MAT 135 – Intermediate Algebra & Applications
Spring 2010
Section 85592 – TR 1:25pm – 3:15pm
Instructor: Jamie Beth Fleischner
Email: Website: www.mccc.edu/~fleischj
Phone: (609)570-3807
Office Hours: LA121 • 9am-10am • Mondays/Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays.
LA121 • noon-1pm • Mondays
Welcome to Intermediate Algebra & Applications. This course is meant to strengthen and expand your ability for solving equations and your approach in application problems.
Required Materials:
1) Notebook
2) Textbook – Algebra for College Students, 5th edition, by Mark Dugopolski, packaged with ALEKS.
If you do not buy the book packaged with ALEKS access, you must purchase it at the bookstore.
3) ALEKS – if you do not buy it packaged with the book, you must purchase it separately.
4) Scientific calculator – TI-30X is required. A graphing calculator is recommended if you plan on taking
higher-level math courses. A cell phone is NOT a calculator!
Attendance is expected in every class and you are responsible for all of the material covered. If you miss a class, you are expected to follow the syllabus and be up-to-date on any and all material missed during your absence.
2 Late Arrivals (10 minutes+) = 1 Absence
3 Absences = meeting with instructor
After three consecutive missed classes, you will be withdrawn from the course by the instructor.
Extra Help
If you are having difficulties and need additional help beyond the classroom and group-work experience, get help immediately. Do not wait - you will only fall behind and this is to be avoided as much as possible. You may seek assistance from any or all of the following sources:
· Your solutions manual
· Online tutorial support (ALEKS)
· Your instructor during office hours (or by appointment)
· Tutors in the Math Learning Center(MLC) on both campuses: 2nd floor library-WWC/KC311-JKC
· Online web site like www.purplemath.com
Please note that there are no additional charges for any of the above help.
Homework is assigned in your textbook and through ALEKS each class meeting and your instructor will periodically check to see that it is done. There will also be take-home homework assignments that will be given throughout the semester. It is to your benefit to complete each homework assignment in full. Always check your answers in the back of the book.
ALEKS assignments are attached to the back of this packet and must be completed by the given deadlines in order to receive full credit. Completing the ALEKS pie is worth 5% of your final grade. Please see the last page for more information.
Quizzes: Quizzes will be given at the beginning of the class meeting and are assigned throughout the semester. If you are more than 15 minutes late to class, you will not get extended time to finish the quiz. If you arrive after all quizzes have been collected, you cannot take the quiz for full credit. You will be able to take the quiz home and complete it for partial credit, a maximum score of 50%.
If you miss a class in which a quiz is given, you will be allowed to do that quiz for partial credit only. Missed quizzes – you can only earn a maximum score of 50%. (Make-up quizzes for full credit are granted at the discretion of the instructor or with a doctor’s note from the student for the missed class.)
How to earn partial credit on your graded quizzes: You may earn partial credit to be added to your original quiz score by completing the following steps on a separate piece of paper and handing it in with your original quiz paper.
1) For each incorrect problem, rewrite that problem with the correct answer.
2) Describe in your own words the mistake that you made for each incorrect problem.
3) Describe in your own words the correct way to complete each incorrect problem.
All corrections to quizzes must be handed in at the following class meeting.
Tests: There are four tests that will be given in the Academic Testing Center and the due dates are listed below. You must take ALL FOUR TESTS in order to pass the course. There is NO RETAKE on any test and no tests will be dropped! There will be NO EXTENSIONS!
Unit Tests will be returned approximately 1 week after the test deadline.
Make sure to bring:
· Student ID – you will not be admitted without a current ID!
· pencil – all tests must be taken using pencils only
· calculator – your cell phone is not a calculator! AND you cannot share your calculator!
Test 1 must be taken by February 18th. Test returned after February 25th.
Test 2 must be taken by March 12th. Test returned after March 25th.
Test 3 must be taken by April 13th. Test returned after April 19th.
Test 4 must be taken by May 6th. Test returned after May 10th.
Academic Testing Center (WWC) hours are as follows:
Monday – Thursday 9am – 7:30pm
Friday 9am – 3:00pm
Saturday 9am – 2:30pm
Final Exam: The final exam is cumulative and is worth 25% of the final grade. You must score a minimum of 50% on the final exam to pass the course. The final exam will be given in class on the last day of the semester.
