The Edina Center for Academic Excellence focuses on offering courses that are not available in schools. Classes are taught by instructors with a passion for their subject matter, who love to share their delight in the subject with advanced students. Winter term 2012 classes are held at South View Middle School in Edina. Use the online registration form to register for the courses.
Math for Young Competitors – Year 1 Saturdays
Recommended Age Range: Grades 3, 4, or 5 Dates: Ten weeks, 7 January to 24 March. No class 21 January (NUMATS EXPLORE testing day) or 10 March (MCGT Gifted Education Resource Fair day). Time: 11:00am to 12:30pm Location: South View Middle School, Room 137 (enter through Door 3 from South View South Parking Lot) Instructor: Karl Bunday Course Fee: $200 Textbook: Prealgebra by Richard Rusczyk, David Patrick, and Ravi Boppana (2011), $39.20 at discounted price for ECAE students, useful for Year 1 and Year 2 students.
Description: Accelerated prealgebra course for bright learners curious about mathematics, with much emphasis on foundations of higher mathematics and many problems selected from mathematics competitions. Year 1 topics lay a logical foundation for proficiency in secondary school mathematics and success in university mathematics courses. Winter term topics include equivalent fractions, fraction arithmetic, simplifying algebraic equations, solving linear equations, solving algebra word problems, and decimal arithmetic. Some class meetings include CML or MOEMS math contests.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Multidigit multiplication and division and basic arithmetic with negative numbers should be familiar from previous learning. The Saturday morning course is a continuation of the fall 2010 Saturday morning course, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Multidigit multiplication and division and basic arithmetic with negative numbers should be familiar from previous learning. The Saturday morning course is a continuation of the fall 2010 Saturday morning course, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
Math for Young Competitors – Year 2 Saturdays
Recommended Age Range: Grades 3, 4, or 5 Dates: Ten weeks, 7 January to 24 March. No class 21 January (NUMATS EXPLORE testing day) or 10 March (MCGT Gifted Education Resource Fair day). Time: 9:00am to 10:30am Location: South View Middle School, Room 137 (enter through Door 3 from South View South Parking Lot) Instructor: Karl Bunday Course Fee: $200 Textbook: Prealgebra by Richard Rusczyk, David Patrick, and Ravi Boppana (2011), $39.20 at discounted price for ECAE students, useful for Year 1 and Year 2 students.
Description: Accelerated prealgebra course for bright learners curious about mathematics, with much emphasis on foundations of higher mathematics and many problems selected from mathematics competitions. Year 2 topics for winter term include percents and percentage word problems, squares and square roots, angles, parallel lines, polygons, area, and circles. Some class meetings include Continental Mathematics League (CML) or Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle School (MOEMS) math contests.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Familiarity with fraction arithmetic is necessary for progressing through the Year 2 topics. The Saturday morning course is a continuation of the fall 2010 Saturday morning course, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Familiarity with fraction arithmetic is necessary for progressing through the Year 2 topics. The Saturday morning course is a continuation of the fall 2010 Saturday morning course, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
NEW Math for Young Competitors – Year 1 Wednesdays
Recommended Age Range: Grades 3, 4, or 5 Dates: Eleven weeks, 11 January to 21 March. Time: 4:30pm to 6:00pm Location: Eisenhower Community Center, Room 337 Instructor: Karl Bunday Course Fee: $220 Textbook: Prealgebra by Richard Rusczyk, David Patrick, and Ravi Boppana (2011), $39.20 at discounted price for ECAE students, useful for Year 1 and Year 2 students.
Description: Accelerated prealgebra course for bright learners curious about mathematics, with much emphasis on foundations of higher mathematics and many problems selected from mathematics competitions. Year 1 topics lay a logical foundation for proficiency in secondary school mathematics and success in university mathematics courses. Wednesday winter term topics include the real number line, field properties of real numbers and their application to efficient mental arithmetic, squares and other exponents, multiples, divisibility tests, prime numbers, prime factorization, least common multiples, greatest common divisors, fractions, and arithmetic with fractions. Class handouts will include mathematical contest problems.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Multidigit multiplication and division and basic arithmetic with negative numbers should be familiar from previous learning. The Wednesday winter course begins at the beginning of the Year 1 syllabus, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Multidigit multiplication and division and basic arithmetic with negative numbers should be familiar from previous learning. The Wednesday winter course begins at the beginning of the Year 1 syllabus, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
NEW Math for Young Competitors – Year 2 Wednesdays
Recommended Age Range: Grades 3, 4, or 5 Dates: Eleven weeks, 11 January to 21 March. Time: 6:30pm to 8:00pm Location: Eisenhower Community Center, Room 337 Instructor: Karl Bunday Course Fee: $220 Textbook: Prealgebra by Richard Rusczyk, David Patrick, and Ravi Boppana (2011), $39.20 at discounted price for ECAE students, useful for Year 1 and Year 2 students.
