Should I take honors or regular algebra 3-4 next year?
If you are doing very well in regular geometry this year, and you did well in algebra 1-2 last year, you may be asking yourself, 'should I take honors algebra 3-4 instead of regular?' The answer is: maybe...it depends upon a lot of things. Here, I'd like to share my personal observations and ideas about it that might help you decide. Note: these are just my own personal ideas, and should not be considered 'official Desert Vista policy'. You should also talk to your counselor and the math department chair for additional information.
How does honors algebra 3-4 compare to regular algebra 3-4
(and to regular geometry)?
I teach regular geometry and honors algebra 3-4, so I can directly comment on these two classes. Regular geometry is, in my opinion, about average in terms of difficulty...not super easy, but not particularly difficult either. Honors algebra 3-4 is, by contrast, one of the most difficult classes you can take at DV. This is not necessarily because the topics covered are difficult, but because the class is so fast-paced and the work load is very high. Many students find geometry, except possibly for the more complicated proofs, to be relatively straightforward and can excel easily in geometry. All students, including top honors students, find honors algebra 3-4 to be challenging. You can expect about 3 times more homework in honors algebra 3-4 as you had in regular geometry, and the chapter tests and final exams are significantly more difficult in honors algebra 3-4.
What is the primary purpose of honors algebra 3-4 and why is it fast-paced?
The regular sequence of math classes at DV is:
Algebra 1-2 -> Geometry -> Algebra 3-4 -> Precalculus
The honors sequence of math classes at DV is:
Algebra 1-2 -> Honors Geometry -> Honors Algebra 3-4 -> Honors Finite Math for Business Analysis/Brief Calculus -> AP Calculus BC -> AP Calculus III/Differential Equations -> Linear Algebra
(Students may also take AP Statistics after completing Honors Finite Math for Business Analysis/Brief Calculus.)
The reason honors algebra 3-4 is paced so quickly is that it is essentially teaching all of the regular 11th grade algebra 3-4 class and the 12th grade precalculus class in a single year, in order to allow advanced students to move on to calculus before leaving DV. The primary motivation for most students taking honors algebra 3-4 is to take as much math as quickly as possible so they can take as many math classes as they can before college.
Other than difficulty, and fast pace, what other things should I know about honors algebra 3-4?
All students who are signed up for honors algebra 3-4 are asked to complete a homework packet during the summer and to bring this homework to class the first week. The summer homework packet is a review of important algebra 1-2 topics so that honors algebra 3-4 only needs to devote a few fast paced weeks to review before starting new material. You can find the summer packet and more information about it on the DV Math Department website: DV Math Department website. On this site, use the navigation menu on the right to find the 'Summer Homework Packet' page.
Okay, I get that it is hard and fast-paced...what are the positive apsects of honors algebra 3-4?
Honors algebra 3-4 is an incredible introduction to a wide-range of interesting and very useful mathematics! The fast pace of the class means we move through the essentials of each topic quickly and can spend more time on the subtleties and complexities of the math topics, and especially on applications of the math topics in the real world. Here are the main math topics that we cover in honors algebra 3-4:
- Algebra 1-2 review (factoring, lines, etc.)
- Functions and their graphs, properties and inverse functions.
- Imaginary and Complex numbers
- Polynomials/Rational functions
- Conic sections
- Exponential and logarithmic functions, and applications (compound interest, exponential growth and decay).
- Trigonometry (1/3 of the class) (right triangle and non-right triangle trig, trig functions and identities.)
- Sequences and Series (and applications of series).
- Probability (advanced)
- Solutions of systems of equations in 3 or more dimensions
- Matrices (including applications in cryptography)
These are all interesting and highly useful areas of mathematics. You will never be bored in honors algebra 3-4!
Will you sign for me to take honors algebra 3-4?
My personal philosophy is that I want to do what is best for you as a student. On the one hand, if you want to push yourself to new heights, I definitely want to support that and would love for you to take the honors level class! On the other hand, we've done research on what happens when people switch from regular geometry to honors algebra 3-4 and we've found that how a student does in honors algebra 3-4 depends upon what their semester grades were in their algebra 1-2 and geometry classes (first and second semester algebra 1-2 grades and first and second semester geometry grades):
- Students who had 4 As, or 3 As and 1 B get an A or B 90% of the time in honors algebra 3-4.
- Students who had less than 3 As (for example, Alg:BB, Geo: AA) get an A or B only 12% of the time in honors algebra 3-4. These students get a D or F about 60% of the time.
You should take this into consideration, because if you are in honors algebra 3-4 as a junior, you must pass the class, because you must get your 3rd math credit so you can get a 4th math credit in 12th grade (there is no time to 'retake' honors algebra 3-4 if you fail it as a junior.)
Will I sign for you to take honors algebra 3-4? Yes, if you have at most 1 B in algebra 1-2 and geometry and you are aware of all the things talked about on this page. If you tend to catch on to math concepts pretty quickly and you are willing to work hard, you will probably succeed in honors algebra 3-4.
I don't mean to scare people away from taking honors algebra 3-4 - it is a great class, and most students do very well in it. I just want to make sure people know what they are signing up for if they take honors algebra 3-4.