MA 153 Fall 2004
Learning Community 4

Instructor: John LaMaster
home page: http://www.ipfw.edu/math/lamaster

Class Meetings: MWF: 1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. Kettler 116

Office: Kettler 264

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday: 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Also by appointment or chance.

Reachable: 481-5430 (office/voice mail)

481-6821 (Math Dept)

481-6880 (FAX)

email: lamaster@ipfw.edu

Prerequisites: MA 113 with C or higher or placement by departmental exam. This course is

primarily intended for students who have completed two years of high school algebra.

Objectives: This course serves both as a preparation to the calculus sequences and as a terminal course for

students who need only this level of mathematics. The course is integrated with IDIS 110 Freshman Success and ENG W131 Principles of Composition.

Content: This course presents the concepts of precalculus from four points of view:

geometric (graphs), numeric (tables), symbolic (formulas), and written (verbal descriptions). The emphasis is on the mathematical modeling of real-life problems using linear, exponential, and rational functions. Students develop their reading, writing, and questioning skills in an interactive classroom setting.

Required: Functions Modeling Change, 2nd Edition by Connally, Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, et al.

e-Grade learning software (available behind the counter in the bookstore)

You will be required to use a graphing calculator for activities and assignments in and out of class. The Assistance with Graphing Calculators Web Page (http://www.ipfw.edu/math/graphcalc.html) can help you obtain and use a grapher.
I will be using the TI-83 Plus.

Note: You can rent a TI-83 Plus for $10 at Walb Student Union 225 (481-6586).

Optional: Student's Study Guide by Cannon

Graphing Calculator Guide for the TI-83/82 by Carl Swenson

Important Dates

Labor Day Holiday: Monday, Sept. 6

Fall Break: Monday, Oct. 11- Tuesday, Oct. 12

Last Day to Withdraw Without a Letter Grade: Friday, Oct. 29

Final Exam: Monday, Dec. 13, 2004 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

*Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that targets traditionally difficult academic courses—those that have a high rate of D or F grades and withdrawals—and involves regularly scheduled, out-of-class, peer-facilitated study sessions. SI sessions are open to all students in the course and are attended on a voluntary basis.   SI students earn higher course grades and withdraw less often than non-participants.

Attendance and Participation: Since much of the learning in this course occurs interactively during class time, attendance is vital and is part of the course grade (roughly 5%). You cannot earn your attendance credit if you are not here for the entire class meeting, which means that you are in your seat at 1:30 and staying until class ends at 2:20. You are expected to not only attend all class meetings, but participate in your group and contribute to the learning environment of the class as a whole. You cannot earn your attendance credit if you are not here for the entire class meeting. If you are blatantly not participating in class (such as doing homework for other classes, reading the newspaper), you may be physically here, but this is cause to be marked absent. You may be given a brief attendance quiz over the assigned reading to earn your attendance credit. A missed class may be made up by attending two 1 hour SI sessions (documented).
Your group sinks or swims together. It is important that all members of the group participate and learn the material. If all members of your team score 90% or above on a chapter test, each will receive 5 bonus points.

Internet Access: Part of your semester fees went toward giving you Internet access. Make sure your account is activated by next week. Call the Help Desk at 481-6030 if you have questions or need assistance.

Assignments: Homework problems from the text will be regularly assigned, but not collected each day.. These problems are to be prepared for discussion during the next class period. Completion of the assignments is essential for understanding the material. Assignments will be posted on the course Web Site found at http://www.ipfw.edu/math/lamaster/courses.htm so if you miss a class, you can come prepared the next day. However, to be safe, get the phone number of someone else in the class and just call them to see what you missed! Some written assignments will occasionally be collected for grading.

In addition, assignments must be completed over the Internet off the course Web Site using eGrade. A tutorial is available at this Web site as well. See the General Course Information for more details about using this.

Quizzes: Occasional section quizzes worth 25 pts. each will be given, usually announced a day in advance. There will be no make-up quizzes; however, you can drop all but the top four quizzes.

Exams: There will be three chapter exams, worth 100 points each. The final exam is comprehensive. Mark your calendars now: Monday, Dec. 13, 2004 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Unexcused absences from exams shall result in a score of zero.  If an absence is unavoidable and deemed legitimate, you must contact me within 24 hours of the exam (if possible, in advance) in order to schedule a make-up.  Each student is allowed one make-up exam.

Grading: