: Intermediate Algebra in Context Syllabus Spring Quarter 2016 Daily, 9:20 10:30am Instructor: Lauri Lindberg Office Hours@ tutoring: Tutoring Center (CAS-504) 8 9am & 1 2pm daily STEM (Math) Center (RAI-338) Noon 1pm MW Tutoring Center (CAS-504) Noon-1pm Tu, Th, Fri email: LLindberg@pierce.ctc.edu Course Description: This course integrates numeracy, proportional reasoning, algebraic skills, and functional reasoning. Students will represent quantitative relationships in multiple ways in order to solve problems from a variety of authentic contexts. Linear and exponential functions, along with logarithms and radicals, will be studied and applied. Modeling and interpreting quantitative data is emphasized. Course Content: A. Numeracy B. Proportional Reasoning C. Algebraic Skills and Reasoning D. Functional Reasoning E. Realistic applications from relevant themes including finance, health and medicine, citizenship, and the physical world. Classroom Environment: The nature of this course is such that student s quantitative, algebraic, and critical thinking skills and knowledge will be enhanced through the mathematic content of the lessons, the collaborative interaction among the students, as well as the interaction between the students and the instructor. These lessons require us to work mostly in small groups but at times we will work individually, discuss together as the whole class, or participate in a short lecture. Text: There is no required textbook for this course. Instead, there is a packet of lessons developed by Quantway and adapted by the Pierce College Math Department. This packet of student materials is available in the bookstore and online in the WAMAP program for this class. You will need to be prepared for each class with a printed copy of the day s lesson(s). Calculator: A scientific calculator is needed for this course. The calculator on your phone is NOT an acceptable substitute during a test. Assessment: Your grade for the class is assessed in the following categories according to the given percentages: Homework 15% Student Engagement 15% Module Tests (4) 50% Comprehensive Final 20%
Page 2 Homework: The homework is online at www.wamap.org. Ask the instructor for the course ID and enrollment key. Due dates for each assignment are listed on the calendar in WAMAP. Your homework assignments consist of two types. HW, which stands for Homework. These assignments are to practice skills, complete the learning, and reinforce the material in the lesson. You have about two days after the lesson to complete these assignments. There are up to five attempts on each problem. A correct answer on any of the first three tries earns you full credit. You lose 10% per attempt after that. The answer is shown after the fifth attempt. Prep, which stands for Preparing for the Lesson. These assignments have concepts to recall and practice to be ready for the lesson. Prep assignments are available from the first day of the module but due by the start of class on the day of the lesson. There are two attempts and no penalty for each problem. You can then Try another similar question to start over with new numbers. Student Engagement: The student engagement grade will be generated by the students participation in the class including attendance, quizzes, and occasional class activities. Attendance: Attendance is vital to success in the class. You need to come to every class, be on time, and stay for the whole class to fully participate in the learning. Your group depends on your contributions. Summary information will only be available on the board during class. You miss a great deal of opportunities to learn if you do not attend class regularly and on time. Attendance will be taken daily, sometimes more than once. Quizzes: Quizzes are usually unannounced but will be short (two to five questions) and completed in about 5 minutes. There are NO make-ups for quizzes. Class Activities for Engagement Points: A survey (or BINGO) can earn participation points. A lesson may have a worksheet whose score in entered in the engagement part of the grade. Other activities may qualify. These opportunities CAN be made up (for half credit) but will need to be requested from the instructor. Module Tests: This course is arranged into four modules. You will have a test at the completion of each module. Test questions are similar to the questions in the lessons and in the homework assignments. You will need to be here on test days because tests CANNOT be made up. The only exception to this is by PRIOR arrangement. These four test days are listed on the calendar in WAMAP and on the schedule that follows. Comprehensive Final: The final test will have questions using skills from all of the modules in the course. It will take place in the usual classroom at the day and time listed on the schedule that follows and on the calendar in WAMAP. There is no make-up for a missed final test.
