Course Objectives: To provide the necessary mathematical background for students in the social sciences both to continue on to a required statistics course and also for analysis of data in other social science courses.
Class Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 4:30 - 5:20, HH548;
on laboratory days, HH 545
Instructor: B. Gold, Office: HH C-6, Office Telephone:
732-571-4451;
E-mail Address: bgold@monmouth.edu
Office Hours: Monday 1 - 2, Tuesday, Thursday 3:15 – 4:15, Wednesday
noon – 1, or by appointment or chance.
Required Texts: Linda Kime, Judith Clark, Explorations in
College Algebra, 2nd edition
Course Requirements: Three in-class examinations, final examination, weekly problem sets, laboratory exercises. In addition, I expect you to have read the section prior to class each day, and do all the “Algebra Aerobics” for that reading. I will answer questions on these at the beginning of class, and then collect them. I will grade them not for correctness, but for effort - if you leave a lot blank, you get no credit. But if you have seriously tried every one, even if you get most of them wrong, you get full credit. Weekly homework is due on Tuesdays; I will only answer questions about it on the preceeding Monday. Selected homework problems will be graded, for correctness. Laboratory exercises will take place most weeks that we don’t have a test, in HH545; write-ups of these exercises are due the following class period. Be sure to bring a diskette on which to save your work when you come to lab!
Methods of Evaluation and Grading Policy: 15% each in-class examination,
25% final examination, 10% weekly problem sets, 5% Algebra Aerobics, 15%
laboratory reports.
On a scale of 0 to 100, grades of:
A and A- will be assigned to scores of 90
and above
B+, B and B- will be assigned to scores between
80 and 90
C+, C and C- will be assigned to scores between
65 and 80
D+, D and D- will be assigned to scores between
50 and 65
F will be assigned to scores below 50.
Attendance Requirement: required.
Examination and Laboratory Absences: If you must miss an examination
or laboratory, you must let me know, by telephone, e-mail, or in person,
before the event, or the grade will be 0, with no exceptions! Further,
you must speak with me before the next class period to determine a make-up
time.
Last date to Withdraw with automatic assignment of "W" grade:
March 29, 2004.
Statement on Academic Honesty: You are welcome to consult others,
whether students in the class or tutors in the Mathematics Learning Center.
However, whenever you have had assistance with a problem, you are to state
that at the beginning of the solution to the problem. Unless it becomes
excessive, there will be no reduction in credit for getting such assistance.
This policy applies to both individual and group work. (Of course groups
only have to acknowledge help from outside the group.)
Examination Rules: No student is permitted to have at his or her desk
any books or papers that are not given out or expressly permitted by the
instructor. Possession of such material will be regarded as evidence of
intent to use the information dishonestly. No communication between students
during the examination is permitted. If there are questions, or if there
is a need for additional material, the instructor should be asked. If there
is a need for calculations or notes, they may be written on the pages of
the exam.
In accordance with the academic honesty policy of Monmouth University
each exam will contain the following pledge:
"I, ____________________________, certify that I have read the above
rules for examinations, and that I have abided by them. By signing, I affirm
that I have neither given nor received aid during this examination, and
I understand that violation of this affirmation may result in suspension
or expulsion from Monmouth University."
Statement on Special Accommodations: Students with disabilities who need special accommodations for this class are encouraged to meet with me or the appropriate disability service provider on campus as soon as possible. In order to receive accommodations, students must be registered with the appropriate disability service provider on campus as set forth in the student handbook and must follow the University procedure for self-disclosure, which is stated in the University Guide to Services and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities. Students will not be afforded any special accommodations for academic work completed prior to the disclosure of the disability, nor will they be afforded any special accommodations prior to the completion of the documentation process with the appropriate disability office.
Success in Mathematics: All students who have the prerequisite background (either from the departmental placement examination or by passing MA050) can succeed in this course if they read the assigned text before class, attend class regularly, participate fully in group computer projects, and do homework assignments on time (getting help from the instructor or the Mathematics Learning Center when unable to complete an assignment). However, failure to carry out these responsibilities can lead to failure in the course.
Class will begin promptly, so plan to arrive at least 5 minutes early and be prepared to start work as soon as the period starts. Arriving late or leaving early is disruptive to the class and is not appreciated.
I expect students to come to each class prepared to participate in the class work. This includes bringing the Algebra Aerobics for the day, clean paper, a writing implement (or two), the textbook, and a calculator, as well as any assignments which are due.
You folks are now adults and I intend to treat you with respect and expect the same from you, towards both your instructor and your classmates. I have no tolerance for students who laugh at or put down another student’s response.
You will occasionally need a “scientific” calculator (with values of square root, exponential and logarithm functions built in).
A midterm grade will be generated based on the first exam score and other material turned in by March 4, and submitted to the Registrar’s Office on March 9. Please note that the last date to withdraw from a course is March 29, so if your midterm grade is not satisfactory, please speak with me promptly about whether you should withdraw from the course.
