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MAT 152B Basic Algebra (Part II) Winter 2009
Instructor: Bruce Armbrust, phone: 541-4660 ext. 314, email: armbrust@ltcc.edu
Office Hours: Room A210, Mon. 10:00 – 11:00 AM Mon. 1:00 – 1:30 PM Wed. 1:00 – 1:30 PM Thurs. 12:00 – 1:00 PM MSC, Wed. & Fri. 10:00 – 11:00 AM And as always, by appointment.
Class Time and Location: Tues. & Thurs. 1:00 – 2:50 PM, A211
Textbook: Beginning and Intermediate Algebra, 4th Edition, Elayn Martin-Gay
Calculators: Calculators are not allowed in MAT 152B.
Course Description: MAT 152B is a continuation of MAT 152A. Topics covered will include factoring, solving equations with rational and radical expressions, systems of linear equations, and solving quadratic equations.
Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in MAT 152A, or appropriate skills demonstrated through the Math assessment process.
Student Learning Outcomes: 1.
Factor a polynomial.
Course Grade: Your final letter grade will be based on the usual grading scale: A 90-100%, B 80-89%, C 70-79%, D 60-69%, F 0-59% The following items will make up the course grade:
Homework: 20% Quizzes: 15% Exam1 (January 22) Exam2 (February 12): 45% Exam3 (March 5) Final Exam (March 24): 20%
You may check your grades at any point in the quarter by going to the following website using your secret code:
http://www.gradesource.com/reports/1027/15201/index.html
Homework: Homework may be completed either online with MyMathLab, or on paper as is traditionally done. The online homework is assigned weekly and will be due Monday at midnight. Late homework will be accepted for half credit up to a week after the due date. To access our class page, go to www.coursecompass.com and register using the course ID: armbrust24796 and your student access code. You must have a valid e-mail address to use the on-line curriculum.
Traditional style homework will be due the class period after it is assigned. Homework not turned in at this time will be considered late. You may turn in homework up to one week after it is assigned for half credit. Your homework score will be determined in the following way: up to 5 points for completion and one point each for 5 problems chosen at random to be graded.
If all homework is turned in, and no more than two are late (or one late if opting for online homework), the lowest regular exam score will be dropped.
Quizzes: Each week you will be required to take a quiz on My MathLab. The quiz will be made up of problems that are very similar to the problems from your homework assignments. Quizzes must be completed by midnight Monday. The quizzes may be taken as often as you would like before this time. However, your most recent score will be the score entered into the grade book. So be aware that your score can go down if you retake the quiz. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped. Because of this, there will be no make-up quizzes.
Exams: Students are to bring a pencil and blank scratch paper to each exam. If you cannot make it to an exam (final not included), you may take it up to 2 school days prior to the scheduled date with proper arrangements. Otherwise, the exam may be made up after the scheduled date with a penalty of 10% per day.
Registration Information: You must register for this class at the Office of Admissions and Records. You may drop the class with no penalty or mark on your record on or before January 30. After January 30, you may drop the class and receive a grade of W until February 20. After February 20, if still enrolled, you will receive a grade of A, B, C, D, F or I.
How to Succeed in a Math Class: I am often asked how to successfully pass a math class, and here is my advice:
I) Come to every class session. Be prepared, and plan on participating. II) Do your homework. Remember that what I assign is what I consider a bare minimum. If you need more practice, do it. Don’t make me be a homework enforcer. III) Read the book. You paid good money for it, so you might as well use it. IV) Make use of available tutors and my office hours. You will find tutors who know the subject matter in this course at the Math Success Center (MSC). V) Do math every day. Math is just like everything else: if you don’t practice, you become rusty.
Technology in the Classroom: All cell phones, headphones, MP3 players, iPods, etc, must be turned off and put away prior to the start of each class. No electronic devices may be used during quizzes and exams.
Learning Disabled Students: Students with disabilities who may need accommodations for this class are encouraged to notify me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) early in the quarter so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. Students may contact the DRC by visiting the Center (located in room A205) or by phoning 541-4660, ext. 249 (voice) or 542-1870 (TTY for deaf students). All information will remain confidential.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty of any form will not be tolerated. Students caught cheating on exams or quizzes will receive a score of zero on the assignment for the first offense and a course grade of F for the second offense. Students my work together on homework assignments (and, in fact, are encouraged to) as long as all students understand the material covered.
Course Schedule: The following is a tentative schedule. If things change (and I have money that says they will), I will let you know.
January6 4.1, 4.2 Solving Systems by Graphing and Substitution 8 4.3, 4.5 Solving Systems by Addition and Applications 13 6.1, 6.2 Factoring: Common Factors, Grouping 15 6.3, 6.4 Factoring Trinomials 20 6.5, Review Factoring Special Forms 22 Exam I 27 6.6, 6.7 Solving Equations using Factoring and Applications 29 7.1, 7.2 Simplifying, Multiplying, Dividing Rational Expressions
February3 7.3, 7.4 Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions 5 7.5, 7.6 Equations with Rational Expressions and Applications 10 7.7, Review Complex Fractions 12 Exam II 17 8.4 Variation 19 9.3, 9.4 Absolute Value Inequalities, Systems of Linear Inequalities 24 10.1, 10.2 Radicals and Rational Exponents 26 10.3, 10.4 Simplifying Radicals, Operations on Radicals
March3 10.5, Review Rationalizing Denominators 5 Exam III 10 10.6 Solving Radical Equations 12 10.7 Complex Numbers 17 11.1, 11.2 Completing the Square and the Quadratic Formula 19 Review 24 Final Exam
The following is a list of all homework assignments for this course. The due dates for the various sections will be given in class.
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