The Most Challenging Math 30-2 Unit
I recently conducted an informal survey of Math 30-2 teachers on Facebook to determine what they perceived as the most challenging Math 30-2 unit. Most ‘pointed the finger’ at Rational Expressions and Equations. There were a few people who mentioned counting methods and probability, but for most, it was probably Rationals.
This is not hard to believe. Working with fairly abstract algebraic concepts is tough sledding for a large number of students. And then of course there is the factoring. This concept alone can be the number one nemesis for high school math students.
Plus, at the end of the unit, all attention is turned to the word problem applications. Trying to translate the written word into mathematical symbols can be daunting at the best of times.
This resource is an attempt to provide support for learning the outcomes related to Rational Expressions and Equations. The unit is divided into 5 video lessons. Each lesson has a set of practice questions, complete with detailed solutions.
Lesson 1 – Equivalent Rational Expressions and Non-Permissible Values
Lesson 2 – Simplifying Rational Expressions
Lesson 3 – Multiplying and Dividing Rational Expressions
Lesson 4 – Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions
Lesson 5 – Solving Rational Equations
Beyond the five unit lessons listed above, there are two other ingredients to further assist students in tackling the rigors of Rational Expressions and Equations. First, there is a specific video lesson that targets one of the common difficulties students experience when writing a diploma exam. This difficulty was identified by Alberta Education through the Math 30-2 information bulletin. It is called:
Solving a Rational Equation That Simplifies to a Quadratic Equation
Second, detailed solutions are provided for all of the Alberta Education released items (previous diploma exam questions) for this unit. There are a total of 18 questions from documents released in 2013, 2016, and 2019. Guided animated google slides were created to explain the solution process in a systematic manner. There is a conscious attempt to help students understand how underlying concepts are connected to answering these questions.
These are tools to help students navigate through the Rational Expressions and Equations Math 30-2 unit. Hopefully, anyone who chooses to engage, will build confidence and understanding, and therefore be in a much better position to attain academic goals.
