Math 181a-e

Syllabus Fall 1997

Required Text: Essential Arithmetic, Johnston, Willis, and Lazaris, Wadsworth, 7th Ed.

Instructor: George Drake: 541-4660x256

Office A202

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1:00-1:50pm; Saturday in D123 from 12:00 to 12:50

These hours are for drop-in student counselling (i.e., I am there waiting for someone, anyone, to show up), in addition, individual appointments may be made, but please observe the courtesy of attempting to meet your needs through the drop-in service as much as is practical. Thanks

Math 181a-e is a sequence of 5 one unit classes, referred to as "modules." Each module must be registered for separately, and each is graded separately. Because the course is taught as a combination of self-paced and group-led instruction, I recommend the student register for each class as it commences as group-led, rather than sign up early for a course he/she may not be prepared to finish when the quarter nears its end. The usual add and drop policies of the College are subject to special rules for modular classes such as this. The last day to add a module this quarter is Monday, November 24, 1997. The last day to drop a module is Monday, December 1, 1997.

HOMEWORK:

Completion of Mat 181a-e (i.e., all five units) in one quarter's time requires that students do homework.

When working homework:

1) With four exceptions, students are to read the sections prior to attempting any exercises. The exceptions are as follows (please mark them in your texts now): 1) On pages 151-153, the text describes the "Euclidean Algorithm." Do not read this material, nor use its method to work the exercises in section 3.3B. Instead, use the prime factoring and GCF methods only. 2) On pages 157-159, the text describes a "special algorithm." Do not read this material nor use its method to work exercises in section 3.4. Instead, use the prime factoring and LCM methods only. 3) In section 4.8, students are to skip the portion entitled "finding the square root when the answer is exact" (pages 268-9) Students are not to work any of the problems numbered 11 through 20 in either set. 4) Sections 11.2-11.5 are not to be read. Instead read and use the handout tntitled "Negative Numbers" to work the exercises in 11.2-11.5.

2) With three exceptions, when doing exercises, students are expected to do every third exercise--starting with number 1 (i.e., work numbers 1, 4, 7, etc.). If a problem has numerous subparts, a), b), etc., do each subpart as part of doing the problem itself (i.e., do not skip subparts). The first exception is section 4.7b, where you do not do #40. The second exception is section 4.8, (see above). The third exception is section 8.2B, where you start with #4.

3) When referring to the answer section in the back of the book, be aware of the conventions spelled out on page xiv, item 16, of your text (please read this reference before using the answer section!).

4) Answers to Set II exercises are available during class time.

5)Review exercises are optional.

6) Students must show their homework before they can take the exams on each Chapter.

7) Frequent review of these instructions, including which sections to cover (discussed later), will save you considerable confusion, especially regarding 8.2B and 4.8.

The general rule of thumb for allotting time for this work is two hours outside of class for each one hour in. Since this class meets five hours per week, be prepared (and schedule your life accordingly) to devote ten hours per week outside of class. This is particularly true if the student wishes to complete all 5 units in the span of one quarter. If this is very difficult for you to arrange, please talk to the instructor, as such special circumstances can usually be accommodated, but will require some coordination with him.

During the course orientation, you will be requested to fill out an estimate of your overall workload. The most common cause of lack of success in Mat 181a-e, without compare, is students having unrealistic self-expectations on how much work they can handle. The time to correct an overload is in the first few weeks of a quarter, not the last!

Students do have the option of reducing the time spent outside of class with the understanding that the usual consequence is that Mat 181a-e may require more than one quarter to complete. This is not advised, and students are urged to talk with the instructor before choosing this route.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Attendance, although not considered in assessing final grades, is essential and required (but see the note at the end).

Handheld calculators are not to be used for Mat 181a-c, but should be used in Mat 181d. They should also not be used during the portion of Mat 181e which involves manipulation of signed numbers (i.e., Chapter 11).

Mat 181a-c involve extensive work with the basic operations, the mechanics of which will be taught. However, the basic facts, such as 7 x 4, 14-6, etc., must be memorized by the student, and virtually no class time will be devoted to this task. It is the student's responsibility to assess, and eliminate, his/her weaknesses in this area!

The following outline of topics and date when the lectures on these topics begin are expected to be accurate. However, occasionally circumstances arise during the quarter which necessitate minor changes. If you need to know the exact date that a module begins and are not attending class regularly, consult me again nearer the proposed date. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the handouts, and this is especially pertinent if attendance is sporadic.

Day One: orientation, placement, and Preface

Module

181a (9/23/97): Chapters 1 & 2, Casting Out Nines and Fund. Thm. Of Arith. Handouts.

181b (10/9/97): Chapter 3

181c ( 10/28/97): Chapter 4.1-4.14 (4.8--no exact roots)

181d (11/6/97): Chapters 7.1, 6, & 8 (in this order) (Calculators may--in fact, should--be used)

181e (11/18/97): Chapters 11, 12, & 13.1-13.3 (13.4 optional) Negative Numbers Handout.

Students will be tested to determine proper placement. If placed in a module other than Mat 181a, the student may elect to sign up only for the modules needed and is then only required to attend during those classes in which those modules are being covered. Because so many students forget to return to the class at the proper time, however, this option is not recommended, and anyone wishing to exercise it must submit a stamped, self-addressed post card with the module they intend to take written in the content area.