MAT 154A, Section 2

Intermediate Algebra

Fall 2010

Instructor: Wynn Walker, phone: 541-4660 ext. 314, email: wlwalker326@gmail.com

Office Hours:  To be announced

Class Time and Location: Tues. & Thurs. 8:00 - 9:50 AM, E106

Textbook (Optional): Beginning and Intermediate Algebra, 4^th Edition, Elayn Martin-Gay

Required Software: It is required to have a software license to use the software MyMathLab in this class.  You must have a valid e-mail address to use the on-line curriculum.  Students have two choices.  The first choice is to purchase the textbook from the bookstore.  The textbook comes with the software license.  The second choice is to purchase the license alone either from the bookstore or online at coursecompass.com.  The license gives you access to the textbook online.  This is a more economical choice, but is only recommended to students who have online access and feel comfortable reading a computer screen instead of a traditional book.  If you purchase a used textbook, you will also need to purchase the software license.  If you have already purchased software for Mat 152A or Mat 152B for this textbook, you may also use it for this class at no extra cost.

For assistance with MyMathLab: You may get help by calling 1-800-677-6337 during the following hours: Mon – Fri 5:00 AM – 5:00 PM & Sunday 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Online assistance is available 24 hours every day at: 247pearsoned.custhelp.com

Calculator:  A scientific calculator is required for this course.  Graphing calculators will not be allowed on exams.

Course Description: MAT 154A is a continuation of MAT 152B and covers functions and inverses, exponential and logarithmic functions, sequences and series, and conic sections, quadratic equations, and systems of quadratic equations.

Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in MAT 152B, or appropriate skills demonstrated through the Math assessment process.

Student Learning Objectives:

1. Apply the course topics to real-world situations.
2. Sketch and interpret the graphs of functions and relations introduced in intermediate algebra.
3. Simplify mathematical expressions into forms more amenable to analysis.
4. Provide solutions to equations using methods from intermediate algebra.

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:                              15%

Quizzes:                                 10%

Exam1 (January 26)

Exam2 (February 16):             50%

Exam3 (March 4)

Final Exam (March 25):          25%

You may check your grades at any point in the quarter by accessing the grade book on Course Compass.

Homework: Homework is to be completed online with MyMathLab.  Homework will be assigned daily and will be due by midnight after the next class period.  If a homework assignment is not completed on time, a Late Homework Assignment may be requested.  This assignment will be accepted for half credit up to a week after the original due date.  To access our class page, go to www.coursecompass.com and register using the course ID:  walker68027 and your student access code. 

If all homework is completed, and no more than two are late, your lowest regular exam score will be dropped. 

Quizzes: Each week you will be required to take a quiz on MyMathLab.  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 Tuesday.  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.

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.

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.

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, laptops, 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 and exams.

Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty of any form will not be tolerated.  Students caught cheating on exams will receive a score of zero on the assignment and all dropping of lowest exam or quiz scores will be forfeit.  Students may 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, I will let you know.

September

21          4.4                               Introductions, Systems of Linear Equations in 3 Variables

23          3.6, 8.2                        Functions and Their Graphs

28        8.3                               Transformations of Functions

30        11.3                             Using Quadratic Methods to Solve Equations

October

5        11.4                             Quadratic and Rational Inequalities

7        11.5, 11.6                    Graphs of Quadratic Functions

12        Exam I

14        12.1, 12.2                    Function Algebra, Inverses 

19          12.2, 12.3                    More on Inverses, Exponential Functions

21          12.4                             Logarithmic Functions

26          12.5, 12.6                    Properties and Bases of Logarithms

28        12.7                             Logarithmic and Exponential Equations

November

2        Exam II

4        13.1                             Parabolas and Circles

9        13.2                             Ellipses and Hyperbolas

11        13.3, 13.4                    Systems of Nonlinear Equations and Nonlinear Inequalities 

16          14.1, 14.2                    Sequences (including Arithmetic and Geometric)

18          Exam III

23          14.3                             Series

25          Thanksgiving

30        14.4                             Arithmetic and Geometric Series

December

2        14.5                             Binomial Theorem

9        Final Exam