Algebra 2 is a course in mathematics offered in the United States public and private school systems taken by approximately 85% of all graduating high school seniors by the age of 17. Two major studies by the U.S Department of Education have shown that Algebra 2 is a 'gateway' course that predicts student graduation from college, and their eventual qualification for high-paying careers. The course is typically taught in Grade 10 as a two-semester series following prerequisite courses in Algebra I and/or Geometry. The course stresses student mastery of the analysis and graphing of polynomials, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions, as well as probability, statistics, complex numbers and matrix algebra, with some applications to real-world problems in which these modeling techniques can often be seen to apply. In keeping with the intent to show how Algebra 2 topics connect with real world applications, textbooks commonly include several hundred 'word problems' that are generally culled from situations that students may encounter, often involving economics. This book contains over 200 problems spanning 70 specific topic areas covered in a typical Algebra 2 course. A selection of application problems featuring astronomy, earth science and space exploration were then designed to support each specific topic, often with more than one example in a specific category. Each problem is introduced with a brief paragraph about the underlying science, written in a simplified, jargon-free language where possible. Problems are often presented as multi-step or multi-part activities. The intent of these problems is not to follow an explicitly 'inquiry-based' approach, but to systematically show students how problems and questions of a specific type are often solved. Once students have mastered a particular approach, there are many opportunities available for students to 'go beyond' each problem and inquire about other connections that may suggest themselves as the student completes each problem, or a collection of problems.
