MATH 120-07 Pre-Calculus
Syllabus for Fall 2011
Tuesdays
8:00 – 9:20am
Thursdays 8:00 – 10:50am (with 30 minute break)
133 Pasteur Hall
Prerequisite: MATH 050 or a qualifying score on the mathematics placement exam
About This Course: This course is intended to provide the student with an understanding of the ideas leading up to calculus. Topics will often be varied and loosely connected around the central ideas of solving equations and working with graphs. These topics compose a solid mathematical basis from which to build on in future math courses. As a terminal class, the topics contained in this course are meant to be a broad survey of the mathematics you may need or encounter in various fields of study.
Expectations: Students who complete this course with a passing grade are expected to be able to demonstrate the following skills: (i) Mastery of prerequisite material, (ii) Solve various algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric equations, (iii) Analyze and graph the basic behavior of functions, (iv) Use the correct mathematical tools and problem-solving skills.
Text & Calculator: Precalculus by Stewart, Redlin, & Watson (6th Ed.)
Course Website: http://course1.winona.edu/eerrthum/math120
Instructor: Dr. Eric Errthum Office: 124A Gildemeister Hall
Winona Email Username: eerrthum Office Phone: 474-5775
Office Hours: See schedule on my home page. Or by appointment any day.
Grading: PSP Chapter Quizzes (9 @ 10 points each) 90 points---- 10.1%
Homework (scaled as
needed)
100 points---- 11.2%
Quizzes (11 @ 10 points each, drop
lowest) 100
points---- 11.2%
Midterms (4 @ 100
points)
400 points---- 44.9%
Final
200 points---- 22.6%
--------------
890 points total
Grades: A = 90% (801 pts), B = 80% (712 pts), C = 70% (623 pts), D = 60% (534 pts)
Homework: Homework will be assigned daily and will be due at 8:00am on the day of the quiz that covers that material. All homework is to be submitted via the WebAssign website. At the same time, you should work out the problems in a separate notebook. Some good tips for doing homework in WebAssign can be found below.
WebAssign: During the first two weeks of class, you will have to purchase a WebAssign access through the WebAssign website to complete the assignments. The Class Key is “winona 7206 2019”. Click here for more about the WebAssign Login Procedure. If you have any problems logging in or doing any of the homework assignments, please contact the instructor.
Personal Study Plan Chapter Quizzes: Within WebAssign is a “Personal Study Plan”. For each chapter there are practice quizzes and a comprehensive chapter quiz. For every chapter quiz that you complete at a 70% proficiency, you will earn 10 points toward your grade. There is no partial credit. The final due date for PSP Chapters 1 & 2 quizzes is August 30. All other PSP Chapter quizzes are due December 1, but it obviously will be helpful for you to complete them throughout the semester. As such, recommended due dates are given in the schedule below.
Quizzes: We will have a short quiz almost every week (see schedule below). Each quiz will count for 10 points and the lowest quiz score will be dropped from your grade. Quiz problems will be loosely based on the homework and the “Additional Quiz Preparation” questions listed in the homework instructions.
Exams: There will be four in-class exams and one comprehensive final exam. Exam dates are tentative until officially announced in class. The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7, 3:30 – 5:30pm.
Extra Credit: Frequently quizzes and exams will contain bonus problems where students will have the chance to earn extra credit points.
30-Minute Break: On Thursdays there will be an approximately 30-minute break in the middle of the period. There is no set time that this will occur. During this time you are encouraged to work on homework and/or ask the instructor for help. However, you do not have to stay in the classroom. During the last 5 minutes of the break, I will be giving a short lecture on a math topic outside of pre-Calculus. These topics are for enrichment only; you will never be asked a quiz or test question about them. You are strongly encouraged to talk to me after class for more information about the topics.
Technology: Graphing calculators are not required. However, they are highly recommended, preferably a Texas Instrument. Some exams and quizzes will allow the use of calculators, and some will not. You MAY NOT use your cell phone, laptop, PDA, or other device capable of electronic communication in place of a calculator. Contact the instructor if you are having difficulties obtaining a calculator.
Resources: The Mathematics Achievement Center (MAC) is located in 313 Tau Center on West Campus and offers free tutoring. The MAC will be open from 1pm-10pm on M-Th, 1pm-5pm on Fri., and 4pm-8pm on Sun. More information available at: The MAC Website.
Desire2Learn: Some course materials and approximate grades can be found on D2L.
Late/Missed Work: Missed quizzes will result in a score of zero. There are no make-up quizzes. Make-up exams will be given at the discretion of the instructor. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain notes and assignments from fellow students. If you have an unavoidable absence, please inform the instructor beforehand.
Academic Dishonesty: Any type of academic dishonesty (cheating, copying, etc.) will result in failure and will be reported to school authorities. If you are having trouble with an assignment, please see the instructor first.
Note: This syllabus is subject to change if deemed necessary by the instructor.
