Math 120 Intermediate Algebra Folsom Lake College Spring 2017 Instructor: Kevin Pipkin E-mail: pipkink@flc.losrios.edu Course Meetings: MTWTh 10:30am 11:35 am for section 16162 Classroom: Aspen Hall 208 (FL1), Folsom Lake College main campus Required Text: Intermediate Algebra, 8 th Edition, by Bittenger & Ellenbogen (Pearson/Addison Wesley) Supplemental Materials (required): Handout packet available at the FLC Bookstore (main campus). Office: Aspen Hall 144 (FL1) Phone: (916) 608-6674 Webpage: http://flc.losrios.edu/~pipkin D2L page: https://d2l.losrios.edu/ Office Hours: My schedule sometimes allows me to make appointments outside of these hours. Please ask Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 1:00pm 2:15pm 1:00pm-2:00pm 1:00-2:00pm 12:15pm 1:15pm online 7:45am 8:30am Office hours are not for repeating a lecture. These should be used to ask for assistance on specific homework problems, questions from the text, or specific information from the lecture. You should bring in your notes and other problems you have been working on. Learning math is a hands on task. Prerequisite: In order to enroll in Math 120, you must have completed Math 100 with a minimum grade of C (in the Los Rios district) or place into Math 120 via the assessment process. There are many skills from the prerequisite sequence of math classes that you must have in order to succeed in Intermediate Algebra. These include, but are not limited to, arithmetic, simplifying expressions with polynomials and exponents, simple operations on rational expressions, solving multi-step equations, graphs and equations of lines, and factoring of polynomial expressions. Classroom Expectations: You should act like you are in an institution of higher learning. You are expected to behave in a courteous manner both toward your classmates and me at all times. Profanity is unacceptable. If you must enter or leave the classroom at any time during class, please do so without disrupting the rest of the class. I do not allow any electronic devices such as phones, smart devices, headsets, etc. to be used in the classroom with the exception that tablet devices may be used for note taking but may not be used for personal communications, games, or other activities that may distract you or others from the lecture itself. If you are behaving in a manner that inhibits me from teaching or anyone around you from learning, you will be asked to leave (this counts as an absence) and disciplinary action may be pursued. 1
Course Description: This course reviews and extends some concepts of elementary algebra and introduces numerous new topics with problem solving skills emphasized throughout. Topics which are reviewed and extended include: linear and quadratic equations, factoring polynomials, rational expressions, exponents, radicals, equations of lines, and systems of equations. New topics include: absolute value equations and inequalities, rational exponents, translations and reflections of graphs, function notation and function operations, exponential and logarithmic functions, graphs of quadratic and simple polynomial functions, quadratic inequalities, non-linear systems of equations, and an introduction to conic sections. Course Objectives/Requirements: This is a five-unit course that meets for 5 hours of lecture each week with an expectation of putting in a minimum of 10 additional hours a week outside of class. Credit for this course is degree applicable but not transferable. The objective of this course is to present some more advanced concepts and operations of algebra with problem solving and critical thinking skills incorporated throughout. Much of the course will be used to introduce functions and the algebraic concepts and applications related to functions. Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra concepts are fundamental to algebra and are a regular part of evaluating and simplifying algebraic expressions as well as solving algebra equations. Do not expect class time to be spent reviewing these concepts. With topics from algebra that are reviewed, there is an expectation that I will not be re-teaching these from scratch. In fact, I may not provide examples during lecture. You may be required to spend time using examples from the book or other sources outside of class. In the long run, this habit trying to learn outside of the lecture will be highly beneficial to you. This class is the key prerequisite for all transfer level math courses (mandated by the 4-year institutions) and its content applies more directly to some subjects than others. In particular, the topics and outcomes of this course are designed to help students prepare for Trigonometry (Math 335) and Business Math (Math 341 or 343). Student Learning Outcomes for the course: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: solve equations involving polynomial, rational, absolute value, radical, exponential, or logarithmic expressions. graph and perform simple transformations (translations, reflections, and scale factors) on linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, simple rational, and simple polynomial functions. demonstrate the ability to appropriately use function notation, terminology, and operations. solve application problems using intermediate context-appropriate models. Attendance: FLC policy states that you may be dropped after missing 6% of the class meeting time. For this course, if you have missed more than 4 days of class, you may be dropped from the course at my discretion. It is the student s responsibility to find out what is missed when absent. Photocopying notes from another student and checking the website for information are two ways you should do this. Here are some important district calendar dates. Feb. 17 and 20: Campus closed for President s Days holidays. April 10 14 : No Class (Spring Break holiday) * April. 16 is the last day to withdraw from the course and receive only a W on your transcript. The regular semester ends on May 10. Finals begin after that. See below for final exam date and time. 2
