Math 1090 Pre-Algebra Syllabus

Mathematics

Math 1090 Pre-Algebra Syllabus

The syllabus for Pre-Algebra (Math 1090), one of the courses within the Developmental Mathematics Program in the Department of Mathematics at �鶹��ý, offers information to help you be successful in the course.

This syllabus is subject to further change or revision, as needed, to best realize the educational goals of the course. Necessary revisions will be announced in class or on course materials with fair prior notice.

Since Math 1090 is a remedial course, these two credits do not towards graduation. Your final letter grade will be calculated into your gpa, so use this as an opportunity to boost your gpa.

Purpose of Math 1090

The purpose of all of the developmental mathematics courses is to support �鶹��ý success academically and beyond by advancing critical thinking and reasoning skills. Specifically, in pre-algebra as a team we will examine final answers in terms of reasonableness to the given problem and to determine if the answer addresses the original problem (Polya step 4). In addition, we will explore the power of estimation as a tool to determine accuracy of solutions to numeric and or real world problems.

Teaching team

Course coordinator

Dr. Kirsty J Eisenhart

Instructors

See the program schedule or course times, rooms, office hours and final exam dates.

Overview

This course is designed to sharpen computational skills involving whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, signed numbers and simple geometric figures. In addition to this, the course is designed to strengthen analytical thinking. Students will be asked and encouraged to find patterns, make conjectures, and judge the validity of given conjectures. The �鶹��ýs will test their conjectures and eventually provide counter examples to disprove invalid conjectures or give justifications for conjectures they determine are valid.

Required course materials

Three-ring notebook
Math 1090 Course Pack: The course pack contains all of the worksheets for the course and the writing assignments. The materials in the course pack will be used every day, so it is vital to purchase one as soon as possible. To lower the cost of the course pack, we are working with mycoursepack.com rather than the bookstore. The course pack will be $35 including tax. There are two options when purchasing the pack:
1. Order the math 1090 (Pre-Algebra) course pack by phone with a credit card: (269) 383- 9102 Then the course pack will be delivered to Dr. Eisenhart to distribute to instructors to give out during class.
2. Purchase directly from R J's Printing at Monday Through Friday 8am-5pm to purchase the pack.
  Note that the Metro Bus 10 has a stop on Mills and Second which is minutes from R J's Printing.

Course format and participation

This is a laboratory-oriented course in which you will often investigate mathematics collectively (with a partner, in small groups, or whole class). Whole class discussions of different solutions to a problem and the mathematics underlying these solutions will play a central role in this course. Though these discussions will take different forms on different occasions, it will always be the case that your ideas, strategies and questions will guide the discussion. Thus, as a team, we will examine each other’s thinking and come to a better understanding of the mathematics by doing so.

Given the �鶹��ý-centered nature of this course, attendance and participation is of the utmost importance. Satisfactory participation means that you are willing to share your thought process, questions and solutions with the class (even when you don’t think you have the right answer), that you support your classmates by listening and thoughtfully reacting to their ideas, and that you attempt all of the homework & before class so that you can actively participate in our discussions. Consistent and productive participation in class will be considered in determining final grades (see participation rubric below).

Grading policy

If all course requirements have been met, grades will be assigned according to the scale.

A: 90-100 percent
BA: 85-90 percent
B: 80-85 percent
CB: 75-80 percent
C: 70-75 percent
DC: 65-70 percent
D: 60-65 percent
E: Below 60 percent

You must attain at least a "C" in this course in order to take Math 1100.

Course requirements

The following is a tentative outline of the required graded assignments and their weights:

Exams: 34 percent of final grade
Comprehensive final exam: 20 percent of final grade
Online homework: 20 percent of final grade
Writing assignments: 12 percent of final grade
Class participation, notebook checks, Desmos and other assignments: 14 percent of final grade

Attendance policy

Each class utilizes tools and concepts learned from previous classes, so to optimize your understanding be sure to arrive on time and stay until you are dismissed. Excessive absences, tardiness, and early departure suggests a lack of professionalism and commitment, and will result in missing material and the objectives of this course. To reward you for your professionalism, class participation is a portion of your final letter grade (see participation rubric below).