Tentative Schedule of Events – Math 120
(subject to change)
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Week Starting |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
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8/22 |
Introductions
Chapters 1&2 Review |
30 Minute Break /
Fun Fact
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8/29 |
Chapters 1 & 2 PSP Chapter Quizzes Due
Discussion Session
3.3 |
30
Minute Break / Fun Fact
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9/5 |
Discussion Session 3.6 |
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9/12 |
Discussion Session Exam Review |
Suggested due date for Chapter 3 PSP Quiz
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9/19 |
4.4 4.5 |
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9/26 |
Discussion Session 12.1, cont. |
Suggested due date for Chapter 4 PSP Quiz
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10/3 |
Discussion Session Exam Review |
Suggested due date for Chapter 12 PSP Quiz
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10/10 |
6.2, 5.2, 6.3 5.3 |
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10/17 |
NO CLASS University Improvement Day |
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10/24 |
Discussion Session Exam Review |
Suggested due date for Chapters 5 &6 PSP Quizzes
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10/31 |
Not in the
text Euler’s
Formula DeMoivre’s Theorem |
No Class |
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11/7 |
Quiz: 8.1, 8.2,
Euler Form, etc. Due 7.1 Trig Identities
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11/14 |
7.5 |
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11/21 |
Suggested due date
for Chapter 7 PSP Quiz |
NO CLASS Thanksgiving |
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11/28 |
PSP Work Day |
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Final Exam: Wednesday, December 7, 3:30 – 5:30pm.
Welcome to college math!
If this is your first math class taken in college, there are some important things you need to know. College math classes are run very differently from high school math classes. On the surface it may seem they are similar as you listen to the lecture and take notes, but there are significant underlying differences. Knowing these ahead of time can help you make the most of this coming semester.
#1: College math classes generally stay on the schedule in the syllabus. If there is one day allotted to the topic that is probably all of the class time that will be spent on it, even if “most” of the students “don’t get it.”
#2: It is expected that you will read the text and do the problems in order to learn the material, even if no one checks up on you. The instructor might never collect the homework, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect your grade.
#3: You will sometimes be responsible for material in the textbook that is not covered in class. If there is a text reading and/or homework problems covering a concept that was not discussed in class, you are still expected to learn it. If you don’t understand it, make an appointment with your instructor for help.
#4: Some material is covered only in class, is not in the textbook, and may not have any homework problems on it. If you miss class, you may miss content that you are responsible to know. If you have an unavoidable absence, be sure to get the notes and any announcements from a classmate.
#5: There will be test questions that don’t look “just like the homework.” In college, you are expected to focus on learning the concepts, not just memorizing how to do certain types of problems. These concepts can – and will – appear in very different forms on tests and quizzes.
#6: At times you will be expected to be able to explain why a problem is done a certain way in addition to being expected to do the problem. As you work on problems in class and on homework, don’t be satisfied with getting the correct answer; ask yourself why that method is logical, and how you could explain that logic to someone else.
#7: Most importantly, you are responsible for your own learning. If you attend class faithfully, get the notes and announcements if you have an unavoidable absence, read the text, do the homework and question yourself (as in #6), and still don’t understand something, it is up to you to get the extra help you need. Visit the instructor during office hours or make a special appointment to ask questions, form a study group, etc. There are many resources and people willing and happy to help, but you need to take the initiative and seek out the help you need.
Good luck on a happy and successful semester!
#1: Use the Mozilla Firefox browser. The flash applications in WebAssign cause Microsoft Internet Explorer to lock up, thus losing all of your work from that session. If you need help installing Firefox, click here or contact the instructor.
#2: Do not try to sit down at a computer and just do your homework on Webassign. Print off the problems and work through them in a notebook first. When you have completed the assignment on paper, then go back and enter your answers into WebAssign. This way you will have a good paper record to study from, to examine for errors if WebAssign marks something incorrect, and to show to a tutor or the instructor when getting help.
#3: Do not wait until the night before the assignment (or collection of assignments) is due to do it. If you lose your internet connection or experience technical problems, you will not be able to hand in the assignment on time. Some WebAssigns are short (3 – 4 problems) and some can be quite long (11 – 12 problems). Make sure you leave yourself enough time to take full advantage of the multiple attempts.
#4: WebAssign will only accept the 100% correct answer. So you will not likely be able to guess the answer. At the same time, if you have almost the right answer, but you’re missing something small like a minus sign, WebAssign will still mark it incorrect without any hint of how close you are to the correct answer. Also, WebAssign can be very particular about how you enter an answer. For all these reasons it is important that you are careful about how you work out the problem and report the solution. This is, in general, an important lesson to learn.
#5: Don’t use any method on WebAssign that won’t work on an exam. For example, many questions on WebAssign will be presented as multiple-choice and you can “solve” it by checking each option. However, on a quiz or exam the same question will probably not be multiple-choice, so you need to know how to find the correct answer from scratch. If you don’t know how to do an assignment without “shortcuts”, ask a fellow student, a tutor, or the instructor.
#6: After the due date has passed, go back and look at the solutions for the problems you missed. (To find old assignments, look under “My Assignments” and click “Past”.) Often there will be a link to a pdf file with a detailed solution to the problem. If you still can’t understand the solution, ask a fellow student, a tutor, or the instructor to help you.
