Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Beginning Algebra
Course Lesson Plan: 37 weeks
Welcome to Thinkwell’s Homeschool Beginning Algebra! We’re thrilled that you’ve decided to make us
part of your homeschool curriculum. This lesson plan is meant to be a guide for you and your
homeschool student. Each day, you’ll tackle a different topic and all the materials associated with that
topic, such as video lectures, exercises, notes, and sample problems. If you follow our day-by-day
schedule, you’ll complete the full curriculum for the course in 37 weeks. Feel free to modify and amend
the plan as it best works for you. And, as always, please let us know what we can do to help get you up
and running with Thinkwell’s Beginning Algebra!

Week 1
Chapter 1: Pre-Algebra Review
Assignments Notes
Week 1, Day 1
1.1.1 Beginning Algebra
Week 1, Day 2
1.1.2 Review of Arithmetic: Addition and Subtraction
Week 1, Day 3
1.1.3 Review of Arithmetic: Multiplication and Division
1.1.4 Top Ten List of Mistakes
Week 1, Day 4
1.2.1 Factors and Primes
Week 1, Day 5
1.2.2 Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiples

Week 2
Chapter 1: Pre-Algebra Review
Assignments Notes
Week 2, Day 1
1.2.3 Introduction to Fractions
Week 2, Day 2
1.2.4 Multiplying Fractions
Week 2, Day 3
1.2.5 Dividing Fractions
Week 2, Day 4
1.2.6 Adding Fractions
Week 2, Day 5
1.2.7 Subtracting Fractions
1.2.8 Mixed Numbers

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 1 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Week 3
Chapter 1: Pre-Algebra Review
Assignments Notes
Week 3, Day 1
1.2.9 Adding and Subtracting Mixed Numbers
Week 3, Day 2
1.2.10 Multiplying and Dividing Mixed Numbers
Week 3, Day 3
1.3.1 Decimal Numbers
Week 3, Day 4
1.3.2 Multiplying and Dividing Decimals
Week 3, Day 5
1.3.3 Percent
1.3.4 Conversion between Fractions, Percents, and Decimals

Week 4
Chapter 1 Test
Chapter 2: Foundations of Algebra
Assignments Notes
Week 4, Day 1
Chapter 1 Practice Test
Week 4, Day 2 Chapter 1 Test
Chapter 1 Test Score: _____
Week 4, Day 3
2.1.1 Real Numbers
2.1.2 Ordering Real Numbers
Week 4, Day 4
2.1.3 Arithmetic on the Number Line
Week 4, Day 5
2.1.4 Multiplying Real Numbers

Week 5
Chapter 2: Foundations of Algebra
Assignments Notes
Week 5, Day 1
2.1.5 Multiplying a Negative by a Negative: The Why
Week 5, Day 2
2.1.6 Dividing Real Numbers
Week 5, Day 3
2.1.7 Order of Operations
Week 5, Day 4
2.1.8 Properties of Real Numbers
Week 5, Day 5
2.2.1 Introduction to Exponents

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 2 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

2.2.2 Evaluating Exponential Expressions

Week 6
Chapter 2: Foundations of Algebra
Assignments Notes
Week 6, Day 1
2.2.3 Applying the Rules of Exponents
Week 6, Day 2
2.2.4 Evaluating Expressions with Negative Exponents
Week 6, Day 3
2.2.5 Converting between Decimal and Scientific Notation
Week 6, Day 4
2.3.1 Algebraic Expressions
Week 6, Day 5
2.3.2 Introduction to Word Problems

Week 7
Chapter 2 Test
Assignments Notes
Week 7, Day 1
Chapter 2 Practice Test
Week 7, Day 2 Chapter 2 Test
Chapter 2 Test Score: _____
Week 7, Day 3
3.1.1 Equations
3.1.2 Addition Property of Equality
Week 7, Day 4
3.1.3 Multiplication Property of Equality
Week 7, Day 5
3.2.1 Solving Equations with the Variable on One Side

Week 8
Chapter 3: Solving Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 8, Day 1
3.2.2 Solving Equations with the Variable on Both Sides
Week 8, Day 2
3.2.3 Equality or Identity?
Week 8, Day 3
3.2.4 Equivalent Equations and Equations with No Solution
Week 8, Day 4
Chapter 3 Practice Test
Week 8, Day 5 Chapter 3 Test
Chapter 3 Test Score: _____

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 3 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Week 9
Chapter 4: Linear Equations and Inequalities
Assignments Notes
Week 9, Day 1
4.1.1 Formulas
4.1.2 Formulas: Temperature Conversion and Rate
Week 9, Day 2
4.1.3 Ratios and Proportions
Week 9, Day 3
4.1.4 More Ratios and Proportions
Week 9, Day 4
4.1.5 Finding a Perimeter
Week 9, Day 5
4.1.6 Solving a Linear Geometry Problem
4.1.7 Solving for Constant Velocity