Description: Accelerated prealgebra course for bright learners curious about mathematics, with much emphasis on foundations of higher mathematics and many problems selected from mathematics competitions. Year 2 topics for Wednesday winter term include algebraic expressions, solving linear equations, inequalities, decimals, ratios, proportions, preparation for math contests, conversions, rates, and percents. Class handouts will include mathematical contest problems.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Familiarity with fraction arithmetic is necessary for progressing through the Year 2 topics. The Wednesday winter course begins at the beginning of the Year 2 syllabus, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
Prerequisites: Students starting this course must be ready to challenge themselves and tackle problems that may take a long span of thinking to solve. They should have the courage to try out problems that are not easy. Familiarity with fraction arithmetic is necessary for progressing through the Year 2 topics. The Wednesday winter course begins at the beginning of the Year 2 syllabus, and students will be advised about appropriate placement.
Competitive Math Training Level 1A: Introduction to Probability
Recommended Age Range: Grades 6, 7, or 8 Class Size: 8-12 students Dates: Ten weeks, 7 January to 24 March. No class 21 January (NUMATS EXPLORE testing day) or 10 March (MCGT Gifted Education Resource Fair day). Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Location: South View Middle School, Room 132 (enter through Door 3 from South View South Parking Lot) Instructor: Jolene Gleason Fee:$250, includes practice materials. Description: This course covers basic probability techniques including dependent and independent events, compound probability, complementary probabilities, and casework. We’ll also introduce more advanced counting topics such as utilizing symmetries and recognizing distinguishability. We’ll see how we can use geometry to solve probability problems, and we’ll explore more combinatorial identities in Pascal’s triangle including the Hockey Stick Identity and the Binomial Theorem. Prerequisites: Probability is just a ratio of two results of counting problems; therefore, students should have experience with various counting techniques including permutations and combinations. This class is intended to be a follow-up to ECAE’s Introduction to Counting class offered in the fall. Students should be advanced in mathematical reasoning beyond grade level and must be fluent with basic pre-algebra skills such as fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios. Algebra is not a prerequisite, but students should have some experience solving basic linear equations and working with square roots and exponents.
Competitive Math Training Level 1B: Middle School Contest Preparation
Recommended Age Range: Grades 6, 7, or 8 Class Size: 8-12 students Dates: Ten weeks, 7 January to 24 March. No class 21 January (NUMATS EXPLORE testing day) or 10 March (MCGT Gifted Education Resource Fair day). Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Location: South View Middle School, Room 132 (enter through Door 3 from South View South Parking Lot) Instructor: Jolene Gleason Fee:$250, including practice materials. Description: The focus of this class is to coach students in competitive problem solving using actual MATHCOUNTS, AMC 8, AMC 10, and Minnesota Junior High Mathematics League problems. Emphasis will be on developing and refining problem solving strategies. It is expected, but not required, that students will be members of their school math teams. This training will help prepare them to place among the top scorers on their team. Students also compete in the Grade 7-8 Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS) contests as part of the Saturday class. Prerequisites: This class is for more experienced students who have previously competed in middle-school-level math competitions such as MATHCOUNTS, AMC8, MOEMS Level M, or the Minnesota Junior High Math League. Students should be advanced in mathematical reasoning beyond grade level and must be fluent with basic pre-algebra skills such as fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios. Algebra is not a prerequisite, but students should have some experience solving basic linear equations and working with square roots and exponents.
Competitive Math Training Level 2: AMC 12 and High School Contest Preparation
Recommended Age Range: High school Class Size: 6-10 students Dates: Ten weeks, 7 January to 24 March. No class 21 January (NUMATS EXPLORE testing day) or 10 March (MCGT Gifted Education Resource Fair day). Time: 11:00am to 12:30pm Location: South View Middle School, Room 134 (enter through Door 3 from South View South Parking Lot) Instructor: Matthew K. Bunday, experienced AIME, Minnesota State High School Mathematics League, and ARML competitor, Minnesota state champion in AMC 8 and AMC 10. Fee:$250, includes practice materials.
Description: The focus of the Level 2 class is to coach students in competitive problem solving using actual AMC 10, AMC 12, Minnesota State High School Mathematics League, American Regions Mathematics League problems, and American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) problems. The course syllabus will be based on the textbook The Art of Problem Solving, Volume 2: and Beyond by Richard Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky, with adaptation to student background and interests. It is not necessary to purchase the textbook before the class begins, or at all, but families may find the textbook a useful resource. Class materials will be provided by the instructor.
