Concepts Lists DONE!!

Well, it has been a long couple of days, but I am now done, done, DONE with my concept lists.  Calculus was an absolute bear.  I am working with a new book (the Finney, Demana, Waits, and Kennedy 3rd Edition Media Update which is for AP Calc - 2010 copyright) so I am trying to sort through that plus figure out just how many learning targets I need.  So with some starting help from @praxisofreflect (her post with her concept lists is here), I was able to get it done.  She had already typed up what she felt the learning targets should be from the same book and I began with that and culled it down to what I felt were the essential things I would be testing.  Unlike with my other classes, I think there will be more than one question per learning target.  Also, unlike my other classes, this concept list will be more in flux than the others.

So, here they are at their current states.  Algebra 2 is actually for 2 classes - Advanced Algebra 2 and Algebra 2.  It's pretty settled.  There may be some last minute tweaking at the beginning of each chapter, but I anticipate very little of that.  Math 1 will have a new book and curriculum.  It is somewhat settled and there will be tweaking as I set up each chapter, but not a ton of it.  Calculus also has a new book and there will be more tweaking for it as I set up each chapter.  Please feel free to review them all and offer any comments and suggestions.

Math 1 Concept List

I need help again.  I have done my Math 1 concept list.  Some background on Math 1:

• These are students who are lower level freshmen and not totally ready for Algebra.
• This is a new textbook for this course (McGraw Hill's Algebra Concepts and Applications).  It was chosen because we use the Geometry Concepts and Apps by the same publisher for Math 2 and we wanted to be working on Algebra 1 skills with these students.
• Ohio standards for 9th grade are basically all Algebra-related.  Actually some of the 8th grade standards are also Algebra related.
• This will be the first group of students who are required by the State of Ohio to have Algebra 2 or its equivalent to graduate.
• These students will take Algebra 1 at some point (either next or after taking Math 2).

I know these students will not get all the way through my concept list.  I can't even reasonably say how far I think they will get.  However, I have gone through the book and made my list and done some beginning organization.  I don't like how they have inequalities at the back after quadratics - that made no sense to me.  Also, there were other concepts that were later in the book than I would have put them, so I have done some reorganizing.

I have not taught Algebra 1 in some time, let alone the basic level of it, so I need some help. Some issues I am looking for feedback on include:

• Is it really worth teaching them the operations with rational numbers (fractions, mixed numbers, decimals)? When they get to any standardized test, they will have calculators available to them that will deal with the fractions, not to mention they've already seen (but probably struggled with it) the concepts multiple times.
• They integrated in probability and data analysis stuff in the 1st 5 chapters - leave it as is or pull the sections out and lump them together?
• They have adding/subtracting for rational numbers and equations in one chapter, multiplying/dividing rational numbers, equations, and the rest of solving equations in the next.  Leave it as is or put the rational number stuff together and the equation stuff together?  ***I really need input from those of you who have taught Alg 1 skills before - I have an Alg 2 perspective here.***
• As we get to the later stuff (anything after graphing) - what becomes most important to teach?  Do I do systems of equations? Radicals? Exponents/factoring?  Once again, these kids will head to Algebra 1 and 2 and will see this again - I want to expose them to what material I can and give them a good solid foundation so that when they see it again, they can have greater success than had they just jumped into Algebra 1.

Please address anything in the comments.  If you want to download the file from box.net and make your own tweaks, please feel free to do so - but rename the file when you save it and let me know how I can get it from you.  Thanks!

Math 1 Concept List
*** I have updated this on 8/8 after the comments.  I'm still looking for suggestions.  Thanks!

Algebra 2 Concept List

This is very much a work in progress.  I took the list of the objectives from my Adv. Alg 2 book and listed them based on what I have covered in the past.  I still have to find corresponding sections in my Alg 2 book, as well as the Ohio Standards.  I also decided that since we will be heading to the Core Standards in 2011-2012, I would also match them.  Haven't gotten that far yet.  Also, I haven't put them in any order yet.  There are a couple I am thinking of taking out - haven't gotten there yet.

Background info:
Adv Alg 2 is our students on a track for Calculus if they stick it out.  Alg 2 is our college prep/"regular" students.  In Ohio, all students will have to take Alg 2 or an Alg 2 equivalent to graduate, starting with our upcoming freshmen (class of 2014).  They also have to have 4 credits of math.  Our current sequence is Alg 1, Alg 2, Geom, Pre-Calc, Calc.  We may have some other options (Sr. Applied Math, Stats) as a 4th credit.

Please offer comments here and feel free to check back to see how my shaping is going.
Thanks!

My Alg 2 Concept List - work in progress **Revised July 16th.  Mainly ordereing of topics and matching to Ohio Standards changes.