Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Choose and perform accurate beginning algebraic computations in a variety of situations with and without a calculator.
• Solve problems at home or in an academic or work environment by creating a beginning algebraic expression or equation that represents the situation and find the solution to the problem using correct beginning algebraic steps.
• Creatively and confidently apply beginning algebraic problem solving strategies.
•  Be prepared for future course work.

Assessment shall include at least two of the following measures:
1. Tests
2. Attendance
3. Portfolios
4. Individual student conference

Introductory Algebra I (MTH 60)
THEMES:
1. Algebra skills
2. Graphical understanding
3. Problem solving
4. Effective communication
5. Critical thinking
6. Applications, formulas, and modeling
7. Functions
SKILLS:
1.0 REAL NUMBERS
1.1 Review prerequisite skills – signed number and fraction arithmetic
1.2 Simplify arithmetic expressions using the order of operations
1.3 Evaluate powers with whole number exponents; emphasize order of operations with
negative bases
1.4 Simplify arithmetic expressions involving absolute values
1.5 Order real numbers along a real number line
1.6 Identify numbers as elements of the subsets of the real numbers
2.0 VARIABLES AND EXPRESSIONS
2.1 Simplify algebraic expressions
2.2 Evaluate algebraic expressions
2.3 Recognize equivalent expressions and non-equivalent expressions
2.4 Distinguish between evaluating expressions, simplifying expressions and solving equations
2.5 Translate from words into algebraic expressions and vice versa
2.6 Apply the distributive, commutative, and associative properties
2.7 Recognize additive and multiplicative identities and inverses
2.8 Distinguish between factors and terms
2.9 Apply the product rule, product to a power rule, and power-to-a-power rule to expressions
with positive integer exponents emphasizing the logic behind these rules of exponents
3.0 GEOMETRY APPLICATIONS
3.1 Evaluate formulas and apply basic dimensional analysis
3.2 Know and apply appropriate units for various situations; e.g. perimeter units, area units,
volume units, rate units, etc
3.3 Memorize and apply the perimeter and area formulas for rectangles, circles, and triangles
3.4 Memorize and apply the volume formula for a rectangular solid and a right circular
cylinder
3.5 Find the perimeter of any polygon
3.6 Evaluate other geometric formulas
3.7 Use estimation to determine reasonableness of solution
4.0 LINEAR EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES IN ONE VARIABLE
4.1 Identify linear equations and inequalities in one variable
4.2 Understand the definition of a solution; e.g. 2 is a solution to x < 5; 3 is the solution to x +
1  4
4.3 Distinguish between solutions and solution sets
4.4 Recognize equivalent equations and non-equivalent equations
4.5 Solve linear equations and non-compound linear inequalities symbolically
4.6 Express inequality solution sets graphically, with interval notation, and with set-builder
notation
4.7 Distinguish between solutions to equations and equivalent equations (e.g. “The solution is
2.” vs. “x = 2”)
5.0 GENERAL APPLICATIONS
5.1 Create and solve linear equations and inequalities in one variable that model real life
situations (e.g. fixed cost + variable cost equals total cost)
5.1.1 Properly define variables; include units in variable definitions
5.1.2 Apply dimensional analysis while solving problems
5.1.3 State contextual conclusions using complete sentences
5.1.4 Use estimation to determine reasonableness of solution
5.2 Apply general percent equations (A = PB)
5.3 Create and solve percent increase/decrease equations
5.4 Create and solve ratio/proportion equations
5.5 Solve applications in which two values are unknown but their total is known; for example,
a 50 foot board cut into two pieces of unknown length
6.0 LITERAL EQUATIONS AND FORMULAS
6.1 Solve an equation for a specified variable in terms of other variables
6.2 Input values into a formula and solve for the remaining variable
7.0 INTRODUCTION TO TABLES AND GRAPHS
7.1 Briefly review line graphs, bar graphs and pie charts
7.2 Plot points on the Cartesian coordinate system; determine coordinates of points
7.3 Classify points by quadrant or as points on an axis; identify the origin
7.4 Label and scale axes on all graphs
7.5 Interpret graphs in the context of an application
7.6 Create a table of values from an equation
7.7 Plot points from a table
8.0 INTRODUCTION TO FUNCTION NOTATION
8.1 Determine whether a given relation presented in graphical form represents a function
8.2 Evaluate functions using function notation from a set, graph or formula
8.3 Interpret function notation in a practical setting
8.4 Identify ordered pairs from function notation
9.0 LINEAR EQUATIONS IN TWO VARIABLES
9.1 Identify a linear equation in two variables
9.2 Emphasize that the graph of a line is a visual representation of the solution set to a linear
equation
9.3 Find ordered pairs that satisfy a linear equation written in standard or slope-intercept form
including equations for horizontal and vertical lines; graph the line using the ordered pairs
9.4 Find the intercepts given a linear equation; express the intercepts as ordered pairs
9.5 Graph the line using intercepts and check with a third point
9.6 Find the slope of a line from a graph and from two points
9.7 Given the graph of a line identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined. Given
two non-vertical lines, identify the line with greater slope
9.8 Graph a line with a known point and slope
9.9 Manipulate a linear equation into slope-intercept form; identify the slope and the verticalintercept
given a linear equation and graph the line using the slope and vertical-intercept
and check with a third point
9.10 Recognize equations of horizontal and vertical lines and identify their slopes as zero or
undefined
9.11 Given the equation of two lines, classify them as parallel, perpendicular, or neither
9.12 Find the equation of a line using slope-intercept form
9.13 Find the equation of a line using point-slope form
10.0 APPLICATIONS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS IN TWO VARIABLES
10.1 Interpret intercepts and other points in the context of an application
10.2 Write and interpret a slope as a rate of change
10.3 Create and graph a linear model based on data and make predictions based upon the model
10.4 Create tables and graphs that fully communicate the context of an application problem
11.0 LINEAR INEQUALITIES IN TWO VARIABLES
11.1 Identify a linear inequality in two variables
11.2 Graph the solution set to a linear inequality in two variables
11.3 Model application problems using an inequality in two variables