MATH 120-01 Pre-Calculus
Syllabus for Summer 2012

Every day 8:00am – 11:20am

326 Gildemeister 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:  Every day after class until about 1pm or by appointment

Grading:  ALEKS Final Assessment                                          90 points---- 10.00%
                  Attendance                                                                  85 points----- 9.44%
                  Homework (scaled as needed)                                    90 points---- 10.00%
                  Quizzes (10 @ 15 points each, drop lowest)            135 points---- 15.00%
                  Midterms (3 @ 100 points)                                       300 points---- 33.33%
                  Final                                                                          200 points---- 22.22%
                                                                                                    --------------

                                                                                                     900 points total

Grades:  A = 90% (810 pts), B = 80% (720 pts), C = 70% (630 pts), D = 60% (540 pts)

ALEKS:         A significant portion of your grade will depend on your mastery of prerequisite material in the form of ALEKS assessments. You should have purchased an ALEKS access code from the WSU bookstore. The first time you log in, you will be forced to take an initial assessment. NO CALCULATORS ALLOWED during ALEKS (unless it provides one for you on screen). You must complete the initial assessment by Tuesday, May 8th. Afterwards, ALEKS will help you review topics in which you need improvement. The Final Assessment for ALEKS will be on Thursday, May 10th (in class). Make sure to bring your laptop to class on that day. The course code for this class is M3M6R-LJQ4F. See the ALEKS handout for more information.

Attendance:   Since this summer course will be delivered over a short period of time, it is crucial that you make it to class every day. An attendance sheet will be passed around each day. You are to legibly sign your name (and only your name) on the sheet. It is your responsibility to make sure you sign the sheet.

Homework:    Homework will be assigned daily, even if not specifically mentioned in class (see list of problems in the schedule below). Each class will start with a “Homework Session” on the corresponding material. During a Homework Session, students will be randomly selected to put solutions to assigned problems on the board. The grading rubric will be as follows:

·         If the student has a solution to their given problem, they get 4 points, even if what they write on the board is wrong. However, they must write a solution that can be followed without explanation, not just the answer. In essence, all the student has to do is copy down the solution they've already worked out in their homework to the board.

·         If the student doesn't have the problem given to them, they can put up any other problem from that week that hasn't already gone up on the board for 3 points.

·         If the student is present but unprepared, they get 1 point.

·         If the student is absent, they get 0 points.

If one question gets passed on by 3 students in a row, a volunteer will be asked to put up the solution. This student will be awarded 5 points. The entire homework portion of your grade is based on these sessions.

Quizzes:    After the Homework Session there will be a quiz over that material. Each quiz will count for 15 points and the lowest quiz score will be dropped from your grade.

Exams:     There will be three in-class exams and one comprehensive final exam, see schedule below. The final exam is Friday, May 25 at 8:00am.

Extra Credit: Frequently quizzes and exams will contain bonus problems where students will have the chance to earn extra credit points.

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:      Besides seeing the instructor, a math tutor is available Monday – Thursday, Noon – 3pm in GI135. His name is Josh and he’d love to help you.

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)

 

Class Period

8:00am – 8:50am

8:55am – 9:40am

9:45am – 10:30am

10:35am – 11:20am

Monday
5/7

Introductions
ALEKS Set-up

Review Chapters 1 & 2

3.1
Quadratic Functions and Models
HW (3.1): 10, 14, 20, 44, 48

3.2
Polynomial Functions and Their Graphs
HW (3.2): 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 30, 32

Tuesday
5/8

Homework Session

Quiz
3.3
Dividing Polynomials

HW (3.3): 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 20, 26, 30, 60, 64

3.4
Real Zeros of Polynomials
HW (3.4): 6, 10, 12, 16, 18, 22, 30, 50, 54, 58, 62

3.5
Complex Numbers
3.6
The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
HW (3.5): 16, 20, 26, 34, 40, 46, 62, 68

Wednesday
5/9

Homework Session

Quiz
3.6, cont.
HW (3.6): 6, 10, 14, 38, 42, 46, 50

3.7
Rational Functions
HW (3.7): 12, 16, 24, 28, 44, 48, 54, 66, 68

4.1
Exponential Functions

Thursday
5/10

Homework Session

Quiz
4.2
The Natural Exponential Function
HW (4.1): 20, 22, 28, 34, 36
HW (4.2): 8, 12, 14

4.3
Logarithmic Functions
HW (4.3): 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 22, 28, 30, 32, 34, 56, 60, 66

BRING YOUR LAPTOPS!

