six pluses

Free Precalculus Lesson Plans

Get a free precalculus curriculum created by teachers, for teachers.

Leading a department? See department and district options→

Math Medic Precalculus Units

Precalculus consolidates the function families students have already met, adds systems, sequences, and series, then opens the door to calculus through limits and derivatives. Optional units cover prerequisite skills and conic sections.

You get ready-to-be-taught lessons for each day of the school year. Every lesson follows the Experience First, Formalize Later (EFFL) model: students work in small groups on an activity, then you formalize the learning together. Homework, quizzes, and tests for every unit are available through Math Medic Plus.

Teaching_Classroom_5962b18e0e
  • 0
    Unit 0: Prerequisites

    • Cartesian plane
    • Equations of circles
    • Reasoning with and solving equations
    • Linear relationships
    • Set notation
  • 1
    Unit 1: Functions

    • Function concepts
    • Rate of change and graph behavior
    • Transformations of parent functions
    • Combinations and compositions of functions
    • Inverse functions
    • Piecewise functions
  • 2
    Unit 2: Polynomial and Rational Functions

    • Manipulating quadratics
    • Polynomials in the short and long run
    • Factor and remainder theorem
    • Real and complex zeroes
    • Rational functions
  • 3
    Unit 3: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

    • Exponential functions
    • Compound interest and introduction to “e”
    • Logarithmic functions and properties
    • Solving exponential and logarithmic functions
    • Exponential and logarithmic modeling
  • 4
    Unit 4: Trigonometric Functions

    • Right triangle trigonometry
    • Radians and degrees
    • Graphing sine and cosine
    • Transformations of sine and cosine graphs
    • Graphing secant, cosecant, tangent, and cotangent
    • Inverse trig functions
    • Trigonometric modeling and identities
  • 5
    Unit 5: Applications of Trigonometry

    • Law of sines
    • Law of cosines
    • Area and applications of laws
    • Vectors
    • Polar coordinates and equations
    • Polar graphs
    • Parametric equations
  • 6
    Unit 6: Systems of Equations

    • Understanding solutions to systems
    • Solving systems with substitution and elimination
    • Solving systems in three variables
    • Partial fractions
  • 7
    Unit 7: Sequences and Series

    • Using sequences and series to describe patterns
    • Arithmetic sequences and series
    • Geometric sequences
    • Finite and infinite geometric series
    • Proof by induction
  • 8
    Unit 8: Limits

    • Understanding limits
    • Strategies for evaluating limits
    • Continuity
    • Intermediate Value Theorem
    • Limits at infinity
  • 9
    Unit 9: Derivatives

    • Average vs. instantaneous rates of change
    • Calculating derivative functions
    • Differentiability
    • Connecting f and f’
    • Derivatives of sine and cosine
    • Product and quotient rule
  • 10
    Unit 10: (Optional) Conic Sections

    • Introduction to conic sections
    • Defining and working with parabolas
    • Defining and working with ellipses
    • Defining and working with hyperbolas
plus signs

Why This Works

Precalculus carries a lot of weight. It has to close the gaps students bring in and set up the thinking calculus depends on. Getting them reasoning about functions and rates of change, not just manipulating them, is the whole job. Here’s how the course does it.

Students Do the Math Before They’re Told the Math

Every lesson opens with an activity students can work through in groups without you at the front of the room. They make predictions, look for patterns in how functions change, and work through a carefully sequenced set of questions designed to illuminate a big conceptual idea.

Then you bring the class back together and connect what they just did to the formal notation and formulas. Students add that formal learning in the margins of the same page they just worked on, in a second color. Students explore topics using strategies and language that make sense to them, before being introduced to the formal vocabulary and conventions. This makes the learning stick.

