Jones College Prep MATH 4 Course Description 2012 2013 Syllabus Instructor: Mrs. Moriarty Class Periods: 1,2,6,8 Rooms: 502, 505 Phone: 773-534-8600 x26109 E-mail: kbmoriarty@cps.edu INTRODUCTION: Welcome to another exciting new year at Jones College Prep! This course will help to prepare your child for successful experiences in Calculus and beyond as they continue with their advanced math education while building on their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking, the school s targeted instructional area, is the well-reasoned problem solving process where one examines evidence and decides what to believe, communicate, or do. If you have concerns or questions for me, at any time, please do not hesitate to come to me with them. I am here to help you learn, and I am available before or after school to help you. I look forward to a challenging and enjoyable school year! COURSE DESCRIPTION: The purpose of the course is to solve higher order equations while examining elementary functions and developing problem-solving techniques. Students continue to solve problems related to real-life situations, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, and trigonometry. Students use advanced functions of graphing calculators and computer software. Jones College Prep s goal is to provide mathematics needed to succeed in this changing world. We want to present mathematics in a manner that reflects how mathematics is used and reflects the different ways people work and learn together. The IMP curriculum is Problem-centered Integrated More rigorous than the traditional scope of high school mathematics Focused on developing understanding Rooted in long-term open-ended investigations Accessible to students from various mathematical backgrounds in heterogeneous classrooms TEXTS: Key Curriculum Press. Interactive Mathematics Program Year 4. Fendel and Resek, (2000). Addison Wesley Longman. PreCalculus: Functions and Graphs. Demana, Waits, Foley & Kennedy, (2001). STUDENT S REQUIRED SUPPLIES: 1. TI-83 or TI-84 graphing calculator 2. Notebook and/or binder to be used exclusively for this class 3. Pencils 4. Notebook paper 5. Graph paper CLASSROOM POLICIES: 1. You are expected to be IN your seat when the bell rings, NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Pencils should be sharpened ahead of time. You will be marked tardy if you are not sitting when the bell rings. Each tardy is a detention. 2. You are expected to come prepared to class everyday with all necessary materials. You are expected to use the entire class time for learning math. Do not pack up early or you will not be dismissed. 3. You are expected to participate in group work. You are expected to engage in class discussions. Ask questions, present ideas to the class, and actively listen. 4. You are expected to RESPECT yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and your school. This includes respecting the rights and properties of others.
5. No food, candy, or drinks (other than water) are allowed. If you bring them to class they will be thrown away immediately and without warning and you will earn 1 detention. 6. Cell phones and other electronic devices are also not allowed. If I see it, I will take it and you will receive up to 5 detentions. If I see or hear a phone during a test or quiz, you will receive a zero. 7. You are expected to be a responsible student and do your best to succeed in this class. **Note: The textbook is issued by Jones. Loss of the book requires payment for a replacement fee. STUDENT EVALUATION: Classwork Performance Homework Projects Quizzes Unit and Chapter Tests Semester Final 10% of each semester grade 10% of each semester grade 15% of each semester grade 20% of each semester grade 25% of each semester grade 20% of each semester grade GRADING SCALE: A: 92-100 B: 83-91 C: 74-82 D: 65-73 F: 0-64 GRADING POLICY: Criteria (subject to change per assignment) Score % Assignment/problem is completed correctly. Where appropriate, a detailed and well-communicated 4 100 explanation/description demonstrates evidence that the assignment s/problem s concepts have been thoroughly mastered. Assignment/problem is completed with minor errors. Where appropriate, the explanation/description 3 / 3.5 85 / 90 demonstrates evidence that the assignment s/problem s concepts have been adequately mastered. (i.e. the main idea is communicated, but not explained clearly) Assignment/problem is completed with major and minor errors. Where appropriate, a limited 2 / 2.5 75 / 80 explanation/description demonstrates partial evidence that the assignment s/problem s concepts have been adequately mastered. (i.e. the main idea is not communicated well) Assignment/problem is incomplete. Where appropriate, the explanation/description demonstrates 1 / 1.5 55 / 65 evidence of limited understanding of the assignment s/problem s concepts. (i.e. the main idea is poorly communicated or incorrect) Assignment/problem is attempted. There is no evidence of understanding the assignment s/problem s 0.5 30 concepts. Assignment/problem is not attempted. There is no evidence of understanding the assignment s/problem s concepts. 0 0 CHEATING POLICY: A Jones College Prep High School Student does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate the behavior of those who do. Academic dishonesty of any kind is detrimental to the educational progress of all students and will not be tolerated. Depending upon the seriousness of the offense, the student may earn zero points for the assignment up to failing the entire semester. Definitions and consequences are outlined in detail in the student handbook. HOMEWORK: Homework will be assigned every day, and will be checked at the beginning of the next class unless otherwise noted. It is a vital element of the curriculum. If you cannot arrive at a solution to the homework problems, you should come before/after school to work with me or another teacher and complete the assignment. If you fail to complete the assignment, then you will receive zero homework points for that day. Students usually wait for a poor grade on a quiz or test before seeking the corrective action they need, which can result in several days of frustration, as well as unnecessary lost points towards the final grade. It is imperative that students seek corrective action as soon as possible.
