MATHEMATICS G
MATHEMATICS FOR THE LIBERAL
This course
satisfies
the General Education requirement and the Math Proficiency requirement
for
TIME: M W
INSTRUCTOR: DR. IAN G. WALTON
OFFICE: N2 403 PHONE (408) 855-5323 Office Hours - but see web
site for variations
M
email: ianwvmedu@redshift.com Do NOT send email to
Angel or to wvm.edu
All
routine and
emergency class announcements will be made on the class web page below
(not on
Angel)
Class Web
Page: http://www.
missioncollege.org/depts/math/classes/ians10mathg.htm
Ian's Bio Web
Page:
http://www.missioncollege.org/depts/math/ftbios/ianwalton.html
HOME:
TEXT
REQUIRED: BURGER & STARBIRD, HEART OF
MATHEMATICS 2/E
PREREQUISITES:
CLASS PERIODS: Class
periods will be a mixture of lecture and
problem solving. It is required that you attend all
classes since
we will have group discussions on many things that are not in your
textbook. Active Participation
will count in your grade.
HOMEWORK: Home
work problems will be assigned at most
class meeting and will be due as specified. Late homework may be
accepted with
reduced credit for your grade, in special circumstances. Ask me for
details.
Last date for any homework or assignments is last regular class
day (Wednesday,
May 19).
GRADES: There
will be no formal in-class exams in
this class. Most of your grade will come
from research projects which may require additional activity at the
college
– in addition to scheduled class time, and from presentations in
class, as
follows:
15 % of your grade
will come from active participation in class including
surprise
group activities and instructor observation. Make
sure you sign the attendance sheets each
time you are in class. Absences will not
be "excused" for this part of your grade. You may be dropped for
non-attendance. If you are texting or web browsing or otherwise engaged you
will not
receive full credit. If your grade for
this portion drops below a "C" you may be required to pass a
supplementary final exam.
10 % of your grade
will come from homework assignments from your book. They
must be turned in on time but will not be
graded for correct answers. They must
show all steps and explanations, not just answers.
15 % of your grade
will come from other homework assignments (takehomes).
These will be graded for correct answers
and explanations and overall quality of presentation. You
must be able to explain your own work - in
person if necessary.
20 % of your grade
will come from book or video or computer reports consisting of library
research
and/or communication during a class presentation. These
will require on campus activities.
20 % of your grade
will come from a midterm project and presentation in class. This should be a 5 - 10 page presentation of
some mathematical idea. You will
probably want to consider some topic related to material covered in
class, or
which is an application of material we have discussed. Research
it, then
write it up in words, pictures, graphs, in a way that your classmates
can
understand and learn something new from you. Be
prepared to give a five minute in-class
presentation.
20 % of your grade
will come from a final project. This should be similar in concept to
your
midterm project but on a different subject,
and
written only. It should be longer (10 -
15 pages ). Both
projects must contain complete, detailed references to all material
including
internet sources that you use in their preparation.
In grading all your
work I will be looking for evidence of time and effort spent in
discovering
mathematical ideas and applications that are new to you and your
classmates,
and in presenting them in an understandable, enjoyable attractive
format.
Extra credit
assignments are not available for this class.
Letter grades will be
assigned from your final total percentage score as follows:
90-100 A; 80-89 B;
65-79 C;
50-64
D;
0-50 F
If your grade for the
participation portion drops below a "C" you may be required to pass a
supplementary final exam.
If you stop coming to
class the instructor may assign a NC or F grade, or may drop you.
A CR/NC grade is
available in this class but must be arranged in advance - and may not
transfer.
Tutoring help is
available free in the Math Lab S2-301. (Jeff Bunch or Melissa Aguilar) Also ask about financial aid, scholarships
and counseling help.
Read the
evacuation procedures posted in the classroom.
DEADLINES &
IMPORTANT DATES
Last date to drop class
with no record - Friday, February 19
Book Report
Presentation due – Wednesday, February 24.
Midterm
Paper/Presentation due– Monday, April 5 - preliminary draft due March
22.
Last Date to drop class
with a "W" – Friday, April 30
Final Paper due – Monday,
May 10 -
preliminary draft due May 3.