Week 10
Chapter 4: Linear Equations and Inequalities
Assignments Notes
Week 10, Day 1
4.1.8 Solving a Business Problem
Week 10, Day 2
4.1.9 Solving a Mixture Problem
Week 10, Day 3
4.1.10 Solving an Investment Problem
Week 10, Day 4
4.1.11 Solving for Consecutive Numbers
4.1.12 Finding an Average
Week 10, Day 5
4.2.1 Introduction to Inequalities

Week 11
Chapter 4: Linear Equations and Inequalities
Assignments Notes
Week 11, Day 1
4.2.2 Solving Inequalities
4.2.3 Solving Word Problems with Inequalities
Week 11, Day 2
4.3.1 Sets, Intersections, and Unions
Week 11, Day 3
4.3.2 Solving Compound Inequalities
Week 11, Day 4

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 4 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

4.3.3 More On Compound Inequalities

Week 11, Day 5
4.4.1 Matching Number Lines with Absolute Value
Week 12
Chapter 4: Linear Equations and Inequalities
Chapter 4 Test
Assignments Notes
Week 12, Day 1
4.4.2 Solving Absolute-Value Equations
4.4.3 Solving Equations with Two Absolute-Value Expressions
Week 12, Day 2
4.5.1 Solving Absolute-Value Inequalities
Week 12, Day 3
4.5.2 Solving Absolute-Value Inequalities: More Examples
Week 12, Day 4
Chapter 4 Practice Test
Week 12, Day 5 Chapter 4 Test
Chapter 4 Test Score: _____

Week 13
Chapter 5: Polynomials
Assignments Notes
Week 13, Day 1
5.1.1 Determining Components and Degree
5.1.2 Adding and Subtracting Polynomials
Week 13, Day 2
5.1.3 Multiplying Polynomials
Week 13, Day 3
5.2.1 The FOIL Method
Week 13, Day 4
5.2.2 Multiplying Big Products
Week 13, Day 5
5.2.3 Using Special Products

Week 14
Chapter 5: Polynomials
Assignments Notes
Week 14, Day 1
5.3.1 Factoring Using the Greatest Common Factor
5.3.2 Factoring by Grouping
Week 14, Day 2
5.3.3 Factoring Trinomials Completely
Week 14, Day 3

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 5 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

5.3.4 Factoring Trinomials: The Guess and Check Method

Week 14, Day 4
5.4.1 Factoring Perfect-Square Trinomials

Week 14, Day 5

5.4.2 Factoring the Difference of Two Squares
5.4.3 Factoring the Sums and Differences of Cubes

Week 15
Chapter 5: Polynomials
Assignments Notes
Week 15, Day 1
5.4.4 Factoring by Any Method
Week 15, Day 2
5.5.1 The Zero-Factor Property
Week 15, Day 3
5.6.1 Using Long Division with Polynomials
Week 15, Day 4
5.6.2 Long Division: Another Example
Week 15, Day 5
5.7.1 Using Synthetic Division with Polynomials

Week 16
Chapter 5: Polynomials
Chapter 5 Test
Assignments Notes
Week 16, Day 1
5.7.2 More Synthetic Division
Week 16, Day 2
5.8.1 Using the Remainder Theorem
Week 16, Day 3
5.8.2 More on the Remainder Theorem
Week 16, Day 4
Chapter 5 Practice Test
Week 16, Day 5 Chapter 5 Test
Chapter 5 Test Score: _____

Week 17
Midterm Exam
Chapter 6: Rational Expressions
Assignments Notes
Week 17, Day 1

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 6 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Study for Midterm Exam

Week 17, Day 2
Practice Midterm Exam
Week 17, Day 3 Midterm Exam
Midterm Exam Score: _____
Week 17, Day 4
6.1.1 An Introduction to Rational Expressions
Week 17, Day 5
6.1.2 Working with Fractions
6.1.3 Writing Rational Expressions in Lowest Terms

Week 18
Chapter 6: Rational Expressions
Assignments Notes
Week 18, Day 1
6.2.1 Multiplying and Dividing Rational Expressions
Week 18, Day 2
6.2.2 Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions
Week 18, Day 3
6.2.3 Rewriting Complex Fractions
Week 18, Day 4
6.3.1 Solving a Linear Equation with Rationals
Week 18, Day 5
6.3.2 Solving a Linear Equation with Restrictions