Course notebook

Being able to find your past assignments and class notes will reduce the time spent studying. If you have a method to organize your materials, continue to use this method. If not, we suggest you organize your work for this course in a notebook (e.g. one-inch three-ring binder) that includes the following sections:

Activities with in-class notes. Use this section to organize your completed work from each activity along with the notes you took during class. You are expected to finish any activity not completed in class.
Post-class notes. It is often the case that you may have difficulty taking notes on the discussions that occur during class. For this reason we require that you take at least 10 minutes after each class to capture important mathematical ideas that have been discussed during class. This will help to solidify your understanding, and highlight areas/issues around which you still have questions. Post-class notes will save you valuable time when studying for an exam. Along with providing the main ideas of the activity, the post class notes could also contain "aha" moments (a defining moment in which you gained real wisdom or insight), a list of questions you still have about the material in the activity, and a "cheat sheet" like list (things you would need to know for an exam: definitions, formulas, important examples, calculator key strokes, etc).
Scratch work. Use this section to organize scratch work from E-Learning quizzes. Most of the problems on this online homework will require paper and pencil calculations. You will not want to complete the assignment in your head or with a calculator since portions of your exams will not permit calculators. You will want to keep all of your work, correct and incorrect calculations. We highly recommend crossing out incorrect work rather than erasing it and then write yourself some notes as to why your first methods were invalid. This will help you learn from your past errors rather than repeat them.
Assignments and exams. This section will contain all of your exams and assignments. You will want to keep both the graded and not graded assignments in this section as well as all of your drafts of each assignment so that you can reflect on all before tutor sessions, group homework sessions, or an exam.

The goal is to make your notebook into something that will serve as a resource for you over time. This will also serve as your main resource when studying for each exam. Items within your notebook will be assessed through various means. Therefore, it is critical to always bring your notebook to class with you, and to keep up on your daily work and seek help when you don’t understand an assignment. If you have a more efficient way of organizing your notebook, discuss your plan with your instructor. Otherwise, your notebook should contain four sections as described above.

Collaboration

Your instructor might allow/encourage �鶹��ýs to work together on assignments. What this means is that �鶹��ýs can share strategies. You cannot share final versions of assignments. The final polished version of the assignment must be your own work. Similar problems may appear on an exam, so you will want to be sure that you can complete each problem on your own after working with peers.

Assignments

In order to succeed in any class, it is critical that you stay on top of your assignments. Be sure to start your homework early and utilize your instructor and the tutor lab when needed. Also to keep you on schedule, late homework will not be accepted. In the event of circumstances beyond your control, contact your instructor immediately.

Course pack and Desmos assignments

Instructors will provide valuable feedback on selected homework assignments to prepare your for exams. Be sure to read over the feedback in Desmos and on course pack assignments and if needed, bring things to your instructor or the tutor lab for further clarification.

E-Learning

We use E-Learning as an online interactive tool that can provide immediate feedback. All assignments (quizzes) can be attempted infinitely many times, so start early and retake the quiz until you earn a 90 percent or higher. We will be utilizing this tool to help strengthen your mathematical skills and help you to become more efficient. Efficiency will be vital for your success in both this mathematics course and the next. After completing an activity in your course pack, go to E-Learning and take the corresponding quiz. Note that most quizzes will be due the Thursday or Sunday after you finish the corresponding activity in class. Be sure to visit E-Learning a few times throughout the week so that you do not miss a due date. If you miss a quiz due date, you can take the quiz with penalty. You can earn at most a 75 percent on the penalty quiz, but this is much better than a zero.

