Algebra 2
At CSW, we put our own spin on foundational courses like Algebra 2, inspiring students to engage with the material in new and creative ways. Students regularly apply basic algebraic concepts to real-world situations, in doing so discovering just how relevant and useful the skills they are learning can be. The sample assignment on this page — an influenza case study — is but one example of how we achieve this.
Course Description: This college-preparatory, second-year algebra course emphasizes applications and models. Topics covered include: sequences and series; combinatorics and probability; linear, quadratic, polynomial, radical, exponential, logarithmic and rational functions; systems of equations; matrices; and right-triangle trigonometry. Algebra 2 prepares students for the precalculus sequence and the quantitative courses they may encounter in college.
Course Description: This college-preparatory, second-year algebra course emphasizes applications and models. Topics covered include: sequences and series; combinatorics and probability; linear, quadratic, polynomial, radical, exponential, logarithmic and rational functions; systems of equations; matrices; and right-triangle trigonometry. Algebra 2 prepares students for the precalculus sequence and the quantitative courses they may encounter in college.
To expand upon the knowledge gained from the Influenza Case Study assingment (see sidebar), students in Agnes Voligny's Algebra II class welcomed Weston Public Health Director Wendy Diotalevi, who shared her experience responding to the H1N1 outbreak in 2009.
Sample Assignment: Influenza Case Study
Each January, epidemiologists meet to examine flu situations around the world to determine which strains will likely be prevalent in the future and which will not. Using this knowledge, scientists are able to make predictions about what kind of vaccine is needed.
Your Assignment:
There's been a flu outbreak near a pig farm in Mexico, and scientists need your help. Using three provided sets of data, make a determination about how severe this flu strain will be.
Data Sets:
Your Assignment:
There's been a flu outbreak near a pig farm in Mexico, and scientists need your help. Using three provided sets of data, make a determination about how severe this flu strain will be.
Data Sets:
- The rates of infection and mortality in the Mexico outbreak.
- The rates of infection and mortality in a typical US flu season.
- The rates of infection and mortality during the 1918 Spanish influenza, a particularly bad year.
Compare the current situation in Mexico with a typical situation and the worst situation. Describe the three scenarios and use them to make a prediction using the following steps:
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Graph the data and compare it
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Find the slope (use two coordinates)
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Write an equation for the line and use that equation to make a prediction
# Killed / # Infected = slope or, mortality rate.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.