Mt. San Jacinto College Fall, 2008 Syllabus Mathematics 96A Intermediate Algebra part A Section 1287 Room 1250C 8:00 9:20 am Instructor: Office: Theresa Hert SJC Library room 311 near the Math Center Office Hours: T Th 9:30-10:50 am Phone Number: (951) 487 3751 Text: Intermediate Algebra by Wright, 5 th edition Hawkes Publishing Required materials: TI 30 XIIS scientific calculator with 2-line display e-mail: thert@msjc.edu Web site: www.msjc.edu/math/thert Blackboard: https://my.msjc.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp To access course documents and the Self-Review, you will need to go to the MSJC Blackboard web site. Logging in requires knowing your username and password. Your username is your first initial of your first name, followed by your last name in all lower case letters and followed by the last three numbers of your student identification, e.g. John Doe with a student identification number of 08257891 would be jdoe891. Your initial password is the (mmddyy) of your birthdate, e.g. someone born on February 26, 1977 would have the password 022677.
Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to do the following: 1. Distinguish between the sets of natural, whole, integer, rational, real and complex numbers; 2. Solve absolute value equations; 3. Solve applications; 4. Solve absolute value inequalities of the form ax + b > n; 5. Factor polynomials of the form u 3 + v 3 and u 3 v 3 where u = ax + b and v = cx + d; 6. Simplify expressions containing integer exponents; 7. Evaluate function notation and utilize the Vertical Line Test; 8. Determine the domain and range of a function given its graph; 9. Solve a system of three equations in three variables; 2
Attendance Policy You may be dropped after missing the equivalent of two full class meetings. If you arrive to class late, you may be considered absent for one-half (1/2) of a full class meeting. If you leave before the instructor has dismissed the class, you may be considered absent for one-half (1/2) of one full class meeting. If you know ahead of time that you will be late for a class or must leave a class early, please notify the instructor before doing so. Please sit near an exit if you must leave early. The purpose of the attendance policy is to help reduce disruptions to the learning environment. Students who arrive to a class hour late or leave one early create distractions for both the instructor and fellow students. By removing those students who would otherwise enter class late or leave class early, enforcement of the attendance policy will help ensure a classroom environment suitable for the successful study of mathematics. Drop Dates The last day to drop a full-term course without a "W" grade issued is September 5, 2007. The last day to drop a full-term course with a "W" grade issued is November 21, 2007. While the attendance policy permits the instructor to drop a student (before November 21), it is the student's responsibility to drop a course if he or she no longer wishes to be enrolled in that course. Contact Enrollment Services if you wish to obtain an add/drop slip. Course Repetition The college is not only allowed to let students enroll in a class in which the student has received 2 substandard grades (D or F). Also students are restricted from enrolling in a class if they have already taken the class 3 times. Therefore, it is very important that you realize that if you do not pass this class, you will only have at most two more attempts to take it. Learning math online is extremely difficult. There is no easy way through math, and because math is a sequential subject, it is important for you to learn the material to be prepared for the next class. Accessibility Mt. San Jacinto College abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits federal and state agencies or programs from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a documented disability that limits major life activity which may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please notify the Disabled Students Program and Services. DSPS is located in room 1100. You may call 487-3305 to verify your disability and arrange for accommodations. 3
Classroom Behavior As a courtesy to fellow students as well as the instructor, you should remain quiet during class time unless you are asking the instructor a question or answering a question posed by the instructor. If you are disrupting the class, you will be given only one warning. If you disrupt the class again, you will be excused from class for the remainder of the day. You will be marked absent for that entire class meeting. As is the case with the attendance policy, the purpose of the classroom behavior policy is to help reduce disruptions to the classroom environment. Classroom disruptions include, but are not limited to, speaking to anyone other than the instructor during class time and interrupting the instructor or a fellow student while that individual is speaking. You should turn off cellular phones and pagers before class begins. Your Course Grade The scores you earn on a self-review, ten (10) homework assignments, thirty (30) in-class assignments, four (4) tests and a final examination will determine your course grade. The points possible for each of these items are as follows: Item Points Possible Tests 400 Final Examination 225 Self-Review 10 In-Class Assignments 50 Homework 100 Total 785 Course grades will be determined utilizing the following scale: Course Grade Points Earned Percentage(s) A 706-785 90-100 B 628 705.9 80 89.9 C 549 627.9 70 79.9 D 471 548.9 60 69.9 F 0-470 0 59.9 You can access your grades within the Blackboard environment. Click on tool and then click on My Grades. 4