See a lesson in action →

What Teachers Get Back

  • Planning time. A day-by-day sequence for every unit in the course. Planning starts from a lesson, not a blank page.
  • Facilitation support on every lesson. Each lesson post tells you what to watch for as groups work, which strategies to showcase, and where students usually get stuck.
  • Differentiation and enrichment tips. Every lesson post carries its own short list of ways to give students another entry point, and ways to stretch the ones who are ready for more.
  • Color-coded answer keys. The formal learning appears in the margins in a second color, so you can see exactly what to add and when.
  • With Math Medic Plus: aligned homework, quizzes, and tests for every unit, plus a lesson video for every lesson.
plus sign

Complete Your Curriculum
with Math Medic Plus

plus sign

With a Math Medic Plus teacher subscription, you get access to our full curriculum resources. This includes ready-made assessments, lesson videos, and many more teacher resources.

Have Questions? Let Us Know!

green plus signs
green plus signs

Moving to a new curriculum can be a big step, but we’re here to help! Reach out to our team to learn more about making the switch to Math Medic as seamless as possible.

four-pluses

What Makes it Different

four-pluses
  • A Full Year, Day by Day

    Most sites hand you activities. Math Medic hands you the course: a day-by-day schedule with the supplemental materials to go with it. Lessons are free. Assessments and lesson videos come with Math Medic Plus.

  • Built Around Student Discovery

    Our lesson model uses activities to let students lead. Teachers don’t lecture. They respond.

  • Written by Classroom Teachers

    Math Medic was created by high school math teachers, based on years of teaching math themselves. We’re not a publishing company. We’re your colleagues, and an extension of your math department.

Happy Teachers.
Successful Students.

Trusted in Classrooms Like Yours

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Math Medic is used in classrooms and departments across the country, from single teachers to full district rollouts.

0+

teachers served

0+

contributing educators

0

courses

0+

lesson plans

0+

workshops presented

0+

schools
plus signs
green plus signs
green plus signs

Bringing Precalculus to Your Whole Department

Math coaches, curriculum directors, department chairs, and principals use Math Medic to bring coherence across a team without running a textbook adoption.

With a department or district subscription:

  • Every teacher works from the same sequence and the same assessments
  • New and out-of-field teachers get facilitation support built into every lesson
  • Lesson videos cover student absences, make-up work, and teacher prep
  • Standards alignment documents are available for curriculum review
  • Pricing is transparent: $325 per teacher, per course, or $595 per teacher for the five-course core bundle

Moving a department to a new curriculum is a big step. Our team, led by our Head of School Adoptions, will walk you through what a rollout looks like and what it costs.

Sign Up for a Free Account

Get instant access to every precalculus lesson plan by creating a free account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Math Medic Precalculus free?

Yes. Every precalculus lesson plan, activity, and answer key is free with a Math Medic account. Homework, quizzes, tests, and lesson videos are available through a Math Medic Plus subscription, starting at $325 per teacher, per year.

What content standards does Math Medic Precalculus align to?

The Math Medic Precalculus curriculum was written with the Common Core State Standards in mind, and it addresses the content standards of many states. Our Precalculus standards alignment is available for curriculum review. Don’t see an alignment for your state? Send us a message to request one.

Do I need a textbook to teach this course?

No. The Math Medic curriculum is not tied to a textbook. We built the sequence of topics from the standards and from what worked with our own students, so you have everything you need to teach without one. For homework, quizzes, and tests, we use the Assessment Platform included in Math Medic Plus.

What’s included in Math Medic Plus?

Math Medic Plus is a yearly teacher subscription that builds on the free lessons. It adds the Assessment Platform (premade and customizable homework, quizzes, and tests), a lesson video for every lesson, and Teacher Resources including post-assessment instructional guides, caregiver communications, and student self-reflection pages.

What do I get with a free Math Medic account?

A free account unlocks every daily lesson plan, in-class activity, and answer key for the course, plus the lesson posts with facilitation, differentiation, and enrichment tips. Homework, quizzes, tests, and lesson videos come with Math Medic Plus.

Can I use Math Medic for my whole department or district?

Yes. Math Medic Plus is available to individual teachers, departments, and districts. For multi-teacher pricing, request a custom quote.