Week 19
Chapter 6: Rational Expressions
Assignments Notes
Week 19, Day 1
6.4.1 Solving Rational Inequalities
6.4.2 Solving Rational Inequalities: Another Example
Week 19, Day 2
6.4.3 Determining Domain
Week 19, Day 3
6.5.1 Solving a Problem about Work
Week 19, Day 4
6.5.2 Resistors in Parallel
Week 19, Day 5
6.6.1 An Introduction to Variation

Week 20
Chapter 6: Rational Expressions

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 7 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Chapter 6 Test
Assignments Notes
Week 20, Day 1
6.6.2 Direct Proportion
Week 20, Day 2
6.6.3 Inverse Proportion
Week 20, Day 3
6.6.4 Joint and Combined Proportion
Week 20, Day 4
Chapter 6 Practice Test
Week 20, Day 5 Chapter 6 Test
Chapter 6 Test Score: _____

Week 21
Chapter 7: Relations and Functions
Assignments Notes
Week 21, Day 1
7.1.1 Using the Cartesian System
7.1.2 Thinking Visually
Week 21, Day 2
7.2.1 Introducing Relations and Functions
Week 21, Day 3
7.2.2 Functions and the Vertical-Line Test
Week 21, Day 4
7.2.3 Function Notation and Values
Week 21, Day 5
7.3.1 Finding Domain and Range
7.3.2 Domain and Range: An Explicit Example

Week 22
Chapter 7: Relations and Functions
Assignments Notes
Week 22, Day 1
7.3.3 Satisfying the Domain of a Function
Week 22, Day 2
7.3.4 Graphing Important Functions
Week 22, Day 3
7.4.1 Operations on Functions
7.4.2 Composite Functions
Week 22, Day 4
7.4.3 Components of Composite Functions
Week 22, Day 5
7.5.1 An Introduction to Slope

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 8 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Week 23
Chapter 7: Relations and Functions
Assignments Notes
Week 23, Day 1
7.5.2 Finding the Slope Given Two Points
7.6.1 Using Intercepts to Graph Lines
Week 23, Day 2
7.6.2 Working with Specific Lines
Week 23, Day 3
7.6.3 Interpreting Slope from a Graph
Week 23, Day 4
7.6.4 Graphing with a Point and the Slope
Week 23, Day 5
7.7.1 Writing an Equation in Slope-Intercept Form

Week 24
Chapter 7: Relations and Functions
Assignments Notes
Week 24, Day 1
7.7.2 Writing an Equation Given Two Points
7.7.3 Writing an Equation in Point-Slope Form
Week 24, Day 2
7.7.4 Matching a Slope-Intercept Equation with Its Graph
Week 24, Day 3
7.7.5 Slope for Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Week 24, Day 4
7.8.1 Constructing a Linear Model from a Set of Data
Week 24, Day 5
7.8.2 Scatterplots and Predictions
7.8.3 Linear Cost and Revenue

Week 25
Chapter 7 Test
Chapter 8: Roots and Radicals
Assignments Notes
Week 25, Day 1
Chapter 7 Practice Test
Week 25, Day 2 Chapter 7 Test
Chapter 7 Test Score: _____
Week 25, Day 3
8.1.1 Radical Notation and Properties of Roots

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 9 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Week 25, Day 4

8.1.2 Variables and Negative Values under a Radical
Week 25, Day 5
8.1.3 Converting Rational Exponents and Radicals

Week 26
Chapter 8: Roots and Radicals
Assignments Notes
Week 26, Day 1
8.2.1 Simplifying Radicals
8.2.2 Simplifying Radical Expressions with Variables
Week 26, Day 2
8.3.1 Adding and Subtracting Radical Expressions
Week 26, Day 3
8.3.2 Rationalizing Denominators
Week 26, Day 4
8.4.1 Solving an Equation Containing a Radical
Week 26, Day 5
8.4.2 Solving Equations with Two Radical Expressions

Week 27
Chapter 8: Roots and Radicals
Assignments Notes
Week 27, Day 1
8.4.3 Extraneous Roots
Week 27, Day 2
8.4.4 Solving Equations with Rational Exponents
Week 27, Day 3
8.5.1 Introducing and Writing Complex Numbers
8.5.2 Rewriting Powers of i
Week 27, Day 4
8.5.3 Adding and Subtracting Complex Numbers
Week 27, Day 5
8.5.4 Multiplying Complex Numbers

Week 28
Chapter 8: Roots and Radicals
Chapter 8 Test
Assignments Notes
Week 28, Day 1

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 10 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

