Post for Saturday, April 30th

Hi Everyone - my apologies for being out today, and thanks to David and George for being able to cover class today with extremely short notice.

We did section s 7.7, 8.9, 9.1 and 9.2 in class today. This material will be on next week's exam. Fire up!

We'll get a calculator and a page of notes for the exam. My suggestion is to use generating the page of notes as a study method - write everything down you think might be an important reminder, and then distill and rewrite until you get one page of useful information.

I'll post a practice exam here to the blog tonight - you'll see it Sunday morning, I imagine. I'll post a link to the key sometime Wednesday (look for it Thursday morning at the latest) - I expect to publish it to Google docs and provide a link to where it lives, because right now the key's over 10 pages). Good luck!

When we come in next week we'll start with a few minutes for questions, and then the rest of the morning for the exam. In the afternoon we'll cover the first section from chapter 10, and the first section from chapter 11 - for the rest of the term we'll do a couple of sections from chapters 9, 10, and 11 so we don't load up too much on any one subject in a day. That way we can ask questions before moving towards the next bit of stuff in each chapter. You'll see - it'll be fine.

In two weeks we'll do a few more sections from the chapters in the morning, and then reserve some time to redo/fix the exams in the afternoon for partial credit.

Here is some homework:

7.7: 1 - 41 EOO (or every odd for more practice with these - they're tricky!)

8.9: 1 - 41 EOO

9.1: 1 - 101 EOO

9.2: 15 - 125 all that end in 5 (add to this all that end in 9 for more practice)

And look for the practice exam late late tonight. See you next week!

-Dave

Post for Class Saturday, April 23rd

Hi all,

We almost finished chapter 7 today. Next week we'll do the last section from here, section 8.9, and start chapter 9. Wherever we get to next week, that's the material on the exam in two weeks.

Fractions can be tricky, so keep your mind focused. There's a few things to remember:

-If we have both the top and the bottom fully factored (only multiplying outside of parentheses) then we can cancel factors from the top and the bottom.

-We can multiply both the top and the bottom of a fraction by the same thing - that's like multiplying the entire fraction by 1.

-If we have an equation, we can multiply both sides by the same thing. We usually do this after we have a common denominator, to make all the bottom parts of the fractions vanish.

-If I have a fraction inside a fraction, I can flip the bottom one (or the right one, depending on how I write the division) and multiply instead.

And then all our regular fraction rules still apply - adding or subtracting requires the bottom pieces to be the same, and then we add the top pieces together, for instance.

Here's a homework suggestion for next week. I'm trying something new here.

First, try the Chapter 7 Test on page 640: problems 1-30. If you rock out on those, that might be all you need to do.

If you got a few wrong, or you want more practice, move to the Chapter 7 Section reviews for sections 7.1 - 7.6 on pages 632-637. Do problems 1 - 62 here and see how they go.

If you want still more practice, pick-and-choose your way through the sections that gave you the most trouble from the first six sections of chapter 7.

You might also look at the Chapters 1 through 7 cumulative review on pages 642-644, problems 1 - 64. That would be a nice overview of all the material so far - not just the recent stuff on fractions.

Good luck! I'll have the projects back to you next week - see you Saturday!

-Dave

Saturday, April 16

Whew! These Saturdays are exhausting, aren't they? We'll make it through.

Today we finished chapter 6, and started chapter 7 by covering section 7.1. Next week we'll finish chapter 7, and section 8.9. The week after that we'll start chapter 9 and review for the exam, and then keep on keeping on.

The first project is due next week. I handed out copies in class, and it's posted on this blog. We haven't talked enough about the last two questions, really, but give them a shot.

Homework for next week:

Section 6.3: covered, but I haven't assigned any homework specifically. Go back and look at some of these problems if 6.6 and 6.7 give you troubles.

6.4 covered but unassigned. See above.

