Parker High School
ALGEBRA III
Instructor Kellee Szczepaniak
928-669-2202 ext. 1106
Phone #
E-mail
kszczepaniak@parkerusd.org
Teacher Bio: I am very excited about a new semester of Trigonometry. I graduated March 2006 with a BA in
Secondary Education in Mathematics and graduated in May 2009 with my masters. I have also begun another
master in mathematics. I was a substitute at Parker High School for six years prior to receiving my degree. My
family moved to Parker in March 1999 from Tucson, AZ. I have been married for 19 years with Michael and we
have a 14-yr old son, Thomas. I have nine cats and two dogs. I enjoy reading, sewing, scrapbooking, and needle
pointing.
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the concepts of college algebra. Material that will be covered includes a review
of basic concepts, equations and inequalities, graphs and functions, polynomial and rational functions, inverse,
exponential, and logarithmic functions, systems and matrices, analytic geometry, and further topics in algebra,
like sequences and series, binomial theorem, and counting theory. The material covered in this course is the
same material that is covered in a college algebra course.
Honor’s credit is available for this course.
Pre-requisite: Trigonometry
Algebra III Goals/Objectives:
1. To prepare students for the mathematics used in a variety of professions.
2. To prepare students for further study in mathematics.
Grading:
Grading will follow the policy of the Parker School District:
A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60% - 69%
F = 0% - 59%
Text: Algebra II (2004) by Prentice Hall
Evaluations:
Evaluations will follow the policy of the Parker High School district as follows:
Tests/Projects: 25-50% Skills/Competencies: 25-50% Home/Class work: 15-25% Participation: 10-25%
Requirements:
A variety of “Active Learning” activities involving physical participation of students will be used. Students are
asked to bring a three-ring binder and composition book. Along with these, items students will be required to
bring a pencil, paper, textbook, and any assigned homework with them every class period.
Resources:
Parker High School has a free after-school tutoring program to help prevent students from falling behind. The
following are a list of websites that may be useful to students who struggle with math:
http://www.patrickjmt.com
http://www.yahoo.com/Science/Mathematics
http://www.quickmath.com
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math
Behavioral Expectations:
Students are expected to listen to the teacher, ask questions about the math when they do not understand a
concept, and help each other learn. Teaching others is one of the best ways to improve long-term learning.
See the Parker High School Student Handbook for other student behavioral requirements.
Consequences of Misbehavior:
Students will first be given a verbal warning of inappropriate behavior. If the behavior continues, he/she will stay
for one minute after class. A phone call home and a written referral will be made if the behavior continues further.
See the Parker High School Student Handbook for the discipline matrix.
Helpful Hints:
Take responsibility for learning every assigned problem. There are many ways to learn and nearly infinite sources
for help. Students should go to after school tutoring or contact the instructor as soon as they realize they need help
with assignments. There is no charge to students for this help. As with sports, most extracurricular activities,
hobbies, careers, and other life skills, learning mathematics skills requires practice. Practice leads to improvement
and increased mastery. Mathematics is not a spectator sport. Students need to participate to learn.
Course Outline:
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Honors criterion:
To earn Honors Credit in Algebra III the student must meet the following specific criteria:
1 - The student must earn 90% or better in Algebra III
2 - The student must earn 90% or better on the comprehensive Algebra III examination.
3 - The student will create a PowerPoint presentation covering an exhaustive lesson in Algebra II or Algebra III.
The finished product must include a script and documentation.