Page 3 Grading Scale: The scale below shows how letter grades, percentages, and decimal grades are related. A grade of 2.0 is 75% in this class. 94-100 % 3.9-4.0 A 90-93 3.5-3.8 A 87-89 3.2-3.4 B+ 84-86 2.9-3.1 B 80-83 2.5-2.8 B 77-79 2.2-2.4 C+ 74-76 1.9-2.1 C 70-73 1.5-1.8 C 67-69 1.2-1.4 D+ 65-66 1.0-1.1 D Below 65 % 0.0 F Passing Grade: You must earn a grade of 2.0 or better (75% or better) to register in the next math course if this course is the prerequisite. You must earn a grade of 1.0 or better to "pass" (as in "not fail") the course and receive the credits. Math classes that have as the prerequisite include Math& 107 Math in Society, Math& 131 Math for Elementary Education 1, Math& 146 Introduction to Statistics, and Math 98 Intermediate Algebra for Precalculus. Which class you take next depends on your educational and vocational goals. Discuss this with your advisor. Academic Dishonesty: If you use another person's ideas, words, music, artwork, computations, models, etc., in such a manner as to imply that the thing used was your own; or if you use notes, texts or memory aids during tests when such use was not expressly authorized; or if you steal or knowingly use test master copies to gain information prior to an examination date; or knowingly allow another person to use your work as if it were that other person's work; or otherwise act in such a manner as to gain for yourself or another an unfair advantage over other students, you may face disciplinary actions as stated in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy/Code of Conduct. Emergency Procedures for Classrooms: Call 911 and then Campus Safety in response to an imminent threat to persons or property. In the event of an evacuation (intermittent horns & strobes), gather all personal belongings and leave the building using the nearest available safe exit. Be prepared to be outside for one hour and stay a minimum of 200 feet from any building or structure. So long as it is safe to do so students are expected to stay on campus and return to class after evacuations that last less then 15 minutes. Do not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed by an Evacuation Director (identified by orange vests) or by three horn blasts or bell rings. Please notify the nearest Campus Safety Officer or Evacuation Director of any one left in the building or in need of assistance. The phone number for Fort Steilacoom Campus Safety is (253) 964-6751.
Page 4 Access and Disability Services: Your experience in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of Pierce College to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you experience barriers based on disability, please seek a meeting with the Access and Disability Services (ADS) manager to discuss and address them. If you have already established accommodations with the ADS manager, please bring your approved accommodations (green sheet) to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. ADS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you and the ADS manager, and I am available to help facilitate them in this class. If you have not yet established services through ADS, but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not be limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are encouraged to contact ADS at 253-964-6526 (Fort Steilacoom) or 253-840-8335 (Puyallup). Group Norms: As a class, we often work in group situations. To foster the best environment for learning, our behaviors should follow the guidelines below: - Respect each other s ideas. - Everyone contributes. - Be supportive. - Ask questions. - Don t be afraid to try answers. (They might be right!) - Struggling is good! (It means we re learning.) Strategies for Success: Attend class. Keep up with the homework. Ask questions. Help one another. Attend SI (Supplemental Instruction) sessions and/or office hours (if available). See the instructor during office hours. Visit the Tutoring Center (CAS-504). Sign up for appointment tutoring. This course will be challenging. It won t be perfect. It will get better. We will all learn a lot. It will be worth it. --- Amy Getz Lead developer of Quantway program
Page 5 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays April 4 Syllabus April 5 1.1 April 6 1.2 April 7 1.3 April 8 1.3 April 11 1.4 April 12 1.5 April 13 1.5 April 14 1.6 April 15 1.7 April 18 1.7 April 19 1.8 April 20 1.9 April 21 April 22 Module 1 Test April 25 2.1 April 26 2.2 April 27 2.3 April 28 2.4 April 29 2.5 May 2 2.6 May 3 2.7 May 4 2.8 May 5 2.9 May 6 May 9 2.10 May 10 May 11 Module 2 Test May 12 3.1 May 13 3.2 May 16 3.3 May 17 3.4 May 18 3.5 May 19 3.6 May 20 3.7 L.D.T.W. May 23 May 24 Module 3 Test May 25 4.1 May 26 4.2 May 27 4.2 May 30 May 31 4.3 June 1 4.4 June 2 4.5 June 3 4.5 June 6 4.6 June 7 4.7 June 8 4.7 June 9 June 10 Module 4 Test June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 Final Test 8 10am June 17