8.5.5 Dividing Complex Numbers

Week 28, Day 2
8.6.1 Finding the Length of the Diagonal of a Cube
Week 28, Day 3
8.6.2 Finding the Distance and the Midpoint between Two
Points
8.6.3 Applications in Meteorology
Week 28, Day 4
Chapter 8 Practice Test
Week 28, Day 5 Chapter 8 Test
Chapter 8 Test Score: _____

Week 29
Chapter 9: Quadratic Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 29, Day 1
9.1.1 An Introduction to Quadratics
9.1.2 Solving Quadratics by Factoring
Week 29, Day 2
9.2.1 Finding x- and y-intercepts
Week 29, Day 3
9.2.2 Nice-Looking Parabola
Week 29, Day 4
9.2.3 Graphing Parabolas
Week 29, Day 5
9.3.1 Solving by Completing the Square

Week 30
Chapter 9: Quadratic Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 30, Day 1
9.3.2 Completing the Square: Another Example
Week 30, Day 2
9.3.3 Finding the Vertex by Completing the Square
Week 30, Day 3
9.4.1 Using the Vertex to Write the Equation
9.4.2 Building a Polynomial Equation from Its Solutions
Week 30, Day 4
9.5.1 Proving the Quadratic Formula
Week 30, Day 5
9.5.2 Using the Quadratic Formula

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 11 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

Week 31
Chapter 9: Quadratic Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 31, Day 1
9.5.3 Predicting Types of Solutions From the Discriminant
9.5.4 Using the Discriminant to Graph Parabolas
Week 31, Day 2
9.6.1 Solving for a Squared Variable
Week 31, Day 3
9.6.2 Finding Real-Number Restrictions
Week 31, Day 4
9.6.3 Solving Fancy Quadratics
Week 31, Day 5
9.6.4 Horizontal Parabolas

Week 32
Chapter 9: Quadratic Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 32, Day 1
9.7.1 Solving a Quadratic Geometry Problem
9.7.2 Solving with the Pythagorean Theorem
Week 32, Day 2
9.7.3 Solving a Motion Problem
Week 32, Day 3
9.7.4 Solving a Projectile Problem
Week 32, Day 4
9.7.5 Solving Other Problems
Week 32, Day 5
9.8.1 Solving Quadratic Inequalities
9.8.2 Solving Quadratic Inequalities: Another Example

Week 33
Chapter 9 Test
Chapter 10: Systems of Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 33, Day 1
Chapter 9 Practice Test
Week 33, Day 2 Chapter 9 Test
Chapter 9 Test Score: _____
Week 33, Day 3
10.1.1 An Introduction to Linear Systems
10.1.2 Solving a System by Graphing
Week 33, Day 4

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 12 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

10.1.3 Solving a System by Substitution

Week 33, Day 5
10.1.4 Solving a System by Elimination

Week 34
Chapter 10: Systems of Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 34, Day 1
10.2.1 An Introduction to Systems in Three Variables
10.2.2 Solving Systems with Three Variables
Week 34, Day 2
10.2.3 Solving Inconsistent Systems
Week 34, Day 3
10.2.4 Solving Dependent Systems
Week 34, Day 4
10.2.5 Solving Systems with Two Equations
Week 34, Day 5
10.3.1 Investments
10.3.2 Partial Fractions

Week 35
Chapter 10: Systems of Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 35, Day 1
10.4.1 An Introduction to Matrices
Week 35, Day 2
10.4.2 Using the Gauss-Jordan Method
10.4.3 Using Gauss-Jordan: Another Example
Week 35, Day 3
10.5.1 Evaluating 2x2 Determinants
Week 35, Day 4
10.5.2 Evaluating nxn Determinants
Week 35, Day 5
10.6.1 Using Cramer's Rule

Week 36
Chapter 10: Systems of Equations
Assignments Notes
Week 36, Day 1
10.6.2 Using Cramer's Rule in a 3x3 Matrix
Week 36, Day 2
10.7.1 An Introduction to Graphing Linear Inequalities

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 13 of 14
 Thinkwell Homeschool Beginning Algebra Lesson Plan

10.7.2 Graphing Linear and Nonlinear Inequalities

Week 36, Day 3
10.7.3 Graphing the Solution Set a System of Inequalities
Week 36, Day 4
10.8.1 Solving a Nonlinear System by Elimination
Week 36, Day 5
10.8.2 Solving a Nonlinear System by Substitution

Week 37
Chapter 10 Test
Final Exam
Assignments Notes
Week 37, Day 1
Chapter 10 Practice Test
Week 37, Day 2
Chapter 10 Test
Week 37, Day 3
Study for Final Exam
Week 37, Day 4
Practice Final Exam
Week 37, Day 5 Final Exam Score:
Final Exam _____

www.thinkwellhomeschool.com Page 14 of 14