LASC FALL 2010
MATH 112 PRE-ALGEBRA (3 units)
Section #1709 MW 9:35 – 11 a.m. in LL 118
Instructor: I-Shen Lai
Homepage:
Email address: Voicemail: (310) 434-8080
Office Hours: Mondays 9:15 a.m. in our classroom; Wednesdays 11-11:30 a.m. in the Math Lab
Prerequisite: None.
Advisory: You should be proficient in the skills of Math 105and are expected to be able to perform basic arithmetic operations with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. You will need to read and review these topics for yourself. If you are struggling, please seek help right away (tutors in the Math Lab / make an appointment with me / ask a classmate for help). Please be advised that this class will move along at a very brisk pace, and you will need to spend a lot of time and effort in order to be successful.
Required Text: Bittinger, Ellenbogen, and Johnson, Prealgebra, 5th Edition.
Calculator Policy: All work should be done by hand. Calculators will not be allowed on exams.
Math Lab: Students enrolled in this course are required to spend about 1.5 hours per week in the
Math Lab, for a total of 18 hours by the end of the semester. If you do not meet
this requirement, the highest grade you can get for this course is a “D”.
Location: Tec 190. Hours: M-Th 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Fri 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you log in AND log out each time you visit the Lab,otherwise your hours will not be counted. Plan to go there regularly. Tutors are available.
Community is built on mutual trust and respect. Every class is a community of learners, and we can enjoy this semester better if webecome a team with a common goal. In order to learn and thrive in this class, we all need to invest the time and effort necessary for success.
In order to maintain this trust, please be respectful to your instructor and fellow students. Refrain from talking during lectures. Silence your cellphones and do not text or take calls during classtime. Repeated warnings may result in confiscation of cellphone and you will risk being dropped from the class.
As your instructor and coach, I commit to do my very best to teach, to motivate, to support, to be available, and to walk alongside you on this 16-week journey.
I will hold very high standards and expectations for you as well. I trust that you will take this class very seriously and will work to the best of your ability; you will come to class on time, ready to learn and participate; you will complete the homework daily; you will be prepared for exams; and you will abide by the Academic Honor Code. Have the right attitude, and you may be surprised at what a wonderful, fun, fruitful semester this could be, even though it will be tiring and stressful at times.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. -John Wooden
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. - John Wooden
Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of each class session. You should plan to arrive to each class on time and stayfor the entire class session. If you are absent fourtimes or late/leave early 6 times, you may be dropped from the class. Absences and tardies will reflect poorly on your grade.
You will be responsible for all announcements made in class. If you miss class, please be sure to contact me or a classmate for all announcements.
Classwork and Assignments may be given throughout the semester and must be turned in on time.
Quizzes will be given regularly and topics for the quizzes will be announced beforehand. There will be no make-up quizzes, but the lowest score will be dropped. If you are absent or late for a quiz, that will count as a dropped quiz.
Homework is an integral part of the course.
-Homework sets are due on the due dates (exam days). No late homework will be accepted.
-Homework is assigned for each section and should be completed dailyaccording to the sections covered in lecture, beforethe next class meeting.
HW write-up:
- Check schedule for assigned homework problems.
- Write the textbook section number and assigned problems at the top of the page. Keep pages organized.
- Do not crowd problems together. There should be NO MORE than 2 problems on each line (no more
than 2 columns). If you wish to divide the page into two columns, fold the paper or draw a line down the
middle with a ruler. Leave a line between problems.
- Number your problems clearly (in the margin or circled).
- Write out solutions neatly, step-by-step, showing all work.
- Check answers in the back of the textbook after you have tried it.
-All work must be shown neatly and legibly (pencil is best). All calculations must be done BY HAND! If
there are only answers in your homework with no work, you will receive NO CREDIT.
- Homework sets must be stapled in order, and remove frayed edges please (or just use binder paper!).
- Check out and read the article “How to suck up to your teacher”!
HW set grading criteria:
Effort, completeness, neatness, with all work and correct mathematical steps shown by hand.