Exams

There will be four unit exams worth a total of 34 percent of your final grade: two 25 minute exams worth 7 percent and two other exams worth 10 percent each. Most of the problems on the unit exams will be similar to, or elaborations of homework and group work. Each exam will contain at least one problem very similar to the writing assignment problems. Other questions may test definitions, example problems, and/or class work. The final will be a comprehensive test worth 20 percent of your grade. If you are unable to attend class on any exam day you must notify Dr. Eisenhart (269) 387-4117 immediately, so that she can assist you in a timely manner.

Accommodations

Any �鶹��ý with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact their instructor and the appropriate disability services office at the beginning of the semester. If you believe you need some type of accommodation due to a disability and haven’t yet talked with the Disabled Services for Students office, do so immediately.

Policy on incompletes

According to University policy, incompletes are given only in those rare instances when extenuating circumstances have prevented a �鶹��ý from completing a small segment of the course. An incomplete is never given as a substitute for a failing grade and the Chair of the Department of Mathematics must approve all incomplete grades. The last day a �鶹��ý can officially withdraw from a class to avoid a failing grade is Monday, October 28 for fall 2024.

Student conduct

Please familiarize yourself with the �鶹��ý code of conduct and the definition of plagiarism. The use of cell phones is strictly prohibited during class, unless it’s a life-and-death emergency. Silence your phones, tablets, iPods, etc., at the entrance of the classroom and store them. If seen using one of these devices, you will be asked to leave since this is disruptive not only to the class but also the instructor. If there is an emergency situation, place your devise on vibrate, sit close to the door and leave the classroom as inconspicuous as possible. For a complete copy of the �鶹��ý conduct code go to the office of �鶹��ý conduct.

Academic integrity

Students are responsible for making themselves aware of and understanding the University policies and procedures that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. The academic policies addressing Student Rights and Responsibilities can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s) and if you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with your instructor if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.

Professionalism and Mutual Respect

Students and instructors are responsible for making themselves aware of and abiding by the “�鶹��ý Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, and Stalking Policy and Procedures” related to prohibited sexual misconduct under Title IX, the Clery Act and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)and Campus Safe. Under this policy, responsible employees (including instructors) are required to report claims of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator or designee (located in the Office of Institutional Equity). Responsible employees are not confidential resources. For a complete list of resources and more information about the policy see www.wmich.edu/sexualmisconduct

In addition, �鶹��ýs are encouraged to access the Code of Conduct, as well as resources and general academic policies on such issues as diversity, religious observance, and �鶹��ý disabilities:

WMU COVID-19 Requirements

Safety requirements are in place to minimize exposure to the �鶹��ý community. Stay informed of any changes in WMU's COVID-19 protocols.

Class participation rubric

Class participation will be informally assessed on a continuing basis. Class participation grades will be based on participation in both small group and whole group settings.

A: Contributing to others' learning

This is the goal of the class. This does not mean telling or showing someone else how to do something. Sometimes it means sharing your thoughts about the mathematics so that others can analyze and learn from it. Always it means listening carefully to what others are saying, connecting what you hear to your own thinking and asking questions that will help everyone involved better understand the mathematics. The expectations for receiving this grade will increase as the semester goes on. That is, it is assumed that these are skills that you are learning so in the beginning attempts at doing this will be sufficient to earn the grade. As you develop these skills, it will require competence in them to earn the "A".

B: Contributing to one’s own learning

Here you are clearly engaged in learning the mathematics, but haven’t moved outside yourself to interact well with others. It generally means doing quality work, but not being willing to share your thinking with others or not showing interest in making sense of their thinking. In the context of whole class discussion, it would mean listening and learning, but not sharing your ideas or observations with the class.

C: Getting by

This involves showing up, minding your own business and doing what you are told.

D: Interfering with learning of self or others

There are various ways one can do this; the most obvious are distracting group members from the task at hand or being belligerent about what one is asked to do. More subtle ways include implying someone is stupid because they don’t understand a problem or telling someone how to do a problem and thus undercutting their opportunity to figure it out for themselves.

F: Not there

This includes not being there physically and/or mentally. Note that whenever you are absent, it is your responsibility to make up the work, preferably before the next class so that you are able to participate in class.