Algebra I or Algebra 1 is one of the subjects that the most students in the world take at one point or another. Many people find it to be difficult, and rightfully so. Without a type of instruction that matches a student’s particular learning styles, it can seem like a mental grind to push through it. However, if the right approach is used to teach Algebra 1, then it can be made a lot easier to learn. Here we’re trying to offer the best approaches for each of the major topics in Algebra 1, along with many example problems worked out to show you exactly what’s going on.
At the core of Algebra 1 is learning concepts in mathematics that extend past basic arithmetic. There’s a common misconception that all you need in most jobs is basic arithmetic. The fact of the matter is that the concepts learned in Algebra 1 often work much better when solving real-world problems in the workplace. No matter if you’re a manager at a multi-million dollar corporation or if you’re a janitor at a fast food restaurant, the basics of Algebra 1 can help you to perform your job more efficiently.
In basic arithmetic, we tend to use only the positive numbers along with zero, and we tend to only use the most basic operations. The problem that we encounter is that the vast majority of real world problems don’t fit into this mold. After learning the basic concepts from Algebra 1, you’ll be able to tackle most real world problems that come up because you will have a mental toolbox with the right tools in it.
In arithmetic, you’re given problems like 157 + 42 and are expected to work it out using the basic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. With the ideas learned in Algebra 1, you’re able to use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in less rigid ways to solve more complex problems that happen in the real world.
This website is broken up into a number of sections that roughly match up with the order that most topics are covered in Algebra 1. We start with the basics, move into solving simple equations, look at graphing lines and solving linear systems, dealing with polynomials, solving quadratics, factoring polynomials, and working with rational expressions. Each section is broken down into a number of sub-sections covering all of the topics that are covered in the vast majority of Algebra 1 curriculums, along with a few useful topics that aren’t.