MA 153 Summer I 2002

Class  Meetings: Monday - Thursday: 12:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Kettler G45
Instructor: John LaMaster
home page: http://www.ipfw.edu/math/lamaster
Office: Kettler 204U
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday: 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
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. Note: If this course is not review material, it is an unwise choice to compress what is normally done in 15 weeks in Fall and Spring into an accelerated 6 week summer session. A Skills Assessment over the prerequisite material, worth roughly 5% of your grade, will be given the first day of class to help you determine our chances of success in this class based on your math background.
Objective:

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. 
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, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and rational functions. Students develop their reading, writing, and questioning skills in an interactive classroom setting.
Required: Functions Modeling Change by Connally, Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, et al. 

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)
Optional:

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

Student's Solutions Manual

Syllabus: Most of the first five chapters of the text plus chapter 9 and section 8.1
Assignments: Homework will be regularly assigned. These problems are to be prepared for discussion during the next class period. Completion of the assignments is essential for understanding the material presented in lectures. 

Assignments will be posted on the course Web Site listed 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!
Quizzes: Occasional 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 two Chapter Exams, plus a Skills Assessment and a comprehensive final. The Skills Assessment counts one fourth the weight of all other chapter exams. 

The following dates are tentatively planned: 
Chapter Exam #1: Sections 1.1-1.3; 2.1-2.3; 3.1-3.4 --Thursday, May 30 Chapter Exam #2: Sections 4.1-4.8, 5.1-5.4 -- Thursday, June 16
Final Exam: Section 5.5, Chapter 9, 8.1, and comprehensive -- June 27.  

 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.
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 4%).   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. In particular, the following is expected:
  • The classroom is place where all students need to be engaged in learning. This means that it cannot be a place for casual conversations, reading the newspaper, doing homework for other classes, etc. Be ready to concentrate on math and discuss the day's material.
  • Be respectful and polite. Listen to your instructor and your fellow students when they are talking.
  • In order to benefit from being in an interactive class, each student must come to class prepared. Come to class having done the assigned reading and attempted the homework problems. Contribute to your team. 
  • Be in your seat and ready to start when your class is scheduled to begin and remain until the class is dismissed.
There are 20 attendance points available, and 20 class meetings that are not test days. You cannot earn your attendance credit if you are not here for the entire class meeting.. 

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.  After taking a quiz individually, I may randomly select one group member's work to represent the efforts of the entire group. 

Group roles include:
Manager - encourages all members of the group to participate in the discussion, sharing their ideas and feelings.
Reader -  reads the problem aloud to the group.
Scribe - writes up the group's solution to the problem.
Clarifier - assists the group by paraphrasing the ideas presented by other group members, e.g. "Let me make sure I understand, the graph goes up ...". The clarifier is responsible for making sure that everyone in the group understands the solutions to the problems.
Grading:
Departmental Skills Assessment 25
Chapter Exam 1   100
Chapter Exam 2  100
Quizzes (highest 4 at 25 points each)

100
Attendance  20
Comprehensive Final Exam  115
Total points  460
90% -100% A
80% -90% B
70% -80% C
60% -70% D
<60% F
 

If you have or acquire a disability and want to find out about what special services and accommodations are available, you may contact Services for Students with Disabilities in Walb 118, telephone 481-6557 (voice/TDD)