Page 6 Student Outcomes: Numeracy 1. Demonstrate operation sense by communicating in words and symbols the effects of operations on numbers. Apply the correct order of operations in evaluating expressions and formulas. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the magnitude of real numbers represented in many forms (fractions, decimals, scientific notation, square roots of numbers) by ordering and comparing them in mathematical and real-world contexts. 3. Estimate results in appropriate contexts, using appropriate precision; use estimation to detect errors and evaluate the reasonableness of answers. 4. Use dimensional analysis to convert units, rates, and ratios from any given units to other units. Include conversions among and between U.S. and metric units using a variety of metric prefixes. 5. Demonstrate measurement sense by determining the sizes of objects and angles using measurements and estimation. Determine perimeter, area, surface area, and volume using appropriate units in both the U.S. and metric systems. 6. Demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the distribution of data and various mathematical summaries of data (measures of central tendency and of variation). 7. Read, interpret, and make decisions based upon data from tables and graphical displays such as line graphs, bar graphs, scatterplots, pie charts, and histograms. Given data, choose an appropriate type of graphical display and create it using scales appropriate to the application. Proportional Reasoning 8. Recognize a proportional relationship from verbal, numeric, and visual representations. Link and create verbal, numeric, visual and symbolic representations of the relationship. 9. Compare proportional relationships represented in different ways, considering units when doing so. 10. Apply quantitative reasoning strategies to solve real-world problems with proportional relationships using whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents as appropriate. Algebraic Skills and Reasoning 11. Distinguish between variables and constants. Represent real-world problem situations using variables and constants. Construct equations to represent relationships between unknown quantities. 12. Simplify algebraic expressions by using the distributive property, combining like terms, and factoring out a greatest common factor. 13. Evaluate formulas with multiple variables in a variety of contexts, including science, statistics, geometry, and financial math. Solve simple formulas for a specified variable. 14. Distinguish between expressions and equations and apply appropriate methods to each. 15. Solve linear equations in one variable, including problems involving the distributive property and fractions.
Page 7 Algebraic Skills and Reasoning, cont. 16. Construct inequalities to represent relationships, solve simple and compound inequalities in one variable, represent solutions using interval notation, and interpret solutions in the context of the situation. 17. Use basic exponent rules to simplify expressions, including those with negative exponents. 18. Solve basic power equations of the form x^n = b using radicals. 19. Use the Pythagorean Theorem when appropriate in problem situations. Functional Reasoning 20. Translate problems from a variety of contexts into mathematical representation and vice versa (linear, exponential, simple quadratics). 21. Describe the behavior of common types of functions using words, algebraic symbols, graphs, and tables. Include descriptions of the dependent and independent variables. 22. Identify when a linear model is reasonable for a given situation and, when appropriate, formulate a linear model. In the context of the situation interpret the slope and intercepts and determine the reasonable domain and range. 23. Determine the exponential function for a situation when given an initial value and either the growth/decay rate or a second function value. Interpret the initial value and growth rate of an exponential function. Include compound interest as one application. 24. Translate exponential statements to equivalent logarithmic statements, interpret logarithmic scales, and use logarithms to solve basic exponential equations. 25. Use functional models to make predictions and solve problems. General Skills 26. Extract relevant information from complex scenarios. Obtain any necessary additional information from outside sources. Synthesize the information in order to solve problems and make decisions. 27. Identify which mathematical skills to use and then apply them in diverse scenarios and contexts. 28. Clearly communicate solution processes. Write solutions in the context of the problem in complete sentences, including units. Use mathematical notation and vocabulary correctly. 29. Use technology appropriately including calculators and computers.