Tests and Final Exam There will be four one-hour tests and a two-hour final examination. The four tests and final examination will be written examinations consisting primarily of exercises comparable in difficulty to those included in the homework assignment list. You must show all your work to a solution to receive full credit for that exercise. Partial credit will be given for a partial solution. The final examination will be comprehensive. You may use a calculator when taking tests and the final examination. However, you are not allowed to share a calculator during an exam. If your calculator stops working during an exam, please notify the instructor. You may not use books or notes when taking any examination. If you take all four tests, and 44% of your final examination is greater than your lowest test score, your lowest test score will be replaced by the percentage you earn on your final examination. It is the instructor s intent to provide complete solutions when graded tests are returned. When this occurs, it is important to compare your answers with those of the solutions immediately. If you have questions regarding your test score or the way a particular solution was graded, you must ask the instructor before leaving the classroom. Once you have left the classroom, the test score is permanent. Make sure to save your tests and the solutions so that you can use them to study for the comprehensive final examination. If you miss class the day a test is given, you have until the beginning of the next class meeting to take the test in the Learning Center. This option should only be used if you cannot make it to class on the day, which the test is given. You are allowed to use this opportunity only twice in one semester. If you need to take a test early, please notify the instructor one week in advance. If you miss a test If you miss a test, the score for that test will equal 44% of your final examination score. If you miss a test, you will be considered absent for one (full) class meeting. If you miss another test If you miss two tests, the score for the first test missed will be replaced by the percentage you earn on your final examination. If you have scored at least 70% on at least one test, you will be offered a make-up test for the second missed test. If you have yet to score 70% or better on a test, you will score zero points for the second missed test. If you miss two tests, you will be considered absent for two (full) class meetings. Per the attendance policy, the instructor may drop you from the class. 5
If you miss the final examination If you do not take the final examination, you probably won't earn a grade better than "D" for the course. Therefore, if you miss the final examination, you should contact enrollment services to obtain an incomplete grade application form and arrange to meet with the instructor as soon as possible. It is the student's responsibility to initiate the process to apply for an incomplete grade. Cheating If you are caught cheating on a test or on the final examination, you will receive a score of zero points for that examination and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. Examination Schedule Test Day and Date 1 Thursday, September 11 2 Thursday, October 9 3 Thursday, November 6 4 Thursday, December 4 Final Exam Tuesday, December 16 (?) Self-Review This assignment is worth ten points, regardless of the number of correct answers. It is the instructor s intent to allow you to demonstrate that you have the skills needed for this algebra course, the second course within the algebra sequence: Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra and College Algebra. If you have a difficult time remembering how to do certain types of problems, you should seek additional help through the Math Center, located inside the Student Success Center which is inside the Library, as soon as possible. In-Class Assignments At the end of most lectures, the students will be given a few problems to do. It is the intent of this instructor to give her students the opportunity to demonstrate that they understood and could apply the new concepts discussed in class that day. Students will work together in groups comprised of no more than 5 students. If a student is absent, he/she will not be able to make up the assignment. A completed assignment with correct solutions is worth 2 points, incomplete assignments and/or assignments with incorrect solutions will only be worth 1 point. 6
