1 semester

This course is for students accepted into the Esquimalt High Challenge Program for gifted, talented and creative students.

Recommendation: 70% or higher in Mathematics 9. Should a student be below this grade, it is highly recommended to have a conversation with the Challenge Program coordinator, the mathematics teachers from Grades 9 and 10, the student and the parents/guardians.

FPC Mathematics 10 is an academic pathway for students wishing to move on to Foundations 11 and/or Pre-Calculus 11.  These mathematics courses are prerequisites for students intending to pursue academic programs at the college or university level. Students are expected to complete between 20 to 40 minutes of math homework each school night, although some students who have struggled with math historically, may require more time.  The pace of this 5-month course can be difficult to manage, for students with lower marks coming from Mathematics 9. It is highly recommended that a Learning Strategies block and/or a tutor be utilized, should students need additional time to complete the practice work.

This course will be run at a faster pace than its regular counterpart and will minimize tedious review periods. Work blocks will rarely be given, as students are expected to be able to practice outside of the timetable. About 20 – 30 minutes of work time WILL be given within each class, however, and students are expected to use this time efficiently for their mathematics. The extra time will be spent  extending the concepts of the course, deepening students’ mathematical creativity and problem solving strategies.

Some time will be spent practicing for the Waterloo math contests, although participants should know that the contest is run at the end of February and participation is optional. Students are advised to be practising throughout the school year and are encouraged to bring questions to their math teachers, past, present or future. Click here to access practice math contests. Students may be asked to pay $5 to cover the fee of the contest.

Also, students will each be required to contribute to the class blog. Responsibilities will include writing at least one scribe post which reviews the lesson of the day and includes one piece of multimedia.  As well, two other contributions of the student’s choice will need to be made. Contributions may be made anonymously and many options will be given to students regarding the type of contribution they may choose. Click here to see a sample of a recent class blog.