MATH 021: Spring 2015

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Professor: Dr. Talitha M. Washington Contact: Office: 218 Academic Support Building B; Office hours: TR 12:30 - 2 pm, and by appointment Phone: (202) 806-6833; E-mail: [email protected]; Web: http://talithawashington.com Class Location/Time: G-07 Chemistry Building; TR at 8:10 am - 9:30 pm Text: Mathematical Practices, by Ron Larson and Robyn Silbey, http://mathematicalpractices.com/ WebAssign: https://www.webassign.net with course ID: howard 5695 0720 Course Website: Blackboard, http://www.howard.edu/blackboard Course Description: MATH 021 Fundamental Concepts of Mathematics for Education II (3): Fundamental concepts of mathematics needed by elementary school teachers. Treats geometry, probability and statistics. Specific topics include: visualization and properties of angles, circles, spheres, triangles, and quadrilaterals; measurement, length, area, and volume, transformations, congruence, and similarity; and basic descriptive statistics and probability. Required of all students in an elementary school certification program. Prerequisite: Math 006 College Algebra I Course Learning Objectives: The goal is to provide an understanding of the mathematics necessary to teach at the elementary school rather than focus on mathematics teaching methods. The purpose of this course is to instruct students in ways of mathematical thinking beyond computation and to provide a broader view of mathematics by introducing a variety of uses within the topic framework. The general course goals are to help you: • gain knowledge about the conceptual background which underlies the major mathematical themes found in the elementary school curriculum, • develop an ability to communicate mathematical ideas clearly and effectively, both in writing and orally, • develop ability to apply analytic skills to mathematical ideas and processes, • develop an understanding of how mathematics applies to a wide array of different areas, • develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, and • develop an understanding of how to present the major concepts of this course to elementary school children for whom these concepts are developmentally appropriate. Methods of Instruction: The method of instruction for most classes will be a lecture/discussion. Students are encouraged to participate in class by asking questions, contributing to discussions, and working problems. Outside of class, students are expected to read the text and complete all assigned homework. Grading: The weights in determining your final grade are as follows: • Active Participation – 4% • Online Homework Via WebAssign – 12% • Projects – 12% • Quizzes – 12% • Three Exams (Feb 10, Mar 10, Apr 21) – 36% • Comprehensive Final Exam (Apr 31, 8-10 am) – 24% Final grades will be n using the following percentages: A 90-100; B 80-89; C 70-79; D 60-69; F 0-59. However, I reserve the right to subjectively adjust your semester grade. Please see me if you have any questions about how you stand. All grades will be posted and updated regularly on Blackboard. Course requirements and policies: a. Calculators are not required in this course. You may use a calculator when doing homework or working exercises, but calculators will not be allowed on any in class work including quizzes and exams. b. Active Participation can only be achieved by attending class daily and on time, as well as completing in class work. You are expected to attend class on time every day. If you miss a day, it is up to you (not me, or your classmates) to catch up and learn what you missed. A schedule will be posted and updated regularly on Blackboard.

MATH 021: Spring 2015

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c. Online Homework Via WebAssign will be given regularly on WebAssign https://www.webassign.net. The course ID is: howard 5695 0720. Typically there will be two homework sets per week due by online submission on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:59 pm. Some homework exercises are intended to make you think about ideas not discussed in class but most have the goal to reinforce skills. There are NO make-ups for online homework. Give yourself ample time to complete assignments well before the posted due date. Lapses in internet access, faulty computers, power outages, or scheduled maintenances are NOT valid excuses for missed or incomplete assignments. d. Projects will be assigned weekly and will typically be due on most Thursdays. The projects may require paragraphtype responses, drawings and computer work. Since mathematics is often taught with technology, some projects may require the use of Excel, PowerPoint/Prezi, GeoGebra, and/or TI-83/84. These projects seek to develop skills in explaining mathematical concepts accurately through written work. Thus, submissions should be clear, concise and correct. e. Quizzes will be given during the last 15 minutes of class on most Tuesdays. There are NO make-ups for quizzes. These questions will be strikingly similar to those in the Exercise List and those done in class. At the end of the semester, the lowest in-class quiz score of each student will be dropped. f. Make-ups will be given only in extreme circumstances that are documented, approved excused absences and only if I am aware of the circumstances prior to the exam or class work. Students may be excused for reasons of illness or injury that are certified by a physician, death in the immediate family, court summons or religious holiday. In particular, makeups will never be given to accommodate travel plans. g. Submitted Work should be written up carefully. If critical steps in the solution of a problem are missing, expect to lose points. In general, be sure to show your work. All written solutions must be clear, concise and correct. Even if your solution is correct, expect to lose points if it is difficult to read and understand. This includes solutions that are confused, incomprehensible, unnecessarily complicated, verbose, illegible or incomplete. h. Electronic Devices and all cell phones that can disrupt class should be silenced and put away during class. They must be put away during quizzes and exams. Use of a cell phone or other means of communication as well as unauthorized aid during an exam or quiz could result in a score of 0. i. Honor Code should be clear to all students and will comply with the terms of the University’s Academic Code of Student Conduct on academic cheating, plagiarism, and copy infringement. Note that collaboration on homework is allowed and encouraged, but giving or receiving help of any kind on exams or quizzes is strictly prohibited. i. Accessibility: Please let me know immediately if you have a learning or physical disability requiring accommodation. For more information, contact the Dr. Barbara Williams, Dean for Special Student Services, at (202) 238-2420 or by email at [email protected]. j. Some advice: You should expect to spend at least 6 hours each week studying outside of class. Your study time should include reading the text and working on all homework problems. I recommend that you keep your notes, homework, exams, and class handouts organized. You will need these materials to prepare for the Final Exam and they may be useful to you in the future. That is, since many of you may teach mathematics in an elementary school, strive for complete mastery and understanding. Please do not hesitate to stop by my office, call me, or send me an email if you are having difficulty with any part of the course. k. Tentative Schedule Polygons and Polyhedra (10.1-10.4) Measurement (11.1-11.4) Circles and Circular Solids (12.1-12.3) Congruence and Similarity (13.1-13.3)

Transformation (14.1-14.3) Coordinate Geometry (15.1-15.4) Probability (16.1-16.4) Statistics (17.1-17.4)