Intermediate Algebra Syllabus

INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA
SECTION 3 OR 8

Instructor:             Kathleen Kane
Office:                   S224
Telephone:            (908) 526 – 1200 ext. 8296

E-mail: kkane@rvcc.raritanval.edu

Office Hours:       Monday and Wednesday         1:30 PM –   2:30 PM
                              Tuesday and Thursday          11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
                              Friday                                    9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Materials: Textbook: Intermediate Algebra, Third Edition by John Tobey and Jeffrey Slater.

You will NOT be allowed to use a calculator in this course.

Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes. Attendance will be taken every day. If a student has more than 12 hours of absence, the student may be administratively withdrawn from the course without prior notice or refund.

Attending all lectures is essential for success in this course. Lectures reinforce and explain the material presented in the textbook. Additional solution techniques, which may not be found in the book, will be demonstrated in class. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with the class work and homework assignments. At least two hours of study should be spent outside of class for each hour spent in class.

Classroom Behavior:

1. At all times, you are expected to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a college classroom.
2. Talking or any other types of disruption during the lecture will not be tolerated.
3. Leaving the classroom during the lecture should be reserved for emergencies only. It is very disruptive for you, the students around you and the instructor. If you must leave in an emergency, do so as quickly and quietly as possible.
4. You should be on time for class. If you are late for class, please enter the classroom quietly and quickly take the closest available seat. If possible, avoid walking across the front of the classroom directly in front of the instructor. Set up your materials with minimal amount of disturbance to those around you.
5. All beepers and cellular telephones must have the ringer turned off while you are in class.

Requirements and Grading:

1. Tests                          40%
2. Lab Work                   20%
3. Homework,quizzes      15%
4. Final                            25%

Your grade = .40(test avg.) + .20(lab avg.) + .15(homework/quiz avg.) + .25(final ex. avg.)

Your letter grade will be assigned according to the following scale:

90 -100 A
80 - 89 B
70 - 79 C
0 – 69 F

YOUR GRADE WILL NOT BE CURVED. YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU EARN!

Tests: There will be 4 tests given through out the semester and a comprehensive final given during the final exam period.

The test schedule given in the attached schedule is tentative. It is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

A make up test will be given ONLY if the following procedure is followed:

Notify the instructor ON OR BEFORE THE DATE that the scheduled test is to be given. This may be done in person, by phone, voice mail, or e-mail. A note under the office door or in the mailbox is NOT acceptable. In addition, you must be able to provide official documentation as an excuse. Official documentation includes a doctor’s excuse, court summons, etc. If you fail to notify the instructor on the date of the test or cannot provide official documentation, a makeup test will not be given AND your grade for the exam will be a zero.

Tests will be given during the regularly scheduled class periods. You are expected to be on time. Arriving late to class on the day of a scheduled test DOES NOT entitle you to extra test time!

Quizzes: Quizzes will be given throughout the semester. Quizzes may be announced or unannounced.

QUIZZES CANNOT BE MADE UP. If you miss a quiz, regardless of the reason (including being late for class), you will receive a zero for that quiz.

Homework: Homework will be assigned during almost every class period. These homework problems will not be collected. You will, however, be expected to complete all assignments before the next scheduled class. The problems on the tests and quizzes will be very closely related to the homework problems.

On the last class day of the week, I will give you an assignment that reviews the material covered for the week. This assignment will be collected at the beginning of the following class period. The graded homework will not be gone over in class.

Your homework must meet the following guidelines. Failure to do so will result in a grade of ZERO. No exceptions.

1. The assignment must be neat and legible – by my standards.
2. No loose pages accepted. ALL ASSIGNMENTS HAVING MORE THAN ONE PAGE MUST BE STAPLED. No folded corners, paper clips, etc.
3. The assignment must be done on paper without ragged edges.
4. The problems must be done in numerical order and clearly labeled.
5. You must show an appropriate amount of work for full credit.
6. Homework will be collected during the first five minutes of the class on the day it is due. If your homework is not turned in at this time, regardless of the reason (this includes being late for class that day), it is considered late and will be penalized. Five points will be subtracted from you grade for each day or part of a day that the homework is late. You may turn your homework in early, but you must be sure that I have it by the deadline. Putting your homework in my mailbox is NOT recommended. If you want to receive full credit, have the math lab staff stamp it with the date and time and ask them to put it in my folder.

Lab Work: Labs must follow the same guidelines as the homework.

GETTING HELP:
If you experience difficulties at anytime during the course, there are many ways of getting help.

a. Your textbook and its computer work supplements. Aside from the supplements, there are videotapes corresponding to the topics in the text. These videotapes may be viewed in the Math Lab or Media Center. The videotapes cannot be removed from the Math Lab or Media Center, but there is no viewing time limit.
b. Office Hours. The purpose of these office hours is to provide time for the instructor to help and interact with all of her/his students. If the office hours are not convenient for you, see your instructor to set up an appointment.
c. The Math Lab. RVCC provides its students with mathematics tutors, free of charge, in the Math Lab located in Room S-20 in the basement of the South Building. Tutoring at the Math Lab generally begins in the second week of classes. When you go to the Math Lab, make sure you sign in at the front counter. Tutors will be at the front counter and also working at the tables. Also available by request at the front counter are supplements for your textbook (Student Solution Manual, videotapes). The telephone number for the Math Lab is 908-526-1200 Ext. 8393. The Math Lab Manager is Diane Fancera. Hours of operation for Math Lab will be posted each semester on its double glass doors and another schedule will be posted for final exam week.
d. A study group. Students can form study groups to motivate themselves and each other. Study groups can work on homework or study for tests and quizzes.
e. Testing Skills and Math Anxiety Workshops. The RVCC Counseling Center offers workshops on many topics and concerns, including test-taking skills, math anxiety, time management, stress management. The schedules and locations of these workshops can be obtained from the Counseling Center.
f. Tutoring. The Special Educational Services Office, located on the 2ND floor of the South Building offers tutoring free of charge to students.

CHALLENGING YOUR PLACEMENT:

If you choose to challenge your placement, it must be done the first week of classes. If your score on the Compass test placed you in Intermediate Algebra and if you feel that this does not represent your algebraic abilities, within the first week of classes only, you may challenge your placement. This option is available to you only if you have completed Algebra II in high school and if you are enrolled in Intermediate Algebra for the first time. For more information, contact or visit the Counseling Center on the first floor of the College Center.

MANAGE YOUR TIME:

This course will help you to prepare for college-level mathematics and mathematics-related courses. In order to develop your skills properly and to thoroughly understand the concepts, you may need to put in at least two hours of study time for every hour spent in class.

WHAT IS NEXT?
This course prepares you for Precalculus I, Statistics I, Number Systems, Contemporary Mathematics, and Foundations of Calculus.

Intermediate Algebra (Fall 1999 and Spring 2000)
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF LECTURE AND HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

NOTE: Answers for all odd-numbered homework problems are given in the back of the textbook. The answers for Pretests, Chapter Review Problems, Chapter Tests, and Cumulative Tests are also given in the back of the textbook.

Section Number Reading Assignment Homework Assignment

WEEK ONE

1.1 p. 3-6 p. 7-9/ 1-33 odd, 37, 39, 41, 53, 55, 59

1.2 (Review) p. 10-15 p. 16-17/ 1-33 odd, 39, 41, 43, 49, 51, 57, 65

1.3 (Review) p. 18-22 p. 23-24/ 1-29 odd, 33, 39, 45, 49, 51, 53,
57, 65, 71, 73

1.4 p. 25-32 p. 33-35/ 1-43 odd, 47, 51, 57, 65, 77, 81,
85, 95, 97

1.5 (Review) p. 36-39 p. 40-41/ 1-23 odd, 29, 31, 35, 41, 45, 47,
49, 53, 55

1.6 (Review) p. 42-46 p. 47-49/ 1, 5, 11, 15, 19, 21, 25, 31, 35, 39, 43, 51

Chapter Review p. 53-54/ 1-29, 31, 33, 35, 39, 43-49

WEEK TWO

2.1 p. 60-64 p. 65-67/ 1-19 odd, 23, 27, 29, 35, 41, 49, 51,
53, 55, 59

2.2 p. 68-70 p.71-73/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 21, 25, 27, 29