Homework: (All graded work is to be done in pencil.) Homework will be assigned for each section of the book to be covered in the course. A complete list of assigned problems from the textbook will be posted on D2L. This list may be updated during the semester (see issue date at the top). Approximately twice a week, I will collect the selected Required Problems for the sections assigned and, on occasion, selected handouts. Each section of Required Problems is to be done on its indicated pre-made form. These forms are included in the handout packet. There are several different types of forms that have been created and the master list of all assigned problems indicates which form goes with which section. All handouts and forms can also be printed off my website. More detailed guidelines for homework are given at the end of this syllabus. The required assignment that is due next will be indicated on the board in class. The Required Problems provide a selection that represent the key concepts of the course but are not sufficient to prepare you for the exams. The Additional Recommended Practice Problems will help you to better prepare for the exams. The Additional Recommended Practice problems for each unit will be due at the beginning of class on the exam day for that unit. These are not extra credit but will be calculated into your HW score at the end of the semester if you choose to participate. Students choosing to turn in the recommended problems for credit may turn in as many of the 6 sets as they want during the semester and will not be penalized for any missing sets. The recommended problems do not need to be written on the homework forms but graphs must still be done on graphing paper and the other aspects of the homework guidelines should still be followed. The homework forms are for the Formal Problems. Again, please pay attention to the guidelines for homework for details on how to write and turn in an assignment. Some of you will need to do more work than this in order to succeed in the class. I may not be able to answer homework questions during class time so take advantage of my office hours and the tutoring center. Homework will be considered late after the first 5 minutes of class. Late homework will not be accepted for any reason. I will be dropping your two lowest Required HW scores of the semester. This is to allow for illness or some other personal emergency. See the Homework Guidelines listed at the end of this syllabus as well as the website for more information. Exams & Quizzes: (All graded work is to be done in pencil.) Quizzes may be given during the semester to check your progress. Quizzes may be unannounced and take place at various times during the class meeting. You may also be given class work that could be individual or group assignments that will count as homework. These may be collected and graded. Quizzes and other classwork may not be made up for any reason. There are five regular exams planned (not counting the Final Exam) and a take home quiz for the first unit. The take home quiz for chapters 2 and 3 will be given out on Jan. 30 and must be turned in at the beginning of class on Feb. 6. Late work will not be accepted. The exams are scheduled for 2/13, 2/28, 3/16, 4/05, and 5/03. Calculators and notes will not be allowed on exams/quizzes (this would fundamentally alter the curriculum). Exams may not be made up for any reason. The Final Exam percentage may be used to replace a missing exam but you must maintain a Homework percentage of 75% or more to take advantage of this policy. This policy is to respond to situations such as being sick on an exam day, family or work emergency, or transportation issues. The final exam will be cumulative and must be taken to pass the course. Calculators and notes will not be allowed on the Final Exam. The Final Exam is scheduled for May 16, 11:00am 12:50pm. 3
Grading: Letter grades will be calculated based on the following percentages: A: 90% - 100% B: 80% - 89% C: 70% - 79% D: 60% - 69% F: below 60% Scores will be weighted as follows: Exams & Quizzes 65% Homework 10% Final Exam 25% The Final Exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16 11:00am 12:50pm The Grade for the course is based on your performance in the entire course, not just the Final Exam. However, if your overall grade in the class rounds to a 69%, 79%, or 89%, it will be considered as a borderline case. These are the only grades that may change. I will only raise the grade higher if the homework percentage is 75% or more and the score on the Final exam has a higher letter grade than the borderline percentage. For example, if your grade in the course rounds to a 69% and your homework percentage is 75% or higher, then your grade on the Final Exam must be a 70% or better in order to