Madisonville Community College

Fall 2008 Syllabus

 

MT 065 36341-75M1      Basic Algebra with Measurement

 

Prerequisites:

A grade of “C” or higher in MT 055/MT 050 or as determined by placement examination.

 

Instructor:

Elyssa Lear

Office:

Muhlenberg:

Shaver Education Center

Room 103

Madisonville:

Joe C. Davis Building

Room 101A

Phone:

824 – 1834 voicemail  or

757-9881 or

toll free 1-877-659-0819

 

 

Email:

elyssa.lear@kctcs.edu  ** Best way to get in touch with me.**

 

Website:

 

madisonville.kctcs.edu/facstaf/elear/

** Assignment sheet and daily outline are posted here**

 

Office Hours:

Muhlenberg:

MTWR:  8:00 – 9:15 am

1:00 – 2:00 pm

 

* I’m on the Muhlenberg campus everyday.

Fridays by appointment

Tutoring Hours:

Muhlenberg:

Learning Center, Room 110

MTWR:  1: 00 – 2:00 pm

 

 

 

 

Textbook:

Prealgebra & Introductory Algebra, Second Edition  by K. Elayn Martin-Gay (white book)

 

Materials:

Pencil is required.  Calculator and graph paper optional.

 

Attendance:

Regular attendance is essential for successful completion of this course.  Therefore, attendance is mandatory.  Any student who misses more than five class meetings should either withdraw from the course or expect a failing grade.  There are no excused absences.  Class will start on time and you are expected to be in class on time as well.

 

ADA Requirements:

If you have a documented disability and need any type of accommodation, you are required to register with the Disability Resource Coordinator.  Contact Valerie Wolfe, Disability Resource Coordinator, Room 112, LRC (Madisonville), 824-1708.

 

Course Description:

Basic algebra course covering variable expressions, linear

equations and inequalities, exponents, polynomials, factoring,

square and cube roots, scientific and engineering notation,

elementary graphing, and measurement and unit conversions.

 

Course Objectives:

The goals of this course are the following:

  • To apply properties of real numbers.
  • To perform conversions within and between U.S. Customary and the International System (SI metric) units.
  • To simplify and evaluate algebraic expressions using the order of operations.
  • To use the properties of integer exponents.
  • To perform operations with powers of 10, scientific and engineering notations, and units of measurement.
  • To simplify and evaluate square and cube roots.
  • To add, subtract, and multiply polynomials.
  • To divide a polynomial by a monomial.
  • To solve linear equations and inequalities.
  • To solve literal equations for variables of power 1.
  • To solve problems using direct and inverse variations.
  • To plot points in the rectangular coordinate system and graph linear equations using slope and y-intercept.
  • To calculate the third side of a right triangle using the Pythagorean Theorem.
  • To translate verbal statements into mathematical equations and solve.
  • To calculate and solve applied problems of the perimeter, circumference, area, volume, and surface areas.
  • To factor the greatest common factor from a polynomial, simple trinomials of the form and differences of two squares.

Course Requirements:
  1. There will be 4 regular exams, worth 100 points each.
  2. The final is comprehensive.
  3. Homework will be assigned for each section covered.  You are expected to complete all assignments.
  4. There will be timed homework quizzes given each day.  These will consist of selected problems from the homework assignments.  You may use your homework during these quizzes.  All work must be shown in order to receive credit on the quizzes.  Answers alone will not receive any points.
  5. There may be in-class activities.
  6. One hour tutoring sessions outside of class time.  Five total for the semester, each count as one homework grade that cannot be dropped.

 

Tutoring Sessions:

Regular tutoring sessions outside of class time are mandatory.  These tutoring sessions must be with either the instructor or one of the tutors located in the Learning Center.  The sessions must total one hour prior to each exam.  The need for continued monitoring will be determined by test scores.  Once you make either an A or B on an exam, you are exempt from attending the monitored tutoring session.  However, if the next test grade is a C or below, you will be required to start attending the tutoring session again.  During the tutoring session you will:

 

  • Demonstrate that you have made a serious attempt to work on your MT 065 assignments.
  • Receive necessary assistance with those assignments.
  • Seek clarification of mathematical concepts from class lectures.
  • Receive assistance with mathematical language and or calculator usage.
  • Obtain study tips from your instructor/peer tutor.

 

The instructor/peer tutor will keep a record of your class attendance, monitored session attendance and duration, and coursework grades.  After each exam, the need for continued monitoring will be evaluated.

 

 

 

Late-Work Policy:

Any assignments with a due date must be turned in that day during class.  Once class is over, the assignment is considered late.  No late assignments will be accepted.

 

Make-Up Policy:
  1. In-class activities may not be made up.
  2. Homework quizzes may not be made up.
  3. Missing an exam is a serious matter.  It is the students responsibility to contact the Instructor and schedule a make-up exam.  Make-up exams must be taken within two days of the original test date.  After that time, no make-ups will be given.  Make up exams will be left in the Learning Center for you, after the two day grace period they will be removed and you may no longer make up that exam.

