A proposal for a semester-long course : prime numbers at the secondary level

Prime numbers play an integral part in many upper level mathematics courses, most notably in Number Theory. Can a course or section on prime numbers be introduced at the secondary (high school) level? This report outlines a possible course in a manner suitable for grade level instruction. These topics include: an extended section on the complete number system, a brief history of primes, their cardinality, and both the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic and Prime Number Theorem, the applications of primes, and the impact of primes within perfect numbers will all be explored. A brief discussion on questions that still remain relating to prime numbers will conclude this report.