earn a C in the class. Passing the final exam does not guarantee passing the class. Academic Integrity: Cheating will be responded to swiftly and severely. If you are caught cheating on an exam, you will receive a zero on the exam and not be allowed to replace your score or take any kind of makeup. Further, you will not be allowed to submit any extra work to make up for the score. I will complete paperwork to ensure that there is a record of your dishonesty. When you are taking a test, it is your job to cover your work so that no one else can see what you are doing. Keep your eyes on your own paper and make it abundantly clear to me that you are working alone. I may assign seating during tests or ask you to change seats during exams. During an exam, you should not speak to anyone. You may only have materials approved by your instructor on your desk. All notes and electronic devices are prohibited as this would fundamentally alter the curriculum. Resources: Make a point of meeting a few people in class and exchanging contact information. They may be able to help you fill in a missing point in your notes, compare homework, study with you for tests and tell you what you missed if you were absent. There is also free tutoring available on campus (FL1-108). The tutoring schedule is posted around campus (including my office). Additionally, I am available for assistance, both during my office hours and by appointment. 4
How to Succeed in Math 120: Many students find themselves quickly overwhelmed in Math 120. In college you should not expect to immediately understand the material from a particular lecture. Attending class is not enough! What do you need to do in order to be a Math 120 survivor? First, take the time to read the section(s) we re covering in class before you come to lecture. It may be challenging at first, but it will make class time much more productive for you. Pay attention to assignment and exam information posted on the website (and the board in class). Skipping even one assignment will make it hard to catch up. Put aside time to study for this class every day. One suggestion is to rewrite your notes after each class. There is no substitute for writing out problems. You literally should do 300 or more problems for each unit of the course. There are usually examples completely worked out in the book for the types of problems assigned for you to utilize before attempting homework. The back of the book has answers for the odd numbered problems. You should always do some of these before attempting the required problems to help you know if you are on the right track. If you have a question/problem on homework, take care of it right away: e.g. call a classmate, find a tutor, or come see me during office hours, but don t let your questions go unanswered! Utilize the supplementary handouts. These are designed to strengthen specific types of concepts that are more heavily emphasized in the course. Do the Additional Recommended Practice Problems and turn them in! Besides providing a slight boost to the HW percentage, the impact on exam preparation will be significant. Finally, start studying for exams about a week ahead of time, setting a schedule for yourself so that you are not cramming in the last minute. If you come to class prepared every session, take the time to do your homework well, and are proactive about getting help, you will be well on your way to success in Math 120. Disclaimer: All information on the syllabus is subject to change if the instructor finds it necessary. Any changes will be announced during a class session and posted online. Absent students are still responsible for any announced changes. It is the student s responsibility to determine from their peers what they missed in class due to an absence. If you have any special circumstances that I need to be aware of, please let me know immediately. Please note: Information from this syllabus is testable on exams, quizzes, or homework. You should know and understand all class policies. 5
Math 120 Homework Guidelines Your Required Homework Problems should be done following these guidelines: Write in pencil. You may use a highlighter or other color to identify the solution. Use the correct HW form. These are identified on the master list of all assigned problems. Each section should be clearly labeled with the section number and the assigned problems listed. You must do the problems in the order assigned. Write the question down! (unless it is a word problem or a given graph) The work should fit in the box and be organized and easy to follow (readable). Each new section begins a new HW form. It may be possible to put one section on the front and another section on the back. Sections of the book that include graphing will be done on HW forms that will include graphing grids. (one square = one unit) The work and solution should be correct. All fractions should be reduced unless you are specifically told to do otherwise by the directions. Do not leave negative exponents in the solution unless specifically told to do otherwise by the directions. For Additional Recommended Practice Problems, you do not need to use the HW forms but graphs should be done on graphing paper (one square = one unit). Some of the scoring for these problems could be based upon grading but following the other guidelines and the completeness of the assignment will be the most significant part of this score 6