
Scope and Sequence
Like
the other courses by Beginnings Publishing House,
Bridge Math is typically
done in three sessions per week. In this seven-week course, Dr. Dobbins will
walk students, step by step, through methods for organizing and solving the
kinds of problems they will face in their science courses. The skills they
learn will be invaluable for solving practical problems in every aspect of
life from business, to home economics, to professional science practice.
The
lesson titles and subject content are as follows:
Lesson 1:
Do I Count?
The difference between dealing with counted and measured quantities.
Lesson 2:
Put a Label on That Number! Introduction to the factor-label system (the scientific method for
organizing problems).
Lesson 3:
When Change Is Good
Changing units of measure (e.g., from teaspoons to milliliters) using
the factor-label system.
Lesson 4:
Unit Conversion by Number A step-wise logical approach to unit-factor conversions.
Lesson 5:
I Can See You’re Getting Smarter
Converting units twice or more within a single problem.
Lesson 6:
When the Going Gets Tough…Get Organized
How unit conversions simplify problems with ugly units.
Lesson 7:
Ptarget Practice
Precision and accuracy (and how to know the difference).
Lesson 8:
It’s True, But Is It Significant? Rounding numbers to correctly report precision.
Lesson 9:
Show Your Significance
Reporting the correct level of precision from mathematical operations.
Lesson 10:
Don’t Multiply Your Lack of Significance
How to prevent exaggerated precision when multiplying and dividing.
Lesson 11:
Adding and Subtracting with Precision
How to prevent exaggerated precision
when adding and subtracting.
Lesson 12:
Numbers Great and Small Abbreviating large and small numbers as powers of ten.
Lesson 13:
Scientifically Speaking Accepted scientific shorthand for large and small
numbers—“Scientific notation.”
Lesson 14:
How Difficult Is Difficult? How to make a math problem difficult. (And, therefore, how to simplify
and solve a seemingly difficult problem.)
Lesson 15:
The Problem with Words Recognizing sources of difficulty in word problems.
Lesson 16:
Plug and Solve Plugging numbers into given equations and solving.
Lesson 17:
Write It Yourself Building your own equations to solve problems.
Lesson 18:
Do S’more
Practice problems.
Lesson 19:
Do S’more S’more
Practice problems, and graduation from this course.