply the understanding of angles to solve problems; analyze graphs of functions. Learners will enact and apply prior knowledge of algebra and geometry, and Pre-Calculus 110 directly builds on concepts in Foundations 110. This course develops preparatory skills for calculus.
Topics include absolute value functions; radical expressions and equations; rational expressions and equations; angles and trigonometric ratios (0°–360°); polynomial factoring; systems of equations; quadratic functions and equations; and linear and quadratic inequalities.
Foundations of Mathematics 110 is recommended prior to enrolling in, or while also enrolled in, Pre-Calculus 110.
For Educators:
CONTEXTS AND CONCEPTS
Synthesis
Strategies
- Using algorithms, mental procedures, technology/tools, and other strategies
- Determining appropriate units of measure and precision
- Using the most efficient strategies
- Determining the reasonableness of the answer and explaining thinking
- Verifying solutions with substitution
- Simplifying
- Comparing
Processes
- Deriving mathematical rules and algorithms
- Using calculators
- Modeling and using simulations
- Extrapolation and interpolation
- Principal square roots, extraneous square roots, numerical and variable radicands
- Rationalizing denominators
- CAST rule
- Working with domain and range
- Working with linear-quadratic and quadratic equations
- Working with test points and critical values
Fluency
- Conversion between formats, representations, and equivalents of numbers
- Ways to present information/data
- Similarity
- Scale
- Absolute value
- Conjugates
- Vertical stretch, horizontal and vertical translation
Communication
- Using variable terms and constant terms
- Using coefficients, exponents, powers, and bases
- Rational expressions
- Working with inequalities
- Polynomial expressions
- Using degrees of terms and degrees of polynomials
- Using titles, labels for axis, values
- Non-permissible values
- Using terms rotation angle, initial and terminal arm, standard position, reference angle, quadrant
- Introducing terms piecewise function and invariant point, solution region
Strand: Number
Big Idea: Algebra
Skill Descriptor: Apply understanding of the absolute value of real numbers.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Relate the distance of two real numbers in the form ± 𝑎, 𝑎 ∈ 𝑅 to the absolute value of a (|a|)
- Determine the absolute values of positive and negative real numbers
- Solve numerical expressions by determining absolute value
- Order the absolute values of real numbers in given sets
Skill Descriptor: Solve problems that involve operations on radicals and radical expressions with numerical and variable radicands.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Order radical expressions with numerical radicands in given sets
- Convert between entire radicals and mixed radicals
- Simplify radical expressions with numerical or variable radicands (maximum index of 2)
- Rationalize the denominator of rational expressions with monomial or binomial denominators
- Relate the conjugate to the difference of squares by demonstrating products as rationalized
- Identify the values of the variable for which given radical expressions are defined, using equalities and inequalities
Skill Descriptor: Solve radical equations.
Global Competencies: CTPS, ICE
Achievement Indicators:
- Determine any restrictions on values for the variable in radical equations
- Determine the roots of radical equations algebraically and verify using technology
- Verify the values determined in solving radical equations
- Demonstrate roots that are extraneous by solving radical equations algebraically
- Model situations using radical equations
Skill Descriptor: Determine equivalent forms of rational expressions.
Achievement Indicators:
- Demonstrate the non-permissible value(s) for given rational expressions
- Identify all non-permissible values, including those not found in given simplified expressions, and explain why they still exist
- Simplify rational expressions
- Identify and correct errors in simplifications of rational expressions
Skill Descriptor: Perform operations with rational expressions and express in simplified form.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Determine the non-permissible values when performing operations on rational expressions
- Determine the sum or difference of rational expressions with the same and with different denominators
- Determine the product or quotient with rational expressions
- Determine the simplified form of expressions that involve two or more operations
Skill Descriptor: Solve rational equations.
Achievement Indicators:
- Determine the non-permissible values for the variable in rational equations
- Determine the solution to rational equations algebraically
- Explain why values obtained in solving rational equations may not be solutions of the equations
- Model situations using rational equations
Strand: Shape and Space
Big Idea: Trigonometry
Skill Descriptor: Apply understanding of angles from 0° to 360° in standard position.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Sketch angles in standard position, given the measure of the angles
- Determine the reference angle for angles in standard position
- Determine the angles from 0° to 360° that have the same reference angle as given angles
- Determine the quadrant in which given angles in standard position terminate
- Draw angles in standard position given any point P (𝑥, 𝑦) on the terminal arm of the angles
Skill Descriptor: Solve problems for angles from 0° to 360° in standard position using the three primary trigonometric ratios.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Determine the distance from the origin to a point 𝑃 (𝑥, 𝑦) on the terminal arm of angles
- Determine the value of sin 𝜃, cos 𝜃, tan 𝜃, given any point 𝑃 (𝑥, 𝑦) on the terminal arm of angle 𝜃
- Determine the values of sin 𝜃, cos 𝜃, and tan 𝜃 when they exist and without the use of technology, where 𝜃 = 0°, 90°, 180°, 270° 𝑜𝑟 360°
- Determine the exact value of the sine, cosine, or tangent of given angles with reference angles 30°, 45° 𝑜𝑟 60°
- Find the sign of given trigonometric ratios for given angles without the use of technology
- Solve equations of the form 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 = 𝑎, 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 = 𝑎, tan 𝜃 = 𝑎 for all values of 𝜃, where 𝑎 is a real number
- Represent trigonometric problems by sketching diagrams
- Model situations using trigonometric ratios
Strand: Relations and Functions
Big Idea: Algebraic and Graphical Reasoning
Skill Descriptor: Factor polynomial expressions.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Factor given polynomial expressions that require the identification of common factors
- Determine whether given binomials are factors for given polynomial expressions
- Factor given quadratic polynomial expressions, including in the forms:
𝑎𝑥2 +𝑏𝑥+𝑐,𝑎≠0
𝑎2𝑥2 −𝑏2𝑦2,𝑎≠0,𝑏≠0
- Factor given polynomial expressions that have a quadratic pattern, including:
𝑎(𝑓(𝑥))2 +𝑏(𝑓(𝑥))+𝑐,𝑎≠0
𝑎2 (𝑓(𝑥))2 –𝑏2 (𝑔(𝑦))2 ,𝑎≠0,𝑏≠0
Skill Descriptor: Graph and analyze absolute value functions.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Create tables of values for y = |𝑓 (𝑥)|, given tables of values for 𝑦 = 𝑓 (𝑥)
- Generalize a rule for writing absolute value functions as piecewise functions
- Sketch the graph of y = | 𝑓 (𝑥)| showing the process and stating the intercepts, domain, and range
- Model problems that involve an absolute value function
Skill Descriptor: Solve absolute value equations.