This course can be used to satisfy the University Studies requirements for Basic Skills in Mathematics. This course includes requirements and learning activities that promote students’ abilities to…
a. use logical reasoning by studying mathematical patterns and relationships;
Math 120 includes functional notation and identifies and uses the combination of functions, such as sums, products and compositions. Formulas are written that involve variation.
Understanding the relation between exponential and logarithmic functions and the simplification of expressions using the trigonometric identities are covered.
b. use mathematical models to describe real-world phenomena and to solve real-world problems - as well as understand the limitations of models in making predictions and drawing conclusions;
Linear models for bivariate functions, exponential models for growth or decay, and periodic models with trigonometric functions are differentiated, studied and used. Properties of trigonometric quantities are examined by the use of the unit circle.
c. organize data, communicate the essential features of the data, and interpret the data in a meaningful way;
The domain and range of a function are found and functional notation is used to show the relation between variables. The average rate of change is calculated from a graph, a function or a table.
d. express the relationships illustrated in graphical displays and tables clearly and correctly in words;
The student is able to express solution sets correctly with a number line graph by using interval notation and inequalities. Students identify and express the characteristics of the graphs of powers, polynomials, rational functions, exponential, and trigonometric functions.
This includes increasing/ decreasing intervals, curvature, local optima, long-term behavior of functions when given a function, a formula, or a graph. Explanations of how transformations change the characteristics of a function and graphing the transformed function are done.
Commitment to Inclusive Excellence: WSU recognizes that our individual differences can deepen our understanding of one another and the world around us, rather than divide us. In this class, people of all ethnicities, genders and gender identities, religions, ages, sexual orientations, disabilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, regions, and nationalities are strongly encouraged to share their rich array of perspectives and experiences. If you feel your differences may in some way isolate you from WSU’s community or if you have a need of any specific accommodations, please speak with the instructor early in the semester about your concerns and what we can do together to help you become an active and engaged member of our class and community.
· Student Support Services, Krueger Library 219, 457-5465 (www.winona.edu/studentsupportservices/)
· Inclusion and Diversity Office, Kryzsko Commons Room 122, 457-5595 (www.winona.edu/culturaldiversity/)
· Disability Services, Maxwell 314, 457-5878 (www.winona.edu/disabilityservices/)
· Counseling and Wellness Services, Integrated Wellness Center 222, 457-5330 (www.winona.edu/counselingcenter/)
· GLBTA Advocate, contact Counseling and Wellness Services for name and number of the current Advocate
· Tutoring Services, Krueger Library 220, 457-5680 (http://www.winona.edu/tutoring/)
· Writing Center, Minné Hall 348, 457-5505 (www.winona.edu/writingcenter/)
· Math Achievement Center, Tau 313, 457-5370
· Advising Services, Maxwell 314, 457-5878 (www.winona.edu/advising/)
· Two good places to help you find resources of all kinds on campus are Student Support Services and the Inclusion and Diversity Office. Both offices are dedicated to helping students of all races, ethnicities, economic backgrounds, nationalities, and sexual orientations. They can facilitate tutoring and point you to a wide range of resources. Student Support Services is in Krueger Library 219, and they can be reached at 457-5465. The Inclusion and Diversity Office is in Kryzsko Commons Room 122, and they can be reached at 457-5595.
· If you have a disability, the Disability Services office can document it for your professors and facilitate accommodation. Their office is in Maxwell Hall, 3rd floor, and they can be reached at 457-5878. If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation, please let me know as soon as possible. If you suspect you may have a disability, you are encouraged to visit Disability Services as soon as possible.
· College can be very stressful. The Counseling Center is there to help you with a wide range of difficulties, ranging from sexual assault, depression, and grief after the loss of a loved one to stress management, anxiety, general adjustment to college, and many others. Their office is located in the Integrated Wellness Center (room 222) and they can be reached at 457-5330.
· For help with understanding the concepts of a particular class or understanding the requirements of an assignment, Tutoring Services offers three types of tutoring: drop-in appointments, 1-on-1 tutoring, and group sessions. You can visit them in the Library in room 220, or go on-line and use the TutorTrac program to schedule a session.
• For help specifically with writing and the development of papers, the English department has a Writing Center available to students and staffed by trained graduate students pursuing their Master’s degree in English. The Writing Center is located in Minné Hall 348. You can make an appointment on the sign-up sheet on the door or call 457-5505.
• For help specifically with understanding math concepts and solving math problems, the Math Achievement Center (MAC) is staffed with friendly undergraduate tutors who will help you work through difficult material. The MAC is located in Tau 313 and provides free tutoring for all students in math, statistics, or math education courses. The center is open 1pm-10pm Mon-Thurs, 1pm-5pm Fri, and 4pm-8pm Sun.
· The GLBTA Advocate is responsible for documenting homophobic and transphobic incidents on campus and working with the appropriate channels to get these incidents resolved. In addition, the advocate can direct people to GLBT resources on campus and in Winona.