Our nearest neighbors today:

And their wandering journeys across the sky:
Grid divisions are every 10°. Celestial Longitude is 0° at the right (Vernal Equinox) and 360° at the left.
Declination is measured in degrees above (+) and below (-) the Celestial Equator (horizontal middles).
Right Ascension is 0 hours at the right (Vernal Equinox) and 24 hours at the left (30° = 2h).

Hi! I'm Mr. Stephenson.

Revised 8/21/2011

Why Math?

How to Study
Math Anything

Accomplishment!
You Can!
Make It Happen!

Do, or do not,
there is no try!

A Little Math History

Ancient Computers

Inca Khipu

Exact Units

Words

 		Our Home
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Big Business

Decisions

Alcohol Can be a Gas!

Jobs in MA

I teach math at Lowell High School in the Lowell Public School District, Lowell, MA, USA.
In academic year 2011-2012 (Fiscal Year 2012), I'm teaching:
Precalculus
- College (1431/2)
- Honors (1441/2)


Sine & Cosine Animation
Calculus
- Honors (1443/4)
     Area Under Curve by Adding Rectangles
DON'T "EVER" GIVE UP

You must print The Classroom Management Plan at the beginning of the course.
Then you and your parents must read, sign, and date it and give it to Mr. Stephenson.

Here are class schedules, assignment sheets, and administrative information:
Sem Periods Room Course Name Course # Assignments 1 Assignments 2 MGB User
Both Advisory 656 Advisory -- -- -- Advisory656
S1 1, 2
 656 C-Precalculus 1431 12q1aCpreCalc 12q2aCpreCalc 12s1CpreCalc
3, 5a
 656 H-Precalculus 1441  12q1aHpreCalc 12q2aHpreCalc 12s1HpreCalc
6b
 656 H-Calculus 1443 12q1aHCalc 12q2aHCalc 12s1HCalc
S2 1, 2
 656 C-Precalculus 1432 * 12q4aCpreCalc 12s2CpreCalc
3, 5a
 656 H-Precalculus 1442 * 12q4aHpreCalc 12s2HpreCalc
6b 656 H-Calculus 1444 * 12q4aHCalc 12s2HCalc
* Ms. Sullivan taught my classes while I was on Medical Leave.

 See grades and attendance here: 

 LHS Missed Work Make Up Policy  Absence Policy
 Homework Policy

A High School Math Reference (http://bit.ly/sks23cuMaths)
My notes on the "why", "how", and "what" of selected high school math concepts.

Old Course Links

All

A Straight Line: From Geometry to Algebra   
Derive the equations of a straight line from similar triangles.

Special Lines (Horizontal, Vertical, Perpendicular, Parallel, Identical), Distance, & Midpoint   

Essence of Basic Transformations  

Remainder Theorem, Synthetic Substitution, Synthetic Division  

Inverses: From the Basics  

Precalculus

Blitzer Checkpoint Movies

Calculus

Foliage Trip     
Introduction to Derivatives, Integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

Lab: The Tangent Line Problem   
Introduction to limits for differentiation.

Lab: The Area Problem   
Introduction to limits for integration.

Larson: p48, Introduction To Limits   

Larson: p49, Example 1, Estimating a Limit Numerically   

Larson: p56, problem 47  

Course Handouts

Graphing Rational Functions  

Other Stuff

You're going to college; so what high school math is really important, what will the colleges expect that you know? How do you prepare for the math placement tests you'll have to take? (If you don't pass the math placement tests, you'll have to take, and pay for, remedial math classes that don't count toward the requirements of your major.)

See Exercises in Math Readiness for University Study.

For a list of useful and interesting math web sites click here. (Updates sporadic.)

Past MCAS tests

Massachusetts Math Framework Learning Standards:

Algebra 1 (pre-requisite for both Geometry and Algebra II)

Geometry

Algebra 2

PreCalculus


4/5/2008: I've just found a wonderful alternative to Geometer's Sketchpad (click image to get it): 

The two main advantages to GeoGebra are: 

  1. it's FREE for everyone; and 
  2. it integrates geometry and algebra, and even some calculus.

My first attempt is All Conics from One Directrix, which I could never get to work in Geometer's Sketchpad, but was easy in GeoGebra.

I intend to use GeoGebra exclusively from now on, and to convert my existing Geometer's Sketchpad constructions to GeoGebra as time permits.

The Tangent Problem

Files:

Conic Sections

Paper Folding and Applications of Conic Sections  
by Bruce Yoshiwara, Professor of Mathematics, Los Angeles Pierce College

All Conics from One Directrix

Matrices

Elimination vs. Augmented Matrix Row Operations:

Polynomials

Remainder Theorem and Synthetic Substitution/Division:

Polynomial Root Theorems:

Pascal's Triangle:

Area and Volume

Volume and Area of a Sphere by Cavalieri's Principle:

Calculus

Derivations of Derivatives

Rules 

Trig Functions 

Other Functions 

Paper Calculator:  

Math Reference Sheets: MCAS: ; MCAS-like:

Grid Paper Generator

Grid Paper:  

Isometric Dot Paper: ; Isometric Line Paper:

Table of Common Logarithms:  

Counting Board:

Graphing Calculator Help

TI calculator Guide Books

Mathcasts

Triangle Concurrency Points: Video, Sketch.

All Conics from One Directrix: Video, Sketch

Area of Trapezoid Inscribed in Semicircle: Sketch

Java Applets

Parabola: Vertex Form, Standard Form

Geometer's Sketchpad (version 3) files and Files:

Tree Height

Classroom Files on the Web

Geometer's Sketchpad (version 4) files and Files:

A Triangle Within a Triangle, Lab Project Instructions

n-gons, n = 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96;  96-gon looks like a circle!

KillBird (Projectile Motion)

Java Applets:

Triangle Angles, Lab Project Instructions

tHeBRuqUtH2waWat   sks23cuAncient_Computers-I.html

© 2001-2008 by Stephen Kent Stephenson. All Rights Reserved.

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