Science Mom

Math Dad Algebra 1 Semester 1

No reviews

Science Mom Algebra 1 Semester 1 is a structured, self‑paced video math course that guides students through Algebra I topics via step‑by‑step lessons, engaging visuals, interactive Desmos explorations, and auto‑graded quizzes. Parents appreciate how Math Dad presents algebra with clear explanations and a sense of humor, making higher‑level math accessible and even fun. Unique for its pacing (a complete semester covered in 16–20 weeks) and professional quality, it’s ideal for 8th–10th graders needing a reliable, parent‑free math resource.

Recommended Ages

9th Grade Math

Style
Video-BasedOnlineTeensSelf-Paced

Science Mom uses a learner-centered, inquiry-based approach that makes science fun, accessible, and effective. Their courses combine engaging video lessons with fill-in-the-blank doodle notes, interactive questions, and real-time polls to keep students actively involved. Lessons are designed to be open-and-go with minimal prep, making them easy for families to use. The curriculum includes hands-on projects and game-like quiz reviews to reinforce learning and support a variety of learning styles. This approach helps students build deep understanding by connecting scientific concepts to real-world experiences in a creative and memorable way.

Self-Direction
E means highly structured. A is basically unschooled, completely self-guided.
How much can students guide their own learning in this course?
A
B
C
D
E
Regular price $190.00 USD
Math Dad Algebra 1 Semester 1
$190.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn

Our mission

The mission of Science Mom is to make science and math learning engaging, accessible, and inspiring for families everywhere. Through self-paced, secular, and visually rich video courses paired with interactive doodle notes, polls, quizzes, and hands-on projects, they aim to empower learners to explore core concepts with confidence and curiosity. By keeping prep minimal and content lively, their goal is to support diverse learning styles and bring joyful, real-world education into homes and classrooms, fostering a lifelong love of discovery.

Our story

Science Mom (Jenny Ballif) and Math Dad (Serge Ballif) began their journey when Jenny, a plant science expert, started bringing weekly science demos to her son’s second-grade class in 2013, where she earned the nickname “Science Mom.” Wanting to make science fun and accessible for more families, she teamed up with Serge, a math Ph.D. and former college instructor, to create engaging, educational YouTube videos. Their channel grew quickly, especially during the pandemic, leading to the development of full self-paced, secular courses in biology, chemistry, and math. These courses blend entertaining video lessons with doodle notes, quizzes, polls, and hands-on projects, all designed to require minimal prep while deeply engaging learners. What started as classroom demos evolved into a global resource for joyful, real-world science and math learning at home.

Modulo's Interview with Science Mom and Math Dad

Meet the creators of Science Mom and Math Dad

FAQ: Additional Details about Math Dad Algebra 1 Semester 1

Science Mom & Math Dad lessons typically begin with a video that introduces a big idea in math or science through stories, visuals, or real-life connections. After watching together, families dive into hands-on experiments, printable challenges, or interactive tools like Desmos or card games, applying what they’ve learned in a way that’s engaging and often collaborative. Whether it’s solving an equation, testing the pH of common liquids, or building a model, each activity reinforces core concepts while sparking curiosity and critical thinking.

Algebra 1 Semester 1 is a self-paced, video-driven course built around concept modules. Each lesson combines a teaching video, linked interactive Desmos or digital activity, guided practice questions, and application tasks. The course covers linear expressions and functions, interpreting slope and intercepts, solving linear equations and inequalities, systems of linear equations, and modeling with algebra. In a typical homeschool schedule, you’d allocate about 45–60 minutes per lesson: students watch the lesson video, then work through the interactive or worksheet practice, followed by application or problem-solving tasks. Assessments or quizzes punctuate each unit to check understanding. You don’t need to plan lessons ahead—everything is laid out and ready to go. As a parent or mentor, your role is to monitor progress, help when the student is stuck, prompt reflection or discussion, and decide when to pause or move ahead. If your student needs extra help, you can revisit earlier modules or use supplemental supports (manipulatives, whiteboard sketches) before continuing.

This course is ideal for students who are comfortable with pre-algebra topics—such as manipulating expressions, working with linear relationships, and solving simple equations—and are ready to dive into more formal algebra. It’s especially good for learners who enjoy seeing math in context, tackling real problems, and using visual/interactive tools as part of their learning journey.

This course isn’t a good fit for students who have not yet mastered pre-algebra basics like operations with expressions, ratios, or linear thinking. Also, those who prefer purely traditional, worksheet-only instruction may find the mixed media and interactive style less aligned with their preferences. Students needing more scaffolded, incremental algebra support might prefer a gentler bridge course first.

Algebra 1 Semester 1 uses a blend of video lessons, interactive Desmos explorations, guided practice, real-world problems, and reflections. This multi-modal approach supports learners with different needs: students with ADHD or autism benefit from varied tasks and structured pacing; dyslexic learners can rely on strong visual and auditory instruction rather than dense text; those with dyscalculia gain from visual models and gradual abstraction; gifted learners can move through familiar content more quickly and spend extra time on extension problems. Because students progress at their own pace, you can pause, review, or go deeper as needed to accommodate individual learning differences.

Science Mom and Math Dad very well for gifted and 2e learners, offering engaging, rigorous science exploration with flexibility to differentiate. For profoundly gifted kids, it’s a strong starter—pair with deeper extracurricular projects or independent research to meet their advanced needs.

Gifted learners appreciate the in-depth explanations and real-world science, which are great for skill-building like note-taking even when content isn’t fully new.

Twice-exceptional (2e) or accelerated students can still benefit, especially when pairing familiar topics with scaffolded academic techniques.

Profoundly gifted students seeking autonomy and depth will find the self-paced, inquiry-driven structure supportive; however, they may need more complexity or opportunities for independent extension beyond the provided material.

If you have completed Pre-Algebra or Grade 8 Math, then you're ready for Algebra 1

If the course isn't a good fit, just email us for a refund. The most important outcome is a positive learning experience.

Contact form

Meet Jenny and Serge

Science Mom has an M.S. in Plant Science from Utah State University. Math Dad has a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University. We run the Science Mom YouTube channel where we create educational content for kids.

Science Mom and Math Dad teach self-paced courses using a secular curriculum. Each course uses an open-and-go design that requires minimal preparation and supervision. In our science courses, each lesson has follow-along notes, interactive comprehension questions, and quizzes. Students can participate in polls while watching the recorded lessons. There are science and art projects for deeper dives. Our math courses use the interactive Desmos curriculum. Each video lesson has an exploratory activity and practice material to complete after the lesson.

Modulo's thoughts

Our learning specialists give their honest evaluation
ManishaCEO and Founder of Modulo

Science Mom and Math Dad is hands-down the most beloved science program for middle schoolers. Jenny and Serge are highly engaging teachers that share concepts in a compelling and engaging way.