You will receive little or no credit if too many problems are missing; work is not shown; answers are from a calculator and not done by hand; answers are copied (considered cheating); effort is not evident.
Exams Four Chapter exams and a final exam make up the bulk of your grade. Be present on exam days! There will be NO make-up exams. If you miss an exam, it is unlikely that you will do well in the class.
ONLY exception: If you miss an exam because of an extreme emergency (with a valid document to prove it—e.g. hospital note, police report, court document, etc.), inform me right away ON THE DAY of the exam (by email or voicemail) if you wish to make-up the exam the next day. You MUST provide the official document.
The Fnal Exam cannot be missed and MUST be taken at the time scheduled by the college.
-The final exam is cumulative (covers everything!!)
-If you do not earn at least a 50% on the final or if you do not take the final, you cannot pass the class.
All quizzes, exams and the final are in-class, closed-book and closed-notes exams. Nocalculators are allowed!
Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Students are expected to abide by the Academic Honor Code. Anyone caught cheating will receive a score of zero, fail the class, and will be reported to the College.
Grades: Your semester grade will be weighted according to the following:
Homework (from textbook) 3%
Assignments/Classwork4%
Quizzes (lowest dropped) 7%
4 Chapter Exams (15% each)60%
Final Exam26%
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TOTAL 100%
Overall class grade is assigned as follows (Adjustments may be made at instructor’s discretion):
A = 360-400 points [90-100%], B = 320-359 points [80-90%),
C = 280-319 points [70-80%), *C and above only if you have 18 hours of math lab and 50% on the final.
D = 220-279 points [55-70%), F = 0-219 points [0-55%).
Drop deadlines: It is your responsibility to be aware of college drop deadlines and regulations, and to inform me if you intend to withdraw from the course.
Receive refund by 9/16; Avoid ‘W’ on permanent record by 9/26; Drop and receive a ‘W’ by 11/21.
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All students who are requesting disability-related accommodations (including learning disabilities) should contact Disabled Student Services as soon as possible and also talk with me.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
*schedule and HW assignments are subject to change. You are responsible for all changes.
*EOO=Every Other Odd= 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, … (just add 4 each time)
**Chapter Tests should be included in your homework packet as much as possible.
***Chapter Review Exercises are also available at the end of each chapter for extra optional practice.
Date / Text Section / HomeworkM 8/30 / Intro to course
W 9/1 / 1.1 Standard Notation
1.2 Addition
1.3 Subtraction
1.4 Rounding and Estimating; Order / 1.1 p.6-8 #5-8 all; #23-41 odds
1.2 p.14-16 #1-41 EOO = Every other odd
1.3 p.22-24 #25-61 EOO
1.4 p.30-33 #1-21 all odds; #51-63 all odds
M9/6 / Labor Day HOLIDAY
W 9/8 / 1.5 Multiplication and Area
1.6 Division
1.8 Applications and Problem Solving
