Lynn Marecek; MaryAnne Anthony-Smith; Andrea Honeycutt Mathis; Jay Abramson; Sharon North; Amy Baldwin; Alyssa Howell

Quick Start

Welcome to your Algebra 1 module! We're genuinely excited for you to join our community and embark on a transformative learning journey!

This user-friendly guide is your roadmap to navigating the features and resources of our unique Algebra 1 content. Let's raise the bar on your algebra skills—get started with confidence today!

I. Where to Start

Algebra 1 has nine units, each of which begins with a special lesson called Overview and Readiness. These lessons provide a miniature review of the knowledge you need for the unit ahead. Completing these lessons will help you feel confident in your ability to handle what comes next.

Units 4 and 6 also have inquiry projects, meant to revisit previous knowledge while introducing you to upcoming topics. We recommend completing these alongside their respective Overview and Readiness lessons.

II. Unit Structure

The left navigation tree for a unit is color coded to show how the unit is organized. A red box surrounds the unit number and a section titled Overview and Readiness to indicate where the Overview and Readiness prerequisite material is located. A blue box labeled “lessons” surrounds all the numbered and titled lessons in the unit. The next box is a yellow box labeled “project” and surrounds its location in the unit. The last part of the unit is surrounded by a green box and labeled “Wrap Up.” — Image 1

After completing the Overview and Readiness lesson, you can progress through the regular Lessons.

Each Lesson has multiple pages to guide you through learning new skills and reinforcing old ones.

At the end of each unit, you will also find a Project and Wrap Up lesson covering the topics in the unit. Use these lessons to cement understanding of the skills you just learned.

III. Lesson Structure

A color coded breakdown for how the activities in a lesson are organized. The first activity of a lesson is indicated with a blue arrow and labeled as the Warm-up. The Primary learning activities are shown as the next two activities of the lesson and contain a self check and additional resources page. These are labeled with orange arrows and labeled Primary activities. The next part of the lesson is the Cool down and identified with a teal colored arrow and label. The last section of the lesson that is identified is the Practice using a red arrow and label. The Lesson Summary is also listed but it is not color coded as part of the breakdown. — Image 2

Lesson Activities

The first page of a lesson is called “Lesson Overview.” Here you will find the different types of activities included in the lesson (Image 2).

Warm up: This is the first activity in a lesson.
Primary activities: These are unique and need extra focus. We'll take a close look at them in the next part of this guide.
Cool-down: This is the last activity in a lesson.
Practice: This is a practice page with problems on the topics you learned in the lesson.

IV. Primary Activities

A screenshot of an activity page shows that a student page has an activity portion that contains questions where students can check their answers and an extension question. The end of this section consists of a multiple choice self check question that is contained in a gray box. — Image 3

A screenshot of the additional resources page consisting of a section that contains information with key vocabulary words in bold. Step by step instructions are provided along with an example using the steps. A gray box contains a Try It question that students can use to test their understanding by checking their answers when they are done with the problem. — Image 4

Primary Activities

Here's an example of one of these unique types of activities. Each lesson has 2-3 of these.

Some activities have a section called Are you ready for more? This section, meant to expand your thinking, is optional unless otherwise stated by your teacher (Image 3).

After you have finished the activity, you will do a multiple choice question called a Self Check (Image 3). If you feel confident in your skills, you may move on to the next lesson.

Additional Resources

If you want a refresher on the skills tested in the Self Check, read through the Additional Resources section, then complete the Try It section to test yourself on what you’ve learned. This section is optional unless otherwise stated by your teacher (Image 4).

V. End of Lesson

Lesson Summary

Here you will review the topics covered and the activities you completed (Image 5). You will also have an opportunity to check-in on your progress with the learning goals from the lesson.

After you’ve finished the Unit, you can use the Wrap Up lesson to check in on the important skills from each lesson. If there are any skills you want to brush up on, use the Lesson Summary page to find the most relevant activities to revisit.

Useful Resources

Want some study tips? Forgot the meaning of a word? Check out the sections Students Start Here, Supporting All Learners, and the Index for our curated resources.