 

Grading Criteria:

The grade you receive in this course will be determined as follows:

Homework Quizzes/In-class Activities         15%

Tests (4)                                                       65%

Comprehensive Final                                      20%

 

Using the grading scale:

A  -  90% or above              E  -  69% and below

B  -  80% to 89%

C  -  70% to 79%

 

** Notice, you must pass the class with a C or higher.**

 

Holidays:

We will observe the following holiday:

Monday, September 1st  – Labor Day

Monday, October 13th – 18th – Fall Break

Tuesday, November 4th – Election Day

Thursday, November 27th - Thanksgiving

 

Course Outline:

Chapter Eight – Geometry and Measurement

8.2               Linear Measurement

8.3               Perimeter

8.4               Area and Volume (and Surface Area)

8.5               Weight and Mass

8.6               Capacity

8.7               Conversions Between US and Metric Systems/Temperatures

*** Test 1 – Chapter 8 ***

 

Chapter Nine – Equations, Inequalities, and Problem Solving

9.1                Symbols and Sets of Numbers

9.2               Properties of Real Numbers

9.3               Further Solving Linear Equations

9.4               Further Problem Solving

9.5               Formulas and Problem Solving

9.6               Linear Inequalities and Problem Solving

*** Test 2 – Chapter 9 ***

 

Chapter Ten – Exponents and Polynomials

10.1             Exponents

10.2            Negative Exponents and Scientific Notation

10.3            Introduction to Polynomials

10.4            Adding and Subtracting Polynomials

10.5            Multiplying Polynomials

10.6            Special Products

10.7            Dividing Polynomials

*** Test 3 – Chapter 10 ***

 

Chapter Eleven – Factoring Polynomials

11.1              The Greatest Common Factor

11.2             Factoring Trinomials of the Form

11.3             Factoring Trinomials of the Form

11.4             Factoring Trinomials of the Form , by Grouping

11.5             Factoring Perfect Square Trinomials/Difference of Two Squares

11.6             Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring

11.7             Quadratic Equations and Problem Solving

*** Test 4 – Chapter 11 ***

 

*** Comprehensive Final Exam ***

 

 

 

Withdrawal Policy:

Students have until Monday, October 6th  to withdraw on their own from a class.  From October 6th until Friday, December 5th   permission to withdraw must be given by the instructor and must be indicated by the instructor’s signature on the drop slip.  Students are officially enrolled and are assigned a final grade unless the appropriate steps to drop a class are followed.  It is the student’s responsibility to manage the drop/add process for their class if necessary.  There will be no withdrawals after December 5th.

 

** Make sure that a signed drop slip is turned back into the office.  Otherwise the withdrawal will not be processed.  **

General Education Competencies:

I. Communicate Effectively

1.  Read with comprehension.

2.  Speak and write clearly using standard English.

3.  Interact cooperatively with others using both verbal and

non-verbal means.

Assessments:  1.  Students are expected to read each

section covered.

2.  Homework and tests will contain

questions which require written

responses.

3.  Students are expected to answer

questions verbally in the classroom.

4.  Students are expected to communicate

ideas with each other during group

activities.

II. Think Critically

1.        Make connections in learning across the disciplines and draw logical conclusions.

2.        Use mathematics to organize, analyze, and synthesize

data to solve a problem.

Assessments:  1.  Students will complete a variety of

application problems, making

connections across disciplines.

2.  Students will list important

information, create tables, and/or

translate and analyze data provided

when working application problems.

3.  Students will analyze problems,

identifying which steps to do first,

and look for ways to simplify or

rewrite the problem making it more

familiar.

III. Learn Independently

1.        Think creatively to develop new ideas, processes, or

products.

Assessments:  1.  Students are required to solve

problems individually and independently

by applying what they have learned in

the academic environment.

2.  Regular exams.

IV. Examine Relationships in Diverse and Complex

Environments

1.        Demonstrate an awareness of the relationship of the individual to the biological and physical environment.

Assessments:  1.  Students will work problems that relate

to the real world.

 

Resources:

As an MCC student, you have access to free tutoring for this class or any other class.  The options available are:

1.  Muhlenberg Campus Learning Center

located in Room 110, provides one-on-one tutoring,

and computer access

2.  North Campus Learning Center

located at the Learning Resource Center Building,

Room 110

3.  North Campus Math Lab

Tutoring offered by full time math faculty in the Joe C.

Davis Building, room 130.

 

 

Student Email:

Check your student email periodically.  I will be sending you information through your student email account and only your student email account.

 

Cell Phones:

All cell phones must be turned off or placed on silent upon entering the classroom.  This means cell phones may not be used in place of a calculator.

 

Student Code of Conduct:

The student is required to comply with the KCTCS Code of Student Conduct.  Plagiarism and cheating, as well as the sanctions for these offenses, are defined in this code.  For more information on academic rights, academic offenses, and the right to appeal, see Section VII, 1.0, pg 96, of the student code.  The code can be accessed at www.kctcs.edu/student/code.htm