Grading:
Unit Tests (4)….…………60%
Quizzes (8)………………..5%
HW…………………………5%
ALEKS…………………….5%
Final Exam ………………25%
Attendance…..3 or less absences will replace your lowest quiz score with 100%
Grading Scale
The grades will be assigned as follows:
A 93 - 100
A- 90 – 92
B+ 87 – 89
B 83 – 86
B- 80 – 82
C+ 77 – 79
C 70 – 76
D 60 – 69
F 0 – 69
Statement of Appropriate Classroom Conduct
Mercer County Community College welcomes all students into a learning environment that creates a sense of acceptance, pride and respect. With that as our goal, students need to be aware of their responsibilities and follow common rules of courtesy during all class sessions. Behaviors that disrupt or distract from the learning process are unacceptable.
· Prompt arrival to class is expected, along with being properly prepared with all required materials.
· Electronic devices should be turned off or set to silent before entering the classroom.
· Differing viewpoints, strengths, and learning styles among fellow classmates should be acknowledged, respected and appreciated. All students should be made to feel
comfortable in expressing opinions and in asking questions.
· Students should never:
o Knowingly represent the work of others as their own.
o Use or obtain unauthorized assistance in the execution of any academic work.
o Give fraudulent assistance to other students.
Violators of the above actions will be penalized.
Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Documented Disabilities
Mercer County Community College is committed to supporting all students in their academic and co-curricular endeavors. Each semester, a significant number of students document disabilities, which may require learning, sight, hearing, manual, speech, or mobility accommodations to ensure access to academic and co-curricular activities. The college provides services and reasonable accommodations to all students who need and have a legal entitlement to such accommodations.
For more information regarding accommodations, you may visit the Office of Academic Support Services in FA129 or contact them at 609.570.3422 or .
Class Number / DayT/R / Section / HW – Book Problems
(odd #s, unless indicated) / Quiz Assignments
1 / 1/26 / 2.1 / 2.1: 9,11,23,25,31,33,37,41,45,51-55,59-63,75,79-83,93,99,105
2 / 1/28 / 2.2,2.3 / 2.2: 13,17,19,23-27,31,43,45,53-59,69-73,79
2.3: 7,11,17,19,23,27-31,35,41,45,53,55,73,81,83,93
3 / 2/2 / 2.4,2.5 / 2.4: 15,19,23,27,47-53,57,59,67,69,79,81,83,87-93
2.5: 13,17,21,23,27-31,35,39-43,49,51,52,55,57,75-79,83-87
4 / 2/4 / 2.5,2.6 / 2.6: 7-15,21,27-31,37,41,45,47,57-61,65,67,71-75,79,91-95 / Quiz #1
2.1-2.4
5 / 2/9 / 3.1,3.2 / 3.1: 23,29,31,35,41,49-57,67-73,77-83,87-91
3.2: 7-13,21-45, 49,53,55,59,61,69,71
6 / 2/11 / 3.3,3.5 / 3.3:9,13,15,19,27,29,33,37,41,49,51,57,63,65,71,73,79,83,87,
93-97,103
3.5: 7-17,25-29,33-39,51-57,69-77,81,83,89-93,97-103,107 / Quiz #2
2.5,2.6,3.1,3.2
Test 1 due February 18th
7 / 2/16 / 4.1,4.2 / 4.1: 9,11,19,21-24 (all),37,43,53,55,65,67,79,85,87,97,100,105
4.2: 9,11,19,21,25-33,39,43,47,53,61,65-69,77
8 / 2/18 / 5.3,5.4 / 5.3: 15,19,21,25,27,31-35,41,45-55,69,75,81-87,95,97,101
5.4: 13-19,25,31-45,53-63,69,71,77-83,89,107-111