If you are having difficulty in the course, your first step should be to come see me during office hours. In addition, free tutoring is available in the Math Learning Center located in Room 543 on the top floor of Howard Hall. The tutors are college students from a variety of majors who can explain the mathematical concepts clearly from a student’s point of view. The tutors request that students bring their textbooks with them and that they come prepared with specific questions.
Just as becoming good in a sport involves both effort and sometimes some pain as muscles get stretched which haven’t been used before, becoming good in mathematics involves work and occasionally pain. However, the results, both in sports and in knowledge, more than reward the effort, and I will do my best to help you avoid unnecessary difficulties, the “twisted ankles” of learning mathematics. I look forward to a good semester working with you.
Exams from earlier this semester
Outline of Course Content and Schedule:
| Date | Section (and Alg. Aer. due) | Homework due |
| 1/20 | 1.1 | |
| 1/22 | Laboratory 1 (histograms) | 1.1, 1.2 algebra aerobics |
| 1/26 | 1.1, 1.2 | Laboratory 1 report |
| 1/27 | Laboratory 2 (scatterplots) | Ch. 1: 1, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 24, 26, 30 |
| 1/29 | 1.3, 1.4 | Laboratory 2 report |
| 2/2 | 1.5, 1.6 | |
| 2/3 | 2.1, 2.2 | Ch. 1: 34bce, 36, 38, 40, 44ab, 45, 46, 56, 60, 63, 68 |
| 2/5 | 2.3, 2.4 | |
| 2/9 | 2.5, 2.6 | |
| 2/10 | Laboratory 3 (lin. functions) | Ch. 2: 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14ace, 16b, 18, 20, 22, 24 |
| 2/12 | 2.7, 2.8 | Laboratory 3 report |
| 2/16 | Review for Exam 1 | |
| 2/17 | Exam 1, Chapters 1 & 2 | Ch. 2: 30, 31a, 32, 34, 36ace, 38bc, 39, 42BD, 45a, 47, 50, 60, 68, 73, 82, 86 |
| 2/19 | 3.1 | |
| 2/23 | 3.2 | |
| 2/24 | Laboratory 4 (regr. line) | Ch. 3: 2, 5, 6, 8; Ch. 2: 48, 51, 52 |
| 2/26 | 3.2 | Laboratory 4 report |
| 3/1 | 3.3 | |
| 3/2 | Laboratory 5 (regr. line appl.) | Ch. 3: 9, 10, 12abeg, 14, 15a, 16, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29; Ch. 2: 56, 57, 59 |
| 3/4 | 3.4 | Laboratory 5 report |
| 3/6 - | 3/14: Spring break | |
| 3/15 | 5.1 | |
| 3/16 | Laboratory 6 (exp. fcns,slidr) | Ch. 3: 32, 34, 36, 37, 40, 41a, 42a, 44, 45; Ch. 2: 61, 63, 64 |
| 3/18 | 5.2 | Laboratory 6 report |
| 3/22 | 5.3 | |
| 3/23 | 5.5a | Ch. 5: 1ab, 2ab, 4, 5, 6bdf, 7ac, 8, 10, 12 |
| 3/25 | Laboratory 7 (lin vs exp gr) | |
| 3/29 | Review for Exam 2 | Laboratory 7 report |
| 3/30 | Exam 2, Chapters 3 and 5 | Ch. 5: 14, 16, 18, 29, 31, 32, 33, 36 |
| 4/1 | 6.1 (only 289-290, 295-297) | |
| 4/5 | 6.2 (just do 1, 2 of algebra aerobics), 6.3 (just do 2, 3, 6 of algebra aerobics) | |
| 4/6 | Laboratory 8 (logs) | Ch 6: 1ab, 2, 3, 4, 12ac, 13ab, 16, 18, 21 |
| 4/8 | 6.4 (just do 1, 2 of algebra aerobics) | Laboratory 8 report |
| 4/12 | Changing exp eq to lin w/log | |
| 4/13 | Laboratory 9 (car. cap vs log) | Ch. 6: 26, 29, 34ac, 36bc, 37acd, 38bc |
| 4/15 | 8.2 | Laboratory 9 report |
| 4/19 | 8.3a | |
| 4/20 | Laboratory 10 (quadr. sliders) | Ch. 8: 19ac, 20, 22abc, 24ab, 28 |
| 4/22 | 8.4a (418 - 419 only) | Laboratory 10 report |
| 4/26 | Lab. 11 (lin, exp, log, parab.) | Ch. 8: 33ac, 34ac, 35ac, 39acf, 40, 41ac, 45, 46ace, 48, 49 |
| 4/27 | Review for Exam 3 | Laboratory 11 report |
| 4/29 | Exam 3, Chapters 6 and 8 | |
| 5/3 | Review |
Final exam Monday, May 10, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., HH 545.
Below are BATs for the course. BAT stands for Be Able To, and it's a list of what I expect you to be able to do once you've read, and done the homework, on that section.
BATs (under construction: these currently are
from older version of the course)
Chapter 1: