UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA - SPRING 2007 SEMESTER

 

Course:                                 MATH 1001- 01, Quantitative Skills & Reasoning - 3 credits                       PREREQUISITE: NONE.

 

Course Description:           This course is a general overview of mathematical concepts used in quantitative reasoning and is not

                                                intended to supply sufficient algebraic background for students who intend to take Precalculus or the

                                                calculus sequences for mathematics and science majors. This course places quantitative skills and

                                                reasoning in the context of experiences that students will be likely to encounter. It emphasizes

                                                processing information in context from a variety of representations, understanding of both the

                                                information and the processing, and understanding which conclusions can be reasonably determined.

                                               

Learning Outcomes:          Students should be able to:

1.        Interpret a wide variety of quantitative information.

2.        Use mathematical reasoning to analyze quantitative information, and use it to reach conclusions in real-world contexts.

3.        Understand how mathematics and quantitative reasoning are an integral part of society.

4.        Process information and develop procedures for solving problems.

5.        Use different units and formats of numbers including metric system and percentages.

6.        Understand and deal with uncertainty in mathematics.

7.        Be able to interpret and calculate financial information including interest and loans.

8.        Understand and interpret statistical results found in the media and society.

9.        Understand how mathematics can be found in music, art and other humanities subjects.

 

Instructor:                            Mr. Jim Bellon     jbellon@westga.edu    office phone: 678) 839-4140

 

Office  & Hours:                 Boyd, room 316    Mon/Wed  8:30 - 9am, 2 – 3:30pm    Friday 8:30 - 9am, 2 – 3pm

 

Math Tutoring Center:       Boyd 205: Mon 11-12 & 3:30 – 5:30,  Tues 1-4,  Wed 3:30 – 5:30,  Fri  11-12

 

Class Meets:                        MWF     10:00 – 10:50 a.m.                  Room 301 Boyd Building

                                               

Text:                                       Mathematics: a Quantitative Reasoning Approach, by Bennett / Briggs, 3rd edition, 2005.

A graphing calculator is required, preferably the Texas Instruments TI-83 (or TI-83 plus).

 

Grading:                                There will be 3 class session tests (100 pts each), 1 major project (150 pts), a comprehensive Final exam (200 pts), 8 quizzes (best 6 will count for 20 pts each, totaling 120 pts), classroom group assignments (totaling 160 pts), and 70 class points. This totals 1000 points.  Final grades will be determined as follows:              895 and up ( 90% and up )         A

                                                                                                795 – 894    ( 80% to 89% )            B

                                                                                                695 – 794    ( 70% to 79% )            C

                                                                                                595 – 694    ( 60% to 69% )            D

                                                                                                594 and below ( 59% and below )     F

 

Project:                                 Major project (1 or 2 students) requiring data collection, calculations and analysis.  To be handed in by Wednesday November 30th .  Description will be handed out at a later date.

 

Quizzes:                                Expect about 1 quiz every week lasting about 15-20 minutes (except during a test week). 

                                               

Group problems:                  There will be 5 classroom group assignments with instructor guidance.  Best 4 count, 40 points each.

 

Class Points:                        The purpose of the class points is to reward students for effort and not be based on math performance.  Class points can be obtained as follows:  1 point for each day present when attendance is taken.  Up to 10 pts. for each HW collected.  Up to 10 points for organized notes.  Up to 10 points for WebCT.

 

Homework:                           Homework will be assigned for each textbook section.  They will periodically be collected and checked.  Collected homework will count towards class points.

 

Final Exam Date:                 Friday, December 16th        8:00 – 10:00 a.m.  in our classroom 301

                                                *** ALL students must take the final exam, there are no exceptions.  Missing the final will result in a zero exam grade (if a valid excuse from a doctor is presented, an Incomplete will be granted).

 

Attendance Policy:              Students are expected to attend class and complete all work when assigned. Grades are not directly affected by absence. However, the student is responsible for the topics covered and assignments due whether present or not. “I was not here” is NOT a valid excuse.

 

Make-up policy:                   There will be NO make-ups for quizzes or group assignments since some will be dropped.

                                                Make-ups for exams will only be allowed up until the class has received their graded papers, and only with a valid excuse accompanied by a doctor’s note.

 

Extra-credit policy:             There will be NO extra credit given, period!  Points can be earned only as stated above.  Occasionally, exam grades may be curved up equally for all students, if the class performance warrants such adjustments.

 

Last Date to Withdraw:      Thursday, October 13th   Any student who withdraws after this date will receive a grade of “F”.

 

 

This is the expected schedule of course content.  Changes will be made as necessary, but will try to be avoided.

HW problems for each section are listed next to the section title.

 

1.E       Critical Thinking in Everyday Life (#5, 11, 14, 26, 32, 44, 47)                                week 1

 

2.A       Problem Solving Power of Units (#7, 9, 12, 14abc, 15abc, 17abc, 27, 33, 36)          week 2

 

2.B       Standard Units (#8, 12, 19, 25, 32, 35, 53, 60ad, 75, 97)                                       week 2

 

2.C       Problem Solving Hints (#5, 10, 17, 23, 33, 46)                                                     week 3

 

3.A       Uses and Abuses of Percentages (#6, 8, 15, 17, 22, 53, 68, 89, 93)                        week 3 & 4

 

3.B       Putting Numbers in Perspective (#7, 13, 14, 15ace, 18abd, 32, 37, 60, 67, 71)         week 4

 

3.C       Dealing with Uncertainty (#11, 12, 15ad, 16b, 21, 25, 35, 40, 44, 49, 58, 67)           week 5

 

3.E       How Numbers Deceive (#3, 11, 17, 18, 27, 28, 35)                                             week 5

 

4.A       The Power of Compounding (#8, 14, 17, 25, 26, 37, 45, 52, 68, 85)                        week 6

 

4.C       Loan Payments, Credit Cards, and Mortgages (#4, 9, 12, 13, 31, 39, 51)                week 7

 

5.A       Fundamentals of Statistics (#3, 14, 19, 31, 35, 48, 72)                                           week 7

 

5.B       Should You Believe a Statistical Study (#6, 9, 12, 23, 29, 33, 41)                           week 8

 

5.C       Statistical Tables and Graphs      (#6, 9, 14, 19, 25, 30, 54)                                    week 8

 

5.D       Graphics in the Media    (#4, 12, 14, 19, 27, 34, 43)                                              week 9

 

6.A       Characterizing a Data Distribution (#2, 7, 12, 13, 28, 29, 43)                                 week 9 & 10

 

6.B       Measure of Variation     (#3, 7, 10, 17, 23)                                                           week 10

 

7.A       Fundamentals of Probability (#4, 10, 11, 20, 25, 36, 40, 51)                                   week 11

 

8.A       Growth:  Linear vs. Exponential  (#9, 10, 23, 27)                                                 week 12

 

8.B       Doubling Time and Half-Life      (#5, 9, 12, 26, 35, 49)                                         week 12 & 13

 

11.A     Mathematics and Music (#2, 7, 11, 12, 16, 21, 22)                                               week 13

 

11.B     Perspective and Symmetry (#3, 9, 12, 16, 21, 43)                                                 week 14

 

**        FINAL EXAM            : 8am to 10am in our classroom.                                            Friday Dec. 16th   

 

Test #1            : Mon. 9/19     Test #2            : Wed. 10/19       Test #3: Fri. 11/18      Project due: Wed.  11/30