ALGEBRA FOR EVERYONE pot

[...]... consider some of the reasons why algebra is a challenging subject for many students If we address these trouble spots for all students, in general, and for students in the lower track, in particular, we have a solid plan for our effort to make algebra accessible to everyone The key prerequisites for success in algebra are these: • Understanding the technical language of algebra • Understanding the concepts... students can ill afford ALGEBRA FOR EVERYONE This booklet is designed to support the teaching of algebra to all students In a simplistic way, algebra may be described as generalized arithmetic For elementary algebra, that definition is probably sufficient At some point, eighth or ninth grade, a more formal approach to the study of algebra begins The earlier exposure to some aspects of algebra in elementary... critical discriminator in this country for a student’s future It is crucial that all students have an opportunity for success in algebra As discussed in other chapters of this publication, a basic premise for accepting that everyone should succeed in understanding algebraic concepts and complete a course in algebra is the belief that algebra is more than memorizing rules for manipulating symbols and solving... & Sons, 1962 Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology Changing America: The New Face of Science and Engineering Interim Report Washington, D.C.: The Task Force, 1988 z Hubs Howom WITH THE m2AuzAr1oN that algebra is for everyone comes the increased need for all students to have the prior experiences necessary for success in the formal study of algebra Identifying... using concrete, informal, and formal methods; • investigate inequalities and nonlinear equations informally; • apply algebraic methods to solve a variety of real-world and mathematical problems For illustrative purposes, only the fifth of the fourteen curriculum standards for grades 9-l 2 is printed here (NCTM 1989, p 150), although several standards relate to algebra: STANDARD 5: ALGEBRA In grades... preparation for the study of algebra Preparation for algebra begins with the recognition that numbers can represent a wide variety of quantities, that numbers can be classified and related according to their characteristics, and that these relationships can be communicated in a variety of ways For example, consider the myriad of algebraic concepts involved when a student"discovers"that for any whole·number... question before we proceed Are students’ needs different today from those in previous times? Yes and no As House (1988) points out, two major forces operate on the content, instruction, and use of algebra in today’s society—computing technology and social forces The computing technology is a recent force to strengthen the argument, but mathematics educators have been concemed for years that algebra be... mentioned would be capable of understanding algebraic concepts at least by grade 10 The data in the recent intemational assessment (Travers 1985) indicates that about 10 percent of the students in the United States enroll in algebra by grade 8 and that about 65 percent are in a regular track in algebra by grade 9 The concern for guaranteeing success in algebra for all students is then directed toward... think about algebra Much has been written in recent years (e.g., McKnight et al 1987 ) about the wasted mathematics curriculum during the middle school grades Attention to those recommendations for content will eliminate the meaningless repetition of topics for the students unsuccessful in arithmetic and will help put them on the road to algebra But do we truly believe that everyone should take algebra? ... the NCTM’s Curriculum and Evaluation S tandards for School Mathematics (1989) (hereafter called Standards) Thus, an analysis of prior experiences recommended for the study of algebra must encompass the entire spectrum of a student’s mathematical experiences prior to the study of algebra To identify the most relevant experiences that mold the foundation for algebra, numerous research studies concerning . students can ill afford. ALGEBRA FOR EVERYONE This booklet is designed to support the teaching of algebra to all students. In a simplistic way, algebra may be. in which this need for a broader understanding of algebra by our entire populace might be attained. From that meeting, Algebra for Everyone began. This