2026-27 Course Syllabus
Real Math. Real Decisions. Real Life.
Applied Quantitative Reasoning is a project-based math class built around real decisions, real data, real tools, and real communication.
This class will not look exactly like a traditional math class. You will still work with numbers, data, graphs, models, percentages, rates, probability, statistics, and mathematical reasoning—but you will usually use them to solve problems, build useful things, analyze information, and make decisions.
You will be expected to explain your thinking, use evidence, revise your work, and decide whether an answer actually makes sense.
Build a learner profile and a personalized learning-support system. Investigate how you learn, work, communicate, use technology, and respond to different kinds of support; then use that evidence to build and test a personalized AI-supported learning tool or workflow.
Collect and analyze real data. Use Google Forms and Google Sheets to collect, organize, graph, and interpret data while working with sampling, bias, survey design, patterns, correlation, and causation.
Build something that helps a real person make a real decision. Compare choices, identify criteria, examine costs and risks, make assumptions visible, test your logic, and revise based on evidence.
Learn to question numbers, graphs, claims, and evidence. Analyze misleading graphs, statistics, media claims, AI outputs, samples, sources, and arguments. Main question: What should a reasonable person actually believe?
Major pieces of your quarter project and final demonstrations of learning.
Short reasoning checks, mini-theme challenges, critiques, explanations, and other opportunities to show what you understand.
Weekly Catchers, Ready Checks, revision, evidence of work, tool use, and your ability to find, explain, and use your own work.
| A | B | C | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90–100% | 80–89% | 70–79% | 60–69% | Below 60% |
You do not have to be perfect to succeed in AQR. You do have to keep producing evidence of real work. Partial but real work is much better than disappearing and submitting nothing. Revision matters. Progress matters. Showing your thinking matters.
Most weeks you will use a Weekly Catcher to show honest evidence that you are actually moving forward. A Catcher can point to work you created, screenshots, data, notes, drafts, revisions, explanations, tool use, and your next step.
Catchers are part of the Learning Process category. Some weekly scores can be dropped, so one rough week does not destroy your quarter.
Technology is part of this course. We will use tools such as Gemini, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms, Google Slides, Google Calendar, and other approved tools when they are useful.
AI is allowed and often expected when the assignment calls for it.
AI can help you understand directions, ask questions, brainstorm, get examples, organize ideas, revise work, troubleshoot, and test your thinking. AI cannot replace your responsibility to understand, verify, explain, and defend what you submit.
If your name is on the work, you own the final answer.
AQR follows school policy for phones and tardies.
Being here matters because much of AQR happens through in-class project work, demonstrations, discussions, collaboration, and checkpoints.
If you arrive late, get into the current work as quickly and quietly as possible. Use the posted class materials and Daily Brief to figure out what is happening rather than stopping the class.
If you miss class, check the class materials and Daily Brief, find out what you missed, complete or repair the important work, and ask for help if you still need it.
AQR is built around progress and revision. If work is incomplete or weak, the normal response is usually: fix it, improve it, or show better evidence.
Weekly Catchers close at the end of their weekly window; recovery is built into the drop structure rather than unlimited weekly revisions.
Do not wait until the end of the quarter to start caring about missing work.
Bring your school Chromebook every day and keep it charged. You will also need access to your school Google account and your AQR Drive materials. Most other materials will be provided.
By the end of AQR, you should be better able to:
AQR is not about memorizing more math just because someone says you should. It is about learning to use mathematics to understand things, build things, question things, and make better decisions.