MAKE-UP WORK POLICY: No late homework will be accepted unless of an excused absence. Projects are due at the beginning of the class on the due date. Points will be deducted for any projects that are turned in late. When a student is out for an absence, it is the student s responsibility to acquire all missed assignments and to make arrangements to makeup missed quizzes and/or tests within one school day. If a student is absent the day before a quiz/test, he/she is expected to take it with the rest of the class if he/she returns the next day. Missed quizzes, tests, and assignments that are not made up in a timely manner (usually one school day), will receive a grade of zero. CLASS TOPICS SCHEDULE: (Schedule subject to change) Semester 1 Semester 2 The World of Functions Chapter P Chapter 1 Chapter 2 High Dive Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 CLASS TOPICS DESCRIPTION: Key Curriculum Press Unit by Unit Summary of the IMP Curriculum 1997 http://www.mathimp.org/curriculum/appendixa.html The World of Functions This unit builds on students' extensive previous work with functions. They explore some basic families of functions (linear, quadratic, polynomials, exponential, sine, logarithmic, reciprocal, rational, and power functions) in terms of various representations of their tables, their graphs, their algebraic representation, and various situations they can be used to model. Students use functions to understand a variety of problem situations. They see that finding an appropriate function to model a situation sometimes involves recognizing a pattern in the data and at other times requires insight into the situation itself. Then students explore ways of combining functions, in various representations, using arithmetic operations and composition. They conclude the unit by returning to the central problem in the Year 3 unit Small World, Isn't It? Then they use their new knowledge to find a function that fits the data better than the simple exponential ones they used in the third year. High Dive The central problem of this unit involves a circus act in which a diver will fall from a turning Ferris wheel into a tub of water that is on a moving cart. The students' task is to determine when the diver should be released from the Ferris wheel in order to land in the moving tub of water. The geometry of the Ferris wheel generates the need to express the diver's position in terms of the angle through which the Ferris wheel has turned. Students are led to extend right-triangle trigonometric functions to the circular functions. They learn about the graphs of the sine and cosine functions and apply them both to geometric situations and to other contexts. In particular, they see how the graph of a sine function changes as various parameters such as period and amplitude are changed. Students then study the physics of falling objects and develop an algebraic expression for the time of the diver's fall in terms of his position. They also have to take into account the diver's initial velocity, which is imparted by the movement of the Ferris wheel itself. Therefore, they must learn how to analyze the diver's motion in terms of its vertical and horizontal components. Chapter P This chapter contains sections on solving equations and inequalities graphically and algebraically. This section will help students review, sharpen, and hone their algebra skills.
Chapter 1 The basic functions are presented early in this chapter, enabling students to work with a richer variety of functions when learning the basic concepts a benefit of graphing technology that gives coherence to the rest of the course. The idea of the limit is introduced conceptually along with limit notation to help describe end behavior and asymptotes. Graphical, algebraic, and numerical modeling with functions is emphasized from the beginning. Chapter 2 This chapter covers polynomial, rational, and power functions. The treatment of rational functions has been streamlined, but coverage of power functions has been extended. We introduce the average rate of change of a function to show how the rate of change of a linear function can be related to slope. Students will encounter average rate of change again in calculus, and its inclusion in this chapter allows for the investigation of more interesting applications and models. Chapter 3 This chapter includes mathematical modeling, as well as logistic functions and the natural base e, and also addresses the concept of orders of magnitude. Chapter 4 In this chapter we introduce the trigonometric functions using balanced algebraic and graphical approaches. This allows the students to better understand how the functions behave. Chapter 5 This is the second of the trigonometric chapters. Here we use trigonometric identities to teach mathematical proof. We also use word ladders to illustrate the strategy for proving an identity. The inclusion of more explorations allows students to discover trigonometric relationships rather than just memorize them. TIPS FOR SUCCESS: 1. Take notes every day, and keep them in a neat and orderly fashion. 2. Read the textbook. 3. Come see me as soon as you begin having trouble. The material that we are covering will build upon itself as the year progresses, so if you are confused in the beginning and you do not clear it up, your confusion will only grow. 4. Make friends with other students in the class, and form study groups. 5. Participate in class, with your groups and with the whole class. Your involvement in class is essential to your success and the success of your peers. We all have strengths to share and it is important that everyone can work together in positive, cooperative groups. Nothing makes us happier than hearing students question each other and then work through an explanation! Please be open to sharing ideas, questioning yourself and others, and making mistakes. This is what real mathematicians do!
Dear Parents or Guardians: I am looking forward to having your son/daughter in my class this year. The attached syllabus consists of class information, requirements and expectations. Please take a moment to review the information provided. If you have any questions about the syllabus, or anything concerning the class or your child, please feel free to contact me at any time. Email is the fastest form of communication for me, but you may also reach me through voicemail. If you wish to have a parent/teacher conference, please contact me to make an appointment. I look forward to a productive year. Sincerely, Mrs. Kathleen Moriarty kbmoriarty@cps.edu 773-534-8600 ext. 26109 Please fill in the following information and return this page of the syllabus. Student Information Name: Period: Grade: Last year s math class and teacher: Parent/Guardian Information Name: Cell phone: Work phone: Home phone : Email: Preferred method of contact (please circle): cell work home email Comments/Concerns: Please sign below indicating that you have read and understand Mrs. Moriarty s expectations. Student signature: Parent/Guardian signature:
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