Homework The homework assignment list is attached. Note that homework is assigned each class meeting, unless there is a review or a test. Your understanding of the day's concepts and vocabulary, as well as your recollection of the steps necessary to successfully complete the related homework exercises, will probably decrease with time. Therefore, it is important to do the homework assigned for a class meeting as soon after that class meeting as possible. You should always check your solutions with the answers that are provided in the back of your book. To be successful in this class, you must pass the examinations. To prepare for an examination, you should complete your homework in a timely fashion and review those problems associated with the material over which you will be tested. So that you can complete your homework, you should come to class prepared. To prepare for each class meeting, you should study the examples and memorize the definitions and theorems in the text section(s) to be covered that day. This will prepare you to contribute to the class discussion. Specifically, if after memorizing the definitions and theorems you cannot understand the solutions to example exercises in the text, you will be better prepared to ask meaningful questions when the instructor solves similar exercises in class. Then, you should have a better understanding of how to do your homework. Remember, no matter how simple an exercise solution appears as your instructor presents it in class, you won't have an accurate estimate of the mathematics you can do yourself until you try the homework! The homework assignment list represents the minimum homework you should complete as you study the course material. Depending on your mathematics background and the concept in question, you may need to do additional problems. Please see the instructor, in class or during an office hour, if you feel you need to attempt even numbered problems so that you can verify that the answers to those problems are correct or if you have any other course-related questions. If you find yourself struggling to complete a homework assignment before the next class meeting, you are encouraged to contact the instructor during an office hour for extra help. You may also wish to employ a tutor, either privately or through the Student Success Center on campus, form a study group with students in your class, or use the walk-in tutoring available in the Math Center, which is located in the Student Success Center in the Library. Since test problem instructions will be very similar to those of the exercises in the homework assignment list, doing all your homework is the best way to prepare for an examination. In particular, to ensure that you will understand test problem instructions, you should work exercises in the text until you are confident that you understand how to successfully complete exercises with those instructions without the aid of the textbook, your notes or another person. Similar-looking problems with different instructions typically have different answers! There will be a total of ten (10) required homework assignments. Each homework assignment is worth 10 points. Incomplete assignments will receive fewer points. You must show your work, complete the assignment and have accurate answers to receive full credit. I will be collecting 11 homework assignments; the last assignment is worth up to 10 extra credit points. Late homework will be accepted for half credit, but it must be turned in on or before taking the test covering those assignments. 7
Dates and Assignments that will be collected 1 Thursday, August 28 Homework sections 1.3, 1.1 2 Thursday, September 4 Homework sections 1.6 (up to problem 49), 1.4 3 Thursday, September 11 Homework sections 1.5, 1.3, 1.6 4 Thursday, September 25 Homework sections 1.7, 1.8 5 Thursday, October 2 Homework sections 2.1, 2.2 6 Thursday, October 9 Homework sections 2.3, 2.4 7 Thursday, October 23 Homework sections 3.1, 3.2 (up to problem 21) 8 Thursday, October 30 Homework sections 3.2, DRT word problem handout, 3.3 9 Thursday, November 6 Homework sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 10 Tuesday, November 20 Homework sections 4.4, 4.5 11 Thursday, December 4 Homework sections 4.6 Taking Notes: Writing and Watching It is important to take notes during class. It is particularly important to make detailed notes as problems similar to those you'll be doing for homework are worked in class. That way, you can refer to your notes for help if you forget how to complete a solution to a homework problem. It is also important to watch, without taking notes, as a problem is worked from start to finish. That way, you'll be certain that you know and understand all steps necessary for a complete solution. You should take notes for all problems introduced during the classroom discussion, use these notes to do your homework before the next class meeting, and then watch, without taking notes, as solutions to homework problems are presented at the beginning of the