Last
Date to turn in any material for your grade – Wednesday, May 19.
Final Week Meeting - Wednesday, May
26 - you must attend to receive a final grade!
(no
class on Monday May 24)
CHEATING &
BEHAVIOR POLICY You must not cheat on
assignments or conduct yourself in such a manner that any suspicion is
raised,
or in a manner disruptive to other students - turn off all electronic
devices
in class, and do not text or web browse or talk to each other when the
instructor is talking. You may receive zero score on the first
assignment where
cheating is suspected, or be given an F grade for the class, or be
dropped from
the class by the Vice President. See the college cheating policy in the
college
catalog. Also see additional
instructions for term papers and drafts and for takehomes.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
In the
event of a fire alarm or other emergency during class you should
collect all your
personal belongings (including car keys) and immediately leave the
building for
the assembly area outside. Stay clear of access roads. An evacuation
map is
posted in the classroom. Then wait for
instructions on whether to return to class or leave campus. If the campus is closed for an extended
period, look for additional instructions on the class web site.
GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES
We should
cover selected topics from your text book and other mathematical topics
that
are of interest. You should gain an appreciation for the beauty, power
and
usefulness of many new areas of mathematics, be able to solve assigned
problems
and be able to present material to your classmates. I
should gain an awareness of your
difficulties in time to help. Also see
the official student learning outcomes below.
!! AND LET'S HAVE FUN WHILE WE'RE AT IT
!!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
and HELP
Be sure to regularly check
out the Math G page on Ian’s website – address above.
Books with possible
topics for papers available in
Comap For all Practical Purposes,
Freeman / Berlinghoff & Grant A Mathematical Sampler,
Ardsley House
Videotapes available
in the Library or Mathlab:
For
all Practical Purposes; Life by the Numbers; Against All Odds
Several past midterm
and final papers for this class are on reserve
in the Math Lab S2-301 and may be checked out
for use in the lab (Ask Jeff or Melissa).
Several other
textbooks / articles are available in Ian's office at office hours.
Come and
browse for ideas.
You can also check
out other books from the
be used at home. Some call numbers which
contain interesting math material are:
QA1
- QA37 QA90 - QA150 QA241. Or
use the college Library's electronic
resources.
Or check out your
local city library, internet (see the class website for some suggested
sites) or
daily newspapers and magazines. You
may find appropriate material cataloged
under recreational mathematics.
Math G (Math for Liberal Arts Students)
Student Learning Outcome Statements
Course Outcomes
Students
completing this course will be
able to:
1.
Demonstrate knowledge,
comprehension, and
appreciation for the rich history of mathematical thought and reasoning.
2. Understand
and apply the role of
mathematics in critical thinking and problem solving.
3.
Communicate to a
non-mathematical audience their understanding of mathematics history,
techniques and applications.
4. Apply
a selected variety of mathematical
techniques and solve problems at the transfer level.
5. Understand
and describe a selected variety
of more recent and more advanced mathematical topics using mathematical
skills
at the transfer level.
Student Assessment Methods
1. Individual
and group in-class activities
2. In-class
student presentations
3. Research
and written term papers or portfolios
4. Homework
problems
5. Personal
reflections on the subject and what they have learned
Math G
# 87761 Homework
Assignment # 1
Print this
page and the following one, fill them out, sign below, and
turn them in by the assignment due date for part of the credit for
Homework
Assignment # 1
1) I certify that I have
downloaded/printed the
class syllabus for Math G and have read it completely.
2) I have chosen a “class buddy”
and have traded
contact information with them
Name of My Buddy _________________________________________
My
Signature
__________________________________________________
Date ____________________________
STUDENT
INFORMATION
WALTON
CLASS
NAME
______________________________________________
PHONE NUMBER H/C________________W_________________
E-Mail Address ______________________________________
Please help me by
describing a bit about yourself and what
you expect from this class by answering the three questions below. Thanks!
1) Describe
yourself
at work and play:
2) Tell
me about your
experiences in previous math classes:
3)What do you
hope to learn in this class? Why do you
need it?