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My son just finished Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1. He did really well and enjoyed it. He will be in 9th grade next school year. I like the looks of Carrie's plans for Geometry using Geometry A Guided Inquiry and the Math without Borders DVDs. However he will be in the World Geography guide and so I will not have her plans for math. I think I would like the plans since it doesn't look like it's very well scheduled out on its own. I'm considering different options, but am not sure what is the best.

1. I could buy the World History guides a year ahead to have the guide, but we would prefer to start the school year before September, and I really didn't want to buy the guide early.
2. I could try doing Geometry without the written plans.
3. I could have him do TT Algebra 2 and then he would be ready for geometry when he is in the World History guide. After that he could do TT Pre-Calculus. This would probably be more than enough math for him.
4. I could have him do some other Algebra to prepare him for Foerster's Algebra 2 after Geometry, but I'm not sure what, and I don't want to make him feel like he wasted his year of Algebra. The reason I'm considering this is that I understand it would be a tough leap from Teaching Textbooks to Foerster's. We have been happy with TT, though, and maybe we should just stick to it for Algebra.
5. I could even just do TT Geometry this coming year, but I (and he) sort of felt like a change of pace.

I'm not sure anybody can even help me with this. Maybe it's just a decision I have to make on my own, but if anybody has any advice or insight, I would be happy to hear it.

We are following the Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry sequence; so that is always an option. Some math-pros recommend it. It wouldn't be an unreasonable option.

In that case you could do TT Algebra 2...

Thanks, StillJulie.

I guess I read that it's better to do Geometry first to give the student more time before he got into the harder concepts in Algebra 2, so I got a little scared of that route. But since he did great in Algebra 1 he probably would not have a problem.

And maybe because I loved Geometry so much during school I'm eager for him to get to it. But I know that's not a good reason.

I would say do Algebra 2 in your case. Then do the Geometry in the WH guide. Then I would see what Carrie has planned for Algebra 2 and advanced math. Also, you can see what career plans your son has. If it is anything that would require Calculus (business, anything science related, etc), then I would consider doing another year of algebra and calling it "advanced algebra" or something like that. The CC I teach at calls the class above College Algebra Advanced Algebra, and it is half of Pre-Calculus (other half is Trigonometry). So, it would be common name for something at that level. I would only do Trigonometry if your son is going into something that requires it - physics, engineering, math, and architecture are the only ones I can think of right now. Life sciences (medical fields) and business only require non-trig calculus normally. And then all other degrees normally don't require calculus at all.

Thanks StefanieU!
Right now my son has no idea what he wants for the future. Maybe after we do TT Algebra 2 and Geometry we will have a clearer picture about the future and can make our decision from there concerning higher math.

Will the geometry actually have a schedule in WH? The Algebra doesn't in WG. It is just a suggested text to use and there isn't any type of scheduling within the HOD guide just a box that says to do it.

You're probably right about the scheduling. I just assumed that there would be a schedule, but if there isn't one in the World Geography guide, then there probably isn't one in the World History guide.

We did Alg. 1, Alg. 2, and then geometry. In your case, I might stick with the same publisher for Alg. 1 and 2. It would be no big deal to switch for geometry. However, you should know that we did use TT, so I could be biased. Carrie did not have the guides out when my older boys were in high school.