Online Algebra Workshop: Fun with Factoring

Factoring is one of the most fundamental and useful algebraic skills for students to have, as this affects solving equations, graphing, and simplifying and rewriting expressions.  Through a hands-on, materials based approach, students can build a solid understanding of these fundamental concepts.

Dates: March 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18 

Time: 7:00 pm EST - 8:00 pm EST; Live workshop time is 7:00pm ET-US. All workshops are recorded and emailed to all participants.

Schedule: 6-sessions, meeting for 3 weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one-hour live sessions with Michael Waski

Cost: $195

Course Syllabus: 

Session 1: Distributive Property and Removing a Common Factor

Distributive Property with Numbers

Distributive Property with Variables

Distributive Property as Area

Factoring as Area

Removing Common Factors

Session 2: Distributive Property with Polynomials

Distributive Property and Factoring with Higher Powers

Multiple Term Distribution with Numbers

Multiplying with Different Bases on the Checkerboard

Multiplying Polynomials on the Checkerboard

Binomials Multiplication with Algebra Tiles

Session 3: Trinomial Factoring

Basic Trinomial Factoring

Transition to Abstraction

Intermediate Trinomial Factoring

Advanced Trinomial Factoring

Session 4: Perfect Square Trinomials

Perfect Square Trinomials with Algebra Tiles

Perfect Square Trinomials and the Binomial Cube

Simple Competing the Square

Advanced Completing the Square (Time Permitting)

Session 5: Other Factoring Techniques

Factoring by Grouping

Difference of Squares Numerically, Algebraically, and with Algebra Tiles

Difference of Cubes

Sums of Cubes

Session 6: Application of Factoring Techniques

Factoring Sorting

Complete Factorization

Simplifying Rational Expressions

Simplifying Opposite Factors

Multiplying and Dividing Rational Expressions

Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions

This online workshop will be a introduction to lessons in Later Algebra. These correspond with Teaching Algebra to the Adolescent, Volume 2: A Montessori Approach. Session topics include sequences, complex numbers, exponential and logarithmic activities.