Many students struggle in high school chemistry, feeling confused and uncertain even if they earn a good grade. Why? What can be done to help students succeed in this vitally important course? Success in chemistry doesn't require any special intellectual gifts or talents or advanced mathematical skill--it does require grasping the ideas behind key topics in chemistry. This course is designed to give students a deep and thorough understanding of the...

Algebra II is the fork in the road. Those who succeed in this second part of the algebra sequence are well on their way to calculus and higher mathematics, which open the door to careers in science, engineering, medicine, economics, information technology, and many other fields. Algebra II starts by reviewing functions, graphing, and polynomials from Algebra I, and then introduces new topics, such as conic sections, roots and radicals, exponential...

This course takes a mathematical approach to playing games and solving puzzles. In this course, you will be introduced to all kinds of games, from games of pure strategy (like chess) to games of pure luck (like many casino games) to games that mix strategy and luck (like blackjack, backgammon, and poker). You will analyze puzzles that have stumped people for centuries to modern favorites like sudoku and Rubik's Cube. You will improve your ability...

"Learning a new language opens a wealth of opportunities. But there's one language family that provides benefits like no other: the languages of computer programming. Now widely taught in schools -- even in elementary schools -- programming is an eminently learnable skill that gives you unrivaled problem-solving power you can apply in all areas of life. Programming is also a fun, creative activity that imparts deep insights into how we control the...

The Great Courses teams up with the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, to take you behind the scenes of the animal world. This introduction to zoology brings you up close and personal with a breathtaking variety of animal species through the eyes of a trained zoologist. Throughout these lectures, you'll explore the fundamentals of zoology (including the relationship between genetics and environment), dive into the different...