Mathematics 211 (CRN 13971 )

Fundamentals of Elementary Mathematics

Fall 2005 MWF 10:00-10:50, 245 Lil

Shlomo Libeskind Office 321 Fenton ph: 346-5628 email: shlomo@darkwing.uoregon.edu (please use email rather than phone, whenever possible).

Office Hours: 12:30 –1:30, M, W, F and by appointment. Text: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers

Billstein, Libeskind, & Lott 8th edition (Addison-Wesley 2004). A bundled version with “ Sketchpad” is highly recommended if you plan to take Math 213. Scientific calculator is recommended.

This course will cover approximately the first 3 chapters and 4-1, 4-2.

Prerequisites: As outlined in the university catalog, the prerequisite for this course is successful completion of Math 111 or an acceptable score on the placement exam. I may ask for proof to ensure that these prerequisites are satisfied.

Exams: Two one hour in-class exams and final exam. All exams will be comprehensive. Exams will be held on the following dates:

•Exam #1 Friday October 14

•Exam #2 Monday November 21

•Unannounced quizzes

•Final Exam: Monday Dec. 5, 10:15 - 12:15

There will be no make-up exams. In case of verified illness special arrangements can be made. Final exam can not be taken at a different time. The only valid excuses will be illness and official University functions. Taking a course that requires meetings at the same time as our class meets is unacceptable. Practicum or any elementary school teaching should not be done when our course meets. Quizzes cannot be made up.

Homework Policy: Major homework will be assigned weekly and collected as indicated on each assignment. Minor homework (only a few problems related to the lecture) will be assigned from time to time at class meeting to be completed for the following class meeting. (These cannot be made up!). Homework and tests will emphasize explanations and proofs. You will be required to write solutions in a clear and well-written form. Homework assignments should be treated like essays. A MAJOR GOAL OF THIS SEQUENCE OF COURSES IS TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE IN MATHEMATICS! Your first version may not be presentable. You will therefore need to reread what you wrote and rewrite so that your final version is extremely well written (with correct sentence structure, grammar and punctuation). Some people have illegible handwriting. If your handwriting is not clear your homework should be typed. If homework is not treated with great respect as described above, it will be returned back with zero credit. Because of the size of this class late homework will not be accepted. In case of documented illness, check with me. Certain problems will be designated as “do them on your own.” On these problems collaboration with others and even hints from others will not be allowed. On other problems you may collaborate with classmates. On some problems you will be required to collaborate. When you do so, and you are actually ready to write the solutions, write them on your own without looking at someone else’s solution. If my grader or I see that a solution was ‘copied’, the entire homework of that student and the collaborator will earn zero credit. From time to time you will be asked to read another person’s proofs or solutions. These assignments will be clearly designated as such. You will have to comment on each other’s presentations: clarity of writing and validity of solutions or proofs. You will then be graded for your solutions as well as for your comments. One lowest score will be dropped

People often ask how much time will they have to spend on a course in order to do well. The answer depends on your background and mathematical ability. It is not unusual for students to spend 15 hours per week and more on this course (in addition to the 3 hours in lectures). You will be responsible for all the proofs done in class and of course for homework problems. (Proof is a theme from K through 12 curriculum in the new NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Principles and Standards2000. VERY IMPORTANT REMARK: Some problems on homework will different from the ones you have seen in class. Also some questions on tests will be different from the ones in homework and the ones you have seen in class. Office hours are intended for clarifying concepts that you don’t fully understand. I will not solve homework problems before they are due.

Knowing the Course material. What does it mean to know the course material? After each lecture you should reread the notes you took as well as the corresponding material in the text. Then with the notes and the text closed write the proofs of all the theorems as well as solutions to problems introduced in class. If you needed help or collaborated on homework with other people, be sure that you can also solve all the problems without looking at your or anybody else’s notes

Evaluation: Hourly exams will count as 200 points each (for a total of 400 points), homework will account for 100 points, quizzes for 100 points and the final exam as 400 points for a total of 1000 points. Attendance class participation, and extra optional projects (given from time to time) will count towards the final grade in a less formal way.

Attendance is of crucial importance for several reasons. First because you will be responsible for the material presented in class, which will not always be the same as in the text. Second, from time to time there will be group work during class time and you will need to hand in your work at the end of the lecture.

Important Dates to Remember:

Deadline Last day to:

October 2: Drop this course (100% refund, no W recorded)

October 3: Drop this course (75% refund, no W recorded)

October 5: Add this course

October 9: Withdraw from this course (75% refund, W recorded)

October 16: Withdraw from this course (50% refund, W recorded)

October 23: Withdraw from this course (25% refund, W recorded)

November 13: Withdraw from this course (0% refund, W recorded

Assignment #1 due:Monday October 3 Pages 15-17: 1a,b,c,e 7, 8, 9 12, 17, 18bd, 19, 23, 24, 25, 28, 32. Pages 32-33: 1bc, 14, 17, 22a, 24.. Be sure not to leave all the problems to one day before they are due.