next class meeting. Often your instructor will utilize whiteboard pens of different colors. For example, when solving an equation, your instructor will often use one color to write the equation and another color to do the "same thing" to both sides of the equation. In this manner, the necessary steps in a problem's solution are emphasized. Therefore, you may find it helpful to use at least two colors when taking notes. That way, if you mimic the instructor's use of color, you will quickly remember and more fully understand the steps utilized in a solution when you later use your notes to do your homework or study for an exam. I have generated notes for our class lectures in an outline form. These notes can be accessed through the blackboard environment and printed for your use in class so that you can follow along with the instructor. The notes contain properties, vocabulary and processes as well as a step-by-step solution to a few examples. The blackboard environment is accessible from all school computers. 8
Determining Your Current Course Grade Item Your Score Total Points Your Percentage Accumulated Self-Review Homework Assignment 1 Assignment 2 Assignment 3 /10 x 100 = /20 x 100 = /30 x 100 = /40 x 100 = Test 1 /140 x 100 = Homework Assignment 4 Assignment 5 Assignment 6 /150 x 100 = /160 x 100 = /170 x 100 = Test 2 /270 x 100 = Homework Assignment 7 Assignment 8 Assignment 9 /280 x 100 = /290 x 100 = /300 x 100 = Test 3 /400 x 100 = Homework Assignment 10 Assignment 11 /410 x 100 = /410 x 100 = Test 4 /510 x 100 = Homework In-Class /560 x 100 = Final Exam /785 x 100 = 9
Success Checklist If you are not doing as well as you'd like in the course, ask yourself the following questions: "Am I getting to class on time?" "Am I attending every class meeting?" "Am I staying for the entire class meeting?" "Am I taking notes for one problem and then watching, without taking notes, as a similar problem is explained?" "Am I completing my homework before the next class meeting?" "If I am not able to complete my homework before the next class meeting, am I getting extra help (from the instructor, a classmate, Student Success Center, Math Center, a tutor, etc.)?" "Am I reading the text sections to be covered at the next class meeting before attending that meeting?" Am I spending at least 3 hours outside of class (doing homework, reading the text, studying class notes, and getting help from the instructor or a tutor) for every hour spent inside the classroom? Am I using materials from the previous course to help refresh my knowledge? If the answer to any of these questions is "no", your performance should improve as you change each "no" to a "yes"! NOTE: Save all materials from this course (text, class notes, homework, tests, and test solutions) for use in the next course. 10
Math 96 Fall 2008 Homework Assignments Date Section Topic Page Problems T 19-Aug Read Chapter 1.3 linear equations 41 17-57 e.o.o. Th 21-Aug Read Chapter 1.1 numbers & their properties 14 1-11 odd, 21-69 e.o.o. T 26-Aug Read Chapter 1.6 Inequalities 73 1-49 e.o.o. Th 28-Aug Read Chapter 1.4 literal equations 49 13-53 e.o.o. Homework Due: 1.3 & 1.1 T 2-Sep Read Chapter 1.5 word problems 58 1-17 odds Th 4-Sep Read Chapter 1.3 Absolute Value equations 41 61-71 odd Read Chapter 1.6 Absolute Value inequalities 73 55-75 odds Homework Due: 1.6 & 1.4 T 9-Sep Review Th 11-Sep Test 1 Homework Due: 1.5, 1.3 & 1.6 T 16-Sep Read Chapter 1.7 properties of exponents 82 1-69 odds, 71 Th 18-Sep Read Chapter 1.8 properties of exponents 91 1-45 odds T 23-Sep Read Chapter 2.1 rectangular coordinate system 110 1-41 odds Th 25-Sep Read Chapter 2.2 slope-intercept form 121 1-53 e.o.o. 60, 61 Homework Due: 1.7 & 1.8 T 30-Sep Read Chapter 2.3 point-slope form 135 1-53 e.o.o. 54, 55, 56 Th 2-Oct Read Chapter 2.4 functions, domain and range 153 1-25 odds 55, 56 Homework Due: 2.1 & 2.2 T 7-Oct Review Th 9-Oct Test 2 Homework Due: 2.3 & 2.4
Date Section Topic Page Problems T 14-Oct Read Chapter 3.1 system of equations 185 1-35 odds Th 16-Oct Read Chapter 3.2 word problems (%-mix, invest) 190 1-21 odds T 21-Oct Read Chapter 3.2 word problems (DRT) 192 23, 25 and handout Th 23-Oct Read Chapter 3.3 systems with 3 variables 201 1-25 e.o.o., 36 Homework Due: 3.1 & 3.2 T 28-Oct Read Chapter 4.1 add & subtract polynomials 259 1-33 e.o.o. 51, 53, 55 Read Chapter 4.2 multiplication of polynomials 268 1-57 e.o.o. 58, 59, 60 Th 30-Oct Read Chapter 4.3 divide polynomials 279 1-39 odds Homework Due: 3. 2 & 3.3 T 4-Nov Review Th 6-Nov Test 3 Homework Due: 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3 T 11-Nov Read Chapter 4.4 factoring 292 1-59 odds Th 13-Nov Read Chapter 4.5 special factoring 299 1-67 odds T 18-Nov Read Chapter 4.6 solve equations by factoring 311 1-57 e.o.o. Th 20-Nov Read Chapter 4.6 solve equations by factoring 311 59-65 odd Homework Due: 4.4 & 4.5 T 25-Nov Read Chapter 4.6 solve equations by factoring 311 67-71 odd Th 27-Nov Holiday T 2-Dec Review Th 4-Dec Test 4 Homework Due: 4.6 T 9-Dec Review Th 11-Dec Review 16-Dec Final Homework Due: 5.1 & 5.2