6.5 SKIPPED

6.6: 15 - 75 odd

6.7: 15 - 107 EOO (Every Other Odd)

6.8: 15 - 43 EOO

7.1: 5 - 101 EOO

Good luck, and see you next week,

-Dave

First writing project

Math 95 – Froemke – Spring 2011 – Project 1 – Due Saturday, April 23^rd

1) Find and copy down a definition of ‘function’. Cite your source! Then explain that definition in your own words. Make sure you explain all of the important parts.

2) Describe what domain and range mean (in terms of functions) in your own words. A specific example might help.

3) The long side of a right triangle is two feet shorter than the hypotenuse, and the short side of the right triangle is four feet shorter than the hypotenuse. Find the lengths of the sides of this triangle. Show your work!

4) Consider the function g(t) = (3t – 2) / (3t² + 10t – 8). Find the value(s) of t which make g(t) undefined.

5) Simplify the following as much as possible. Show all your steps!

4 / (t+2) + 7 / (t+2)²

Guide to written work

Math 95 – Froemke – Spring 2011 – Guidelines for submissions

WRITING PROJECTS:

In each question I am looking for three things:

1) When you make a claim, do you justify the claim correctly?

2) Does your mathematics work, and does it work to answer the question?

3) Do you answer the question being asked?

Not every question will need all three of those – a question asking you to find a definition for ‘congruence’ and then explain that definition, for instance, might not need you to provide any mathematics that would ‘work’.

I grade the projects by starting everyone with a score of ten points, and then subtract for the following:

• A missing question, or one that fails in one or more of the three ways above, gets minus two.

• A question that speaks to the above three ways, but is missing some details (or contains minor inaccuracies) receives a minus one, and some indication of where you need to give more details or provide more work. Some questions might get more than one point taken off in this way.

• Occasionally, I’ll take off one-half point for a very small inaccuracy.

Written projects can then be fixed and resubmitted for an increased score, up to a perfect score of 10 points. Multiple resubmissions are fine. The deadline for submissions is the day of the final exam. Resubmissions must include the original project (so I can see what needs fixing) and your new work, clearly indicated as to which fixes are which. You don’t necessarily need to rewrite each problem on which you miss points – just give your fixes.

I reserve the right to reject any project that I find illegible or too confusing to read. For some of us, using a word processor is the only way to make our writing legible.

Writing Example

Question: Solve 2x – 3 = 7 and explain each step in detail

· First, I add three to both sides, to get rid of the -3 on the left (the side with the variable):

o 2x – 3 + 3 = 7 + 3

· Then I simplify each side:

o 2x = 10

· Then I divide both sides by 2:

o 2x/2 = 10/2

· Then I simplify each side:

o X = 5

· And there it is: 2x – 3 = 7 solved for x.

· Then I check, by plugging in x = 5 to the original equation:

o 2(5) – 3

o =10 – 3

o =7

· Which is what I have on the right side, so x = 5 is a solution to 2x – 3 = 7.

(NOTE: you do not have to do it in exactly this way, of course, but this is about the level of detail I’m looking for.)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Hi Everyone! Welcome to Spring 2011 Math 95. It'll be a wild ride!

The post previous to this one is the syllabus, slightly different from what I handed out in class today (Please note the typo in the syllabus leaving chapter 7 out of coverage - we WILL cover this material this term. My apologies for that. We will cover chapter 7 this term - it's on fractions!). Before that are the posts I made for Math 90 last term, and math 30 the term before, if you want to see what we did on Saturdays previously.

The next posts will include a guide to the written project work, and then the first project.

Today we talked about the syllabus and the mechanics of the class, and then took an incept quiz based on questions from my Math30 and Math90 finals. Then we raced through chapter 5 - and that was our morning. In the afternoon we covered sections 6.1 and 6.2.

Next week I'll have hard copies of the first project to hand out in class - it's due in two weeks. We'll cover the rest of chapter 6, and get started on chapter 7.

Homework for next week:

Chapter 5 test (pages 464-465): 1 - 42 all

Section 6.1 (pages 478-480): 13 - 123 all that end in 3 (13, 23, 33, ... 113, 123)

Section 6.2 (pages 491-493): 1 - 13 odd, and 15 - 99 EOO (Every Other Odd, or 15, 19, 23, ..., 95, 99)

I'm excited about this term!