2.3 p. 74-76 p. 77-78/ 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 19, 25, 27, 35, 41

2.4 p. 80-85 p. 86-87/ 1-9 odd, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19

Lab 1 Lab 1 covers chapter 1 and sections 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3.

WEEK THREE

2.5 p. 88-92 p. 93-95/ 1-7 odd, 9, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27

2.6 p. 96-102 p. 103-105/ 1-25 odd, 27, 29, 31, 39, 45, 49

2.7 p. 106-109 p. 110-111/ 1-21 odd, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35,
37, 41, 43, 45, 47

WEEK FOUR

2.8 p. 112-117 p. 118-119/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 21, 25, 31,
35, 37, 39

Lab 2 Lab 2 covers sections 2.4 – 2.8.

Chapter Review                                                                                   p. 122-124/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23,
                                                                                                                               25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35, 37, 43,
                                                                                                                               47, 49-57, 59, 61, 65, 69, 73, 75

REVIEW EXAM I                                                                              p. 55-56/ 1-21
                                                                                                           p.125-126/ 1-20
                                                                                                           p.127-128/1-20

EXAMI Exam I covers chapters 1 and 2. ALL SECTIONS LISTED ABOVE.

WEEK FIVE

9.1 Obj. 1 p. 506-507 p. 510/ 1, 2, 5, 9, 11, 13

3.1 p. 132-136 p. 137-140/ 1-11 odd, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27,
29, 33, 35, 37, 41, 43

3.2 p.141-146 p. 147-148/ 1-11 odd, 13, 17, 19, 21, 25, 29,
31, 35, 39

3.3 p.149-154 p.155-157/ 1-11 odd 15, 17, 21, 23, 25,
29, 31, 35, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51

WEEK SIX

3.4 p.159-161 p.162-164/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 13, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 29

Lab 3 Lab 3 covers chapter 3.

Chapter Review p. 189-191/ 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13,
15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31

4.1 p. 200-209 p. 210-212/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23,
25, 29, 31, 35, 37, 39, 45, 47

4.3 p. 221-225 p. 229-230/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17

WEEK SEVEN

4.6 p. 252-254 p.255-257/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 21, 23, 25

Lab 4 Lab 4 covers chapter 4.

Chapter Review p. 262-264/ 1, 5, 9, 12, 13, 17, 21, 33, 35, 57, 58

Review Exam II                                                                                 p. 553/ 1
                                                                                                         p.193/ 1-8
                                                                                                         p. 265-266/ 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12
                                                                                                         p. 267-268/ 1-14, 16, 19, 20

EXAM II Exam II covers chapters 3 and 4. ALL SECTIONS LISTED ABOVE.

WEEK EIGHT

5.1 (Review) p. 272-276 p. 277-278/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 19, 23, 29,
38, 41, 45, 55, 59

5.2 p. 279-282 p. 283-284/ 1, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, 21, 25

5.5 (Review) p. 295-301 p.302-303/ 1-71 every other odd

5.6 p. 304-308 p. 309-310/ 1-55 every other odd, 65, 67, 75

5.7 p. 311-312 p. 313-314/ 1-43 every other odd

Lab 5 Lab 5 covers chapter 5

WEEK NINE

5.8 p. 315-320 p. 321-323/ 1-39 every other odd, 41, 43, 45, 47, 53

Lab 5 Lab 5 covers chapter 5.

