Customer Reviews

Discovering Algebra: An Investigative Approach (Discovering Mathematics)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is an easy textbook to recommend because it made me feel excited about learning math. I studied first year Algebra a long time ago, but sometimes, like when I see a textbook such as this one, I wish I could re-live the first experience all over again and this time do it right. If I had the chance to do that then this is the book I would want to have in my hands.

There are a lot of algebra textbooks out there. A lot of them seem to be stuck back in the 1980's or worse. It's not just using color graphics such as is done in the Discovering Algebra book, but using color graphics well. It's not just building learning around a project, but designing a project around which to learn. I think anyone can come up with a project, but designing projects to get the maximum learning out of each project is what I think the authors of this textbook accomplished.

This is the textbook I would like to see translated and adopted for use in Israeli schools. It is exciting to read through and I think it would take away one of the key barriers to learning math for many students; that is that they don't see how any of what they learn in class relates to life outside of the math classroom. With this book I think they could.

I had to use this book when I taught a large class of high school Algebra students. I soon found that the examples and exercises were very poorly done. I had to work twice as hard as a teacher to prepare meaningful lessons and assignments because the book was so poorly written.

I strive to instill a love of learning in my students. The Key Curriculum press books also encourage students to enjoy the learning process, to explore, to discover patterns and mathematical relationships. The book is engaging and involves the learner on every lesson.

I expect that a book with a subtitle of "An Investigative Approach" would teach concepts through discovery learning. That is the trend for learning/teaching nowadays. In fact, this book teaches math concepts like every other math book, it just has little activities to reinforce the concepts. I wasn't that impressed by the activities, either.
What I want and can't find is a math book of discovery learning activities that help students uncover the ideas by connecting previous knowledge in a new way. I also want a book that provides meaningful, real-world applications to the concepts learned. This book isn't it.

I had a 4.0 GPA in my math major at a top 20 private university in the U.S. and have loved solving math problems my entire life. My eighth grade son currently has the misfortune of being required by his prep school to use this book. The book is plain awful, full stop. This is the very first year my son's school has used this book, and I am going to do all I can to ensure it is the last.