ALEKS Final Assessment

Friday
5/11

Homework Session

Quiz
Exam I Review

EXAM I

Monday
5/14

4.4
Laws of Logarithms
HW (4.4): 8, 12, 14, 24, 28, 32, 36, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 58, 62, 66

4.5
Exponential and Logarithmic Equations
HW (4.5): 6, 8, 18, 22, 24, 26, 30, 36, 42, 46, 48, 50, 58

4.6
Modeling with Exponential
and Logarithmic Functions
HW (4.6): 2, 6, 12, 26

12.1
Sequence and Summation Notation

Tuesday
5/15

Homework Session

Quiz
12.1, cont
HW (12.1): 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 26, 32, 34, 38, 40, 44, 48, 58, 62, 66

12.2
Arithmetic Sequences
HW (12.2): 6, 8, 10, 16, 18, 30, 32, 38, 40, 46, 50, 54, 60

12.3
Geometric Sequences
HW (12.3): 6, 10, 16, 18, 30, 34, 38, 42, 44, 48, 54, 56, 62, 64

Wednesday
5/16

Homework Session

Homework Session, cont.

Quiz

5.1 & 6.1
Unit Circle and Angle Measure
HW (5.1): 10, 14, 26, 28, 30, 42, 44
HW (6.1): 4, 10, 16, 23, 30, 36, 42, 46

6.2, 5.2, 6.3
Right Triangles and Trig Functions
HW (6.2): 4, 8, 10, 14, 18, 20, 22, 34, 36, 44
HW (5.2): 6, 10, 12, 18, 34, 36, 66, 68
HW (6.3): 20, 26, 34, 40, 42, 48

Thursday
5/17

Homework Session

Quiz
Exam II Review

EXAM II

Friday
5/18

5.3
Trig Graphs
5.4
More Trig Graphs
HW (5.3): 6, 8, 14, 24, 28, 36, 40, 44, 46, 48, 50
HW (5.4): None

5.6
Modeling Harmonic Motion
HW (5.6): 8, 14, 18, 30, 38

5.5 & 6.4
Inverse Trig Functions
HW (5.5): 4, 6, 28, 42
HW (6.4): 4, 16, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36

6.5 & 6.6
Law of Sines and Law of Cosines
HW (6.5): 10, 14, 20, 36
HW (6.6): 8, 10, 14, 16, 22, 28, 44, 50

Monday
5/21

Homework Session

Quiz
7.1 Trig Identities
HW (7.1): 18, 20, 34, 38, 40, 46, 52, 66

7.2 & 7.3
Addition and Subtraction Formulas
Double-Angle and Half-Angle Formulas
HW (7.2): 6, 12, 14, 26, 32, 36, 40, 44, 50

HW (7.3): 4, 8, 20, 24, 32, 38, 42, 46, 48, 52, 74, 76

7.4
Basic Trig Equations
7.5
More Trig Equations

HW (7.4): 6, 14, 20, 32, 38, 40, 42
HW (7.5): 4, 10, 20, 24, 48

Tuesday
5/22

Homework Session

Quiz
8.1
Polar Points
HW (8.1): 28, 30, 32, 38, 40, 48, 54, 58, 64

Modified From Text: Read This pdf
Complex Numbers in Polar Form
Euler’s Formula
Roots of Complex Numbers
DeMoivre’s Theorem
HW: All the exercises at the end of pdf document.

Wednesday
5/23

Homework Session

Quiz
Exam III Review

EXAM III

 

Thursday
5/24

Exam I Solutions

Exam II Solutions

Exam III Solutions

Sample Final Exam

 

 

Final Exam: Friday, May 25, 8:00am.

 

 

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.” If you have difficulty with the subject, please see the instructor during office hours.

 

#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. If you still don’t understand the material, make an appointment with your instructor for help and come with specific questions about the lecture and/or material in the book.

 

#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. If you don’t understand why you solve a problem in a particular way, make an appointment with your instructor for help.

 

#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!

 

 

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, 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. 

 

Campus Resources (Short version):

 

Campus Resources (Long version):

 

The Standard Disclaimer applies.