MATHEMATICS HONORS COURSES
Westlake
High School
Department of Mathematics
September 2004; Revised 2007
The mathematics honors and AP classes at
Westlake High School have been structured to meet the needs and goals of
students gifted in mathematics.
Courses have an enriched and expanded curricula that emphasize
higher-order thinking skills, nontraditional topics, and applications of skills
and concepts in a variety of contexts.
Students gifted in
mathematics often exhibit the following mathematical thinking:
o
Ask questions, are highly curious
and intense and enjoy learning
o
Test well, go beyond class expectations,
are inventors and creative thinkers
o
Are mentally and physically involved
and show strong feelings and opinions
o
Intuitively know the answers and only need
1-2 repetitions for mastery
o
Construct abstractions, draw inferences
and create designs on their own
Classroom strategies used on a regular
basis include the following:
o
Investigations of multiple solutions as
well as multiple strategies to solutions.
o
Technology,
in particular the graphing calculator, is an integral tool used to investigate
and bring depth to the mathematics being studied, for example looking at
families of functions.
o
Classroom discourse is often centered
around asking students for alternate methods and thinking “outside the
box”.
o
Ramping up a regular class to include
discussions and investigations about connections to past learning, drawing
connections & inferences to other topics.
o
Students work in pairs or groups to
accomplish goals and solve mathematically rich problems and real world
problems.
o
Student presentations
include posters, power point,
projects, and oral reports.
o
Written work emphasizes the
justification of a solution or strategy.
o
Problems used on tests require students
to apply their knowledge in a new way including questions on tests.
Some particular examples:
- Minimal
review of previously learned algebra or
other topics or technology is provided.
Students are expected to review on their own.
- Projects
include the creation of a design using functions and the graphing
calculator, interviews with famous mathematicians and other written
assignments.
- Curricula
may include fractals and chaos, Lenart spheres, chromatic numbering,
iteration, statistics z-chart, programming and other topics not in the text.
- Mathematical
vocabulary is stressed and not defined on tests.
J.
Prezzano