-Dave

Syllabus for Math 95, Spring 2011

MTH 95 – Intermediate Algebra - Spring 2010 – Item 7363 Section M – 5 Credits

Saturdays, 9am-11:50am, and 1:00pm-2:50 pm, BHL 108

David C Froemke Office: BHL 110

Office Hours: Saturday, 3pm-4pm or by appointment

Email: dfroemke@clark.edu PH 503 / 686 – 5040

Also : http://davemath.blogspot.com/ to check daily log and homework assignments

Course Description

A continuation of MATH 090. Factoring, rational expressions, radical

expressions, rational exponents, quadratic equations, exponential and

logarithmic functions. Designed for the student who is prepared to take

algebra at an accelerated pace. Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in

MATH 090 or recommending score on placement test. We will cover Chapters 5, 6, 7, section 8.9, and chapters 9, 10, 11 this term.

Text

Elementary & Intermediate Algebra, 3^rd ed., by Tussy and Gustafson, 2006.

Grading

10% Daily Quizzes

20% Written Projects (10% each)

40% Two Exams (20% each)

30% Final Exam

No extra credit of any sort is available. I follow the standard percentage break-down for letter grades (94% and up is an A, 90-93.9% an A-, 86-89.9% a B+, 83-85.9% a B, 80-82.9% a B-, and so on).

Daily Quizzes

Most days will have a quiz or two of some sort – either I’ll collect one of the in-class activities, or give a quiz from the homework due that day. The lowest three quiz scores will be dropped; no make-ups are given.

Exams

I’ll distribute a study guide the week before the three exams. Make-ups will only be given in the case of dire emergencies and with proper documentation. Exams are given during regular class periods, and will take place during the first half of class. Exams will be graded and returned the next class period; missed questions can be redone for partial credit.

Schedule

• Saturday, April 23rd: first project due
• Saturday, May 7^th: first exam
• Saturday, May 21^st: second project due
• Saturday, May 28^th: second exam
• Saturday, June 11^th: comprehensive final exam

Projects

We’ll have two written projects this term. I’ll hand out the project assignments the week before they’re due, and post both them and a writing sample to show the kind of work I’m looking for. The projects will be returned the week after they’re collected, and you can re-write it to improve your grade.

Final Exam

The final exam is Saturday, June 11, at 9am in our regular classroom. The final is comprehensive. No make-up is available for the final.

Homework and Class Flow

We’ll have a homework assignment every day. The class will start with discussing the homework in small groups, comparing your answers with your neighbors. The rest of our time together (unless we have an exam) will be spent between lecture, discussion, and group-work activities. Keeping up on the homework is necessary for success in this class! Since we only meet once a week, we’ll cover an extensive amount of material in one class session – make sure to pace yourself with the homework over the week between class sessions.

Academic Dishonesty

Don’t cheat! I follow the college guidelines for academic dishonesty.

Resources and Suggestions

It’s a good idea to plan for 10 to 15 hours of work doing homework and studying every week. That’s 2-3 hours a day! The course moves quickly, and later sections build off of previous material; keeping up on your studying is necessary for success. Besides my lectures and the book, my office hours and the Math Help Center (http://web.clark.edu/math/helpsess.htm, in BH 107) are invaluable resources.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please make arrangements to meet with me outside of class. Disability Support Services can be reached at (360) 992-2314, or on the web at http://www.clark.edu/student_services/disability_support.php

You are responsible for the material in the book, and anything covered in class; this includes any in-class announcements that might be made (such as any changes to the schedule). Attendance is not taken, but is expected, and regular attendance is crucial for your success with this material.

A final note

This class moves QUICKLY, and covers a lot of material. Keeping up on things, and doing some math almost every day, is crucial to your success. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or frantic, or lost in the material, please don’t hesitate to contact me – by email or during office hours are the best. My job is to make this class a comfortable and appropriate place for you to learn the mathematics, so let me know how I can best help you with the material!