Achievement Indicators:
- Solve absolute value equations graphically
- Solve equations with a single absolute value algebraically and verify the solutions
- Explain why the absolute value equation |𝑓 (𝑥)| < 0 has no solution
- Determine and correct errors in solutions to absolute value equations
Skill Descriptor: Analyze quadratic functions.
Achievement Indicators:
- Explain why functions given in the form 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑝)2 + 𝑞 are quadratic functions
- Compare graphs of sets of functions to generalize a rule about the effect of the parameters 𝑎, 𝑝, and 𝑞
- Determine the coordinates of the vertex for quadratic functions of the form 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥−𝑝)2 +𝑞
- State the vertex for quadratic functions of the form 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑝)2 + 𝑞 as coordinate point (𝑝, 𝑞)
- Sketch the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑝)2 + 𝑞, and state the vertex, domain and range, direction of opening, axis of symmetry and 𝑥- and 𝑦- intercepts
- Explain how the values of 𝑎 and 𝑞 may be used to determine whether a quadratic function has zero, one or two 𝑥-intercepts
- Write quadratic functions in the form 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑝)2 + 𝑞 for given graphs or given sets of characteristics of graphs
Skill Descriptor: Analyze quadratic functions to identify characteristics of the corresponding graph to solve problems.
Achievement Indicators:
- Explain the process of completing the square and its application
- Demonstrate the relationship between completing the square and the quadratic formula by deriving the formula
- Write quadratic functions given in the form 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐, in the form 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥−𝑝)2 +𝑞
- Identify and explain errors in examples of completing the square
- Sketch the graph and determine the characteristics of quadratic functions, given in the form 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐, by changing to vertex form 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥−𝑝)2 +𝑞
- Verify that a quadratic function in the form 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 represents the same function as a given quadratic function in the form 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥−𝑝)2 +𝑞
- Model given situations with quadratic functions, explaining any assumptions made, to solve problems
- Solve problems by analyzing given quadratic functions
Skill Descriptor: Solve problems that involve quadratic equations.
Achievement Indicators:
- Explain the relationship among the roots of a quadratic equation, the zeros of the corresponding quadratic function and the x- intercepts of the graph of the quadratic function by using examples
- Solve quadratic equations of the form 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0 by using strategies that include: determining square roots; factoring; completing the square; applying the quadratic formula; graphing its corresponding function
- Select methods for solving quadratic equations and justify the choices
- Explain how the discriminant may be used to determine whether a quadratic equation has two real and distinct roots; two real and equal roots; no real roots
- Relate the number of zeros to the graph of corresponding quadratic functions
- Identify and explain errors in solutions to quadratic equations
- Model problems with quadratic equations
Skill Descriptor: Solve problems that involve systems of linear-quadratic and quadratic equations in two variables.
Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, ICE
Achievement Indicators:
- Model situations using systems of linear-quadratic or quadratic-quadratic equations
- Determine the solutions of systems of linear-quadratic or quadratic equations graphically with technology
- Determine and verify the solutions of systems of linear-quadratic or quadratic equations algebraically
- Explain the contextual meaning of the point(s) of intersection of systems of linear-quadratic or quadratic equations within problems
- Explain why systems of linear-quadratic or quadratic equations may have zero, one, two or an infinite number of solutions
Skill Descriptor: Solve problems that involve linear and quadratic inequalities in two variables.
Achievement Indicators:
- Explain how test points can be used to determine the solution region that satisfies an inequality
- Determine when a solid or dashed line should be used in solutions for inequalities
- Sketch the graphs of quadratic inequalities
- Model problems that involve quadratic inequalities
Skill Descriptor: Solve problems that involve quadratic inequalities in one variable.
Global Competencies: CTPS
Achievement Indicators:
- Determine the solutions and show the process of quadratic inequalities in one variable
- Model quadratic inequalities in one variable
- Interpret the solutions within the context of problems that involve quadratic inequalities in one variable