Mathematics & Writing

Math:  Cult or Culture?

A Math/Writing Course

Eric Scott

escott@hcc.ctc.edu

Angie Caster

acaster@hcc.ctc.edu

Project Description:

Math 95:  Fundamentals of Intermediate Algebra:  Math 95

Instructor:            Erik Scott

Office:             Building 18, Office 107

Office Ph#:            (206) 878-3710, ext. 3113; FAX:  (206) 870-4850

Email:             escott@hcc.ctc.edu

Web Page:            http://flightline.highline.ctc.edu/escott

Office Hours:  11:00-11:50 M-F in my office, and by appointment

Class Times and Locations:            9:00 – 9:50 MTThF in Bldg. 17, Rm. 101

                                                9:00 – 9:50 W in Bldg. 30, Rm. 211

Text:  Introductory and Intermediate Algebra:  A Combined Approach, by Marvin L. Bittinger and Judith A. Beecher ($91 new/$68.25 used at the bookstore in Building 6)

Other Required Materials/Fees:  A graphing calculator (TI-83 Plus preferred, TI-86 okay), which may be rented from the mathematics department for $20 per quarter.  A Highline computer pass ($27.75).

Prerequisite:  Completion of Math 81 or equivalent, plus instructor permission.

Course Overview

            Math 95 is an abbreviated course in algebra that is intended for students whose program of study will not require the full range of techniques taught in Math 91 and Math 97.  If Math 107 or Philosophy 120 does not fulfill the college-level math requirement for your program, you must take Math 91 instead.  The emphasis of Math 95 is on interpreting, analyzing, and presenting information quantitatively.  This means you will spend less time on rote symbol manipulation and more on describing patterns in data using words, tables, and graphs.  (Note:  if you have traditionally done well in math classes by just following patterns written on the board or in the textbook, you may find this course rather difficult at first.)  You will also learn how to use technology in the form of a graphing calculator and Microsoft Excel^® to analyze data more thoroughly.

Class Policies (subject to revision as needed)

·        Class Participation – Math 95 will be taught using a combination of lectures and group activities.  Group activities will usually take place during class, and will often involve groups assigned by the instructor.  Sometimes the activities will be in the form of a graded assignment or quiz, and other times they will be ungraded.  In all cases, you are expected to contribute to each group in a positive manner by respecting the knowledge and concerns of your classmates and by thoroughly completing your portion of each task.  In order to emphasize the importance of meaningful participation, there may be opportunities for group members to grade each other’s performance.

·        Attendance – Regular attendance is important, especially since you are expected to contribute to different groups.  It is not my (or your classmates’) responsibility to teach you all of the material that you missed!

·        Late Arrival/Early Departure – All of us have reasons to arrive late or leave early once in a while.  If you must do so, please respect your fellow students and me by moving yourself and your belongings quietly.

·        Cell Phones/Pagers – Allowing your cell phone or pager to ring in class is disrespectful to your classmates and the instructor.  Please respect your classmates’ desire to learn by turning your phones and pagers off or to silent mode when you come to class.  If you expect an important call, please tell me before class.  DO NOT answer a phone call in the classroom.  If this becomes a problem, I may reduce the grade of those students whose phones or pagers interrupt class.

·        Cheating – In this class, there are times when you will work with others, and times when you will work alone.  You are encouraged to work with others on homework assignments, though each person must turn in his or her own solutions.  During most quizzes and exams you will be expected to work alone.  I will try to announce when you must work alone, but always ask if you are uncertain.  When I am trying to determine what you yourself understand, I cannot allow copying of other students’ work.  If you are caught doing so, you will receive a zero on that evaluation.

Grading (percent of total grade is given in parentheses)

·        Homework (30%) – Your homework grade includes assignments from the textbook, supplementary problems, graded group activities, and peer evaluations.  Weekly assignments will include problems and questions from the textbook and may also include questions or problems from other sources.  These assignments must be ready to be turned in at the start of class on the day they are due.  Each should be neat, include your name and assignment number, and multiple pages should be stapled.  Because I have three classes of students turning in homework, I cannot keep track of late assignments; therefore, I do not accept any, for any reason.  Since I realize that everyone has bad days, I will automatically drop your lowest homework grade and lowest group activity grade at the end of the quarter.  This portion of your grade includes your learning journal.

·        Excel^® Assignments (20%) – These assignments will also be due on a weekly basis, and will require you to use Excel, and sometimes a writing program (like Microsoft Word^®), to examine data or answer a collection of questions.  You may want to think of these as mini-projects.  Again, these may not be turned in late, but I will drop your lowest score.  Attendance is included in this grade.

·        Quizzes (20%) – There will be a quiz given almost every week.  The quizzes will vary in length, from 10-20 minutes.  I will drop your two lowest quiz scores.  You will only be allowed to make up a quiz if I am notified in advance, and the absence is for a significant reason, such as a family member in the hospital.

·        Exam (15%) – One 50-minute exam will be given this quarter.  Make-up exams are allowed only for extreme hardship, and only when arrangements have been made several days prior to the scheduled exam.

·        Final (15%) – Your final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, June 12^th, from 10:00-11:50.  It will be given in the regular classroom (17-101), NOT the computer classroom.

·        Grade Calculation – Final grades will be computed using an approximately linear scale with a 4.0 given to scores above 95%, and a 0.0 given to scores below or approximately at 50%.  The grade scale will fluctuate slightly with the class mean.

Other Information

·        Access Services – If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, you have emergency medical information to share, or you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please provide me with the Letter of Accommodation you have received from the Office of Access Services, which is located in the Student Development Center in Building 6.

·        Tutoring – Highline has a tutoring center available to students in this and other courses.  It is located in Building 19, Room 206, and is an excellent source of help.  The hours are 8AM-7PM Monday-Thursday, and 8AM-Noon on Fridays.

·        Student Rights and Responsibilities – A summary of your rights and responsibilities are contained in the document Student Rights and Responsibilities Code (WAC 1321-1210) in the college catalog.  This addresses a number of issues related to student and faculty conduct.

·        Course Objectives – By the end of this course, you should be able to

·         use the order of operations to evaluate expressions that typically arise from standard formulas,

·         understand information displayed on the cartesian coordinate system,

·         create graphs of data on the cartesian coordinate system by hand (in simple cases) and with technology,

·         interpret information presented in the form of line graphs, bar charts, and pie charts,

·         use proportions to compare different quantities or scale a particular piece of data,

·         use the concepts of percent and percentage change to describe quantitative information,

·         describe patterns of change in data using the notion of “average rate of change,”

·         describe and identify linear, quadratic, and exponential growth,

·         solve systems of linear equations,

·         use the quadratic formula,

·         work with numbers presented in scientific notation or unfamiliar units, and

·         read and respond to quantitative information using words.

Preliminary Daily Schedule

Preliminary Daily Schedule