9 / 2/23 / 5.5,5.6 / 5.5: 11-19,31,33,39-57,58,61,63,64,67-71,79,83-87,91-99,107
5.6: 7-19,23,25,77,85,95,117,133 / Quiz #3
4.1,4.2,5.3,5.4
10 / 2/25 / 5.7,5.8 / 5.7: 5-11, 17-37,45-59,71-81,87-91,99-105
5.8: 7-31,37-41,45-65,71,73,83,89,91,97,99
11 / 3/2 / 6.1,6.2 / 6.1: 7-17,21-31,37-45,49-57,63-71,93,95,97
6.2: 7-15,19-23,27-41,53-57,71-75,81,83,91,93 / Quiz #4
5.5-5.8
12 / 3/4 / 6.3 / 6.3: 11-17,25-35,41-51,59-65,85-91,97-101,105,107,109
Test 2 due march 12th
13 / 3/9 / 6.5 / 6.5: 7-15,19-23,27-45,49-59,95,97
14 / 3/11 / 6.6 / 6.6: 7-19,25-35,43-55,67-71,75-81,85,87,91
SPRING BREAK: March 15 – 21
Class Number / Day
T/R / Section / HW – Book Problems
(odd #s, unless indicated) / Quiz Assignments
15 / 3/23 / 6.7 / 6.7: 1-5,13-15,23,25,29,31,35,37,41,43,49
16 / 3/25 / 7.1,7.2 / 7.1: 7-17,23-57,61-71,77-111
7.2: 7-19,23-39,43-79,83-99,119-131 / Quiz #5
6.5-6.7
17 / 3/30 / 7.3 / 7.3: 5-13,17-29,33-45,49-57,61-99,111,113
18 / 4/1 / 7.4 / 7.4: 1-45,49-97,101-105 / Quiz #6
7.1-7.3
Test 3 due april 13th
19 / 4/6 / 7.5 / 7.5: 5-23,29-43,49-55,65-75,79-87,99,101,103,109
20 / 4/8 / 7.6 / 7.6: 7-27,33-37,45-57,65-77,85-101
21 / 4/13 / 8.1 / 8.1: 5-11,17-21,25-45,51-55,61-65,69-73,79-81,87-91,105
22 / 4/15 / 8.2 / 8.2: 7-11,15-19,23-29,33-43,49-59,77,79,81,83,85 / Quiz #7
7.5,7.6,8.1
23 / 4/20 / 8.3,8.4 / 8.3: 5-13,19-25,29-39,43-53,59-61,67-75,83,87,90
24 / 4/22 / 8.4 / 8.4: 7-33,37-41,45-49,53-57,61,63,65,67
Test 4 due may 6th
25 / 4/27 / 9.1 / 9.1: 7-13,19-25,29-47,51-55,75-83,87,89,91
26 / 4/29 / 9.2 / 9.2: 9-27,31-35,37-43,49-51,55-62(all),63-67
27 / 5/4 / 10.4 / 10.4: 5-13,17-31,35-42(all),45,47,48 / Quiz #8
9.1,9.2
28 / 5/6 / Supplement
29 / 5/11 / Final Exam Review
30 / 5/13 / FINAL EXAM – given in class
ALEKS Assignments
ALEKS Course Code: KJ9TW-4WLF9
ALEKS is an online-tutorial that guides you to work on your weaknesses, as well as helps you maintain your skills throughout the semester. Based on your performance in the initial diagnostic, ALEKS will assess where you need the most help. You will have limited choice as to which topics to work on in terms of the topics in the pie. Working on anything other than the topics in the pie will NOT affect your pie completion. Keep in mind that the topics you work on may not always correspond to the topics covered in class.
- First step: sign onto ALEKS and complete the diagnostic. After you complete the diagnostic, start exploring the topics in your pie!
- Second step: Work on pieces of the pie throughout the semester. As you master the topics listed in your pie, your pie percentage will increase. Your goal is to complete the pie. The grade you receive for completing the pie is calculated as 5% of your final grade.
•How your pie percentage translates: 80-100% completion = A
70-79% completion = B
60-69% completion = C
50-59% completion = D
- Third step: Work on the HW assignments, chapter assignments, and practice tests periodically throughout the semester.
•Each HW assignment with a grade of 70% or higher will add one point to your HW average.
(The maximum number of points you can get is 5 points.)
ALEKS Homework Assignments / Due DateCh. 2 / 2/14
Ch. 3 & 4 / 3/7
Ch. 5 & 6 / 4/6
Ch. 7 & 8 / 4/27