Chapter Review p. 326-328/ 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 19, 23-57 odd,
59, 61, 63, 65, 67

6.1 p.335-339 p. 340-342/ 1-27 odd, 29, 31, 33, 39, 41, 45,
47, 49, 51, 53, 57, 59, 61

6.2 p. 343-347 p. 348-350/ 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21,
23, 29, 31, 33, 37, 39

6.3 p.351-354 p.355-356/ 1, 3, 5, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21

WEEK TEN
6.4                                   p. 357-360                                              p.361-362/ 1-23 odd, 29, 31, 33
6.5                                   p. 363-367                                              p. 368-371/ 1, 3, 5, 9, 13, 15, 17, 23, 29, 35,
                                                                                                                            37, 45, 47, 57, 59, 63
Lab 6                              Lab 6 covers chapter 6.

Chapter Review p. 375-378/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 17, 19, 27, 31, 37, 44,
45, 55, 56, 59, 61, 63, 65 67, 69

Review Exam III                                                                              p. 329-330/ 1-30
                                                                                                        p. 379-380/ 1-16
                                                                                                        p. 381-382/ 1-22

WEEK ELEVEN

Exam III Exam III covers chapters 5 and 6. ALL SECTIONS LISTED ABOVE.

7.1 p. 385-388 p. 389-390/ 1-55 every other odd, 59, 63, 69

7.2 p. 391-395 p. 396-397/ 1-79 every other odd, 87, 89, 93, 95

7.3                                   p. 398-400                                               p. 401-402/ 1-29 every other odd, 35,
                                                                                                                             37-55 every other odd, 67
Lab 7                                                                                                numbers 1, 2, 3, 4

WEEK TWELVE

7.4                                  p. 403-408                                                p. 409-412/ 1-37 every other odd, 39,
                                                                                                                            41-51 odd, 53, 55, 59, 63, 65, 67,
                                                                                                                            69, 75, 81, 83, 85, 91

7.5 p. 413-415 p. 416-417/ 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 19, 23, 27, 33, 45

7.6                                 p. 418-422                                                 p. 423-424/ 1-19 odd, 23, 27, 29, 33, 35, 37, 41,
                                                                                                                            43, 47, 49, 53, 57, 59, 61, 63,
                                                                                                                            67, 69, 71, 73

7.7 p. 425-428 p. 429-431/ 1-5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 19, 25, 27

Lab 7 Lab 7 covers chapter 7.

Chapter Review p. 436-438/ 1-77 every other odd, 78, 79,
82, 83, 84, 86, 87, 89, 90, 92

WEEK THIRTEEN
8.1 p. 446-450 p. 451-452/ 1-39 every other odd, 41, 45

8.2 p. 453-458 p. 459-461/ 1-5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, 21, 23, 27,
31, 33, 39, 41, 45, 47, 49, 51, 55, 57

8.4 p. 468-475 p. 476-478/ 1, 3, 7, 15, 19, 25, 27, 29, 35,
39, 41, 43

Lab 8 numbers 1, 2, 3, 4

WEEK FOURTEEN

8.5 p. 480-483 p. 484-485/ 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27

Lab 8 Lab 8 covers chapter 8.

Chapter Review                                                                                p. 495-497/ 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25,29,
                                                                                                                            31, 33, 36, 37, 39, 43, 47, 49, 53, 55,
                                                                                                                            57, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69

Review Exam IV                                                                               p. 439-440/ 1-28
                                                                                                         p. 499-500/ 1-9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17
                                                                                                         p. 501-502/ 1-15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22

EXAM IV Exam 4 covers chapters 7 and 8. ALL SECTIONS LISTED ABOVE.

WEEK FIFTEEN REVIEW FORFINAL EXAM p. 667-669, #1-17, 21, 22, 26, 27-46, 48, 49
p. 551/ 1, 2
Do all review problems listed, as well as any review sheets given to you by your instructor. Also review all your tests, quizzes and class work

FINAL EXAM WEEK Final Exam schedule to be announced.