1.9 Exponential Notation and Order of Operations / 1.5 p.41-44 #9-59 EOO
1.6 p.54-57 #21-69 EOO
1.8 p.74-80 #15, 17, 21, 25, 33, 41, 47, 51
1.9 p.87-89 #1-65 EOO
Chapter 1 Test p. 93-94 (odds)
M 9/13 / Quiz
2.1 Integers and the Number Line
2.2 Addition of Integers
2.3 Subtraction of Integers / 2.1 p.100-102 #1-83 EOO
2.2 p.106-108 #1-73 odds
2.3 p.112-115 #1-81 odds
W 9/15 / 2.4 Multiplication of Integers
2.5 Division of Integers and Order of Operations
2.6 Introduction to Algebra and Expressions / 2.4 p.121-122 #1-53 EOO
2.5 p.126-128 #1-73 odds
2.6 p.133-136 #1-81 EOO
M 9/20 / Quiz
2.7 Like Terms and Perimeter
2.8 Solving Equations / 2.7 p.141-144 #1-73 EOO
2.8 p.151-153 #1-77 odds
Chapter 2 Test p. 157-158 (odds)
W 9/22 / Review
M 9/27 / Exam 1 on Chapters 1 and 2 / HW DUE for Chapters 1 and 2
W 9/29 / 3.1 Divisibility Tests
3.2 Factorizations
3.3 Fractions and Fraction Notation / 3.1 p.166-167 #39-42 all; 45-48 all
3.2 p.173 #1-53 EOO
3.3 p.181-184 #1-65 EOO; #63, 67
M 10/4 / 3.4 Multiplication of Fractions
3.5 Simplifying
3.6 Multiplying, Simplifying, and More with Area
3.7 Reciprocals and Division / 3.4 p.190-191 #1-49 EOO
3.5 p.198-199 #1-53 EOO
3.6 p.204-208 #1-65 EOO
3.7 p.213-214 #1-53 odds
W 10/6 / Quiz
(3.8 Solving Equations: The Multiplication Principle)
4.1 Least Common Multiples / 3.8 p.220-222 TBD
Chapter 3 Test p.227-228 (odds)
4.1 p.237-238 #1-53 EOO
M 10/11 / 4.2 Addition, Order, and Applications
4.3 Subtraction, Equations, and Applications / 4.2 p.245-248 #1-73 EOO
4.3 p.255-258 #1-77 EOO; #85, 97
W 10/13 / Quiz
4.4 Solving Equations: Using the Principles Together
4.5 Mixed Numerals / 4.4 p.264-265 #1-37 odds
4.5 p.271 #1-45 EOO
M 10/18 / 4.6 Addition and Subtraction of Mixed Numerals
4.7 Multiplication and Division of Mixed Numerals / 4.6 p.280-282 #1-13 EOO; 45, 61;
and #71-81 odds
4.7 p.294-298 #1-61 EOO
Chapter 4 Test p.304-305 (odds)
W 10/20 / Review
M 10/25 / Exam 2 on Chapters 3 and 4 / HW DUE for Chapters 3 and 4
W 10/27 / 5.1 Decimal Notation
5.2 Addition and Subtraction of Decimals
5.3 Multiplication of Decimals / 5.1 p.317-318 #1-85 EOO
5.2 p.324-326 #1-85 EOO
5.3 p.334-335 #1-61 EOO
M 11/1 / Quiz
5.4 Division of Decimals
(5.5 More with Fraction and Decimal Notations) / 5.4 p.343-345 #1-65 EOO
5.5 p.353-355 TBD
W 11/3 / 5.7 Solving Equations
5.8 Applications and Problem Solving / 5.7 p.366-367 #1-37 odds; 43.
5.8 p.377-381 #1-45 EOO
Chapter 5 Test p.386-387 (odds)
M 11/8 / Quiz
7.1 Introduction to Ratios
7.2 Rates and Unit Rates
7.3 Proportions
7.4 Applications of Proportions / 7.1 p.469-470 TBD
7.2 p.475-476 TBD
7.3 p.483-484 #1-41 EOO
7.4 p.492-494 #1-29 EOO
Chapter 7 Test p.507-508 (odds)
W 11/10 / Review
M 11/15 / Exam 3 on Chapters 5 and 7 / HW DUE for Chapters 5 and 7
W 11/17 / 8.1 Percent Notation
8.2 Solving Percent Equations (Percent Equations)
8.3 Solving Percent Equations (Proportion Method) / 8.1 p.520-523 #1-105 EOO
8.2 p.530-531 #1-33 EOO
8.3 p.536-537 #1-33 EOO
M 11/22 / Quiz
8.4 Applications of Percent / 8.4 p.546-551 #1-53 EOO
W 11/24 / Selected topics to be announced (chapter 9) / To be announced
M 11/29 / Quiz
Selected topics to be announced (chapter 10)
W 12/1 / Selected topics to be announced
M 12/6 / Exam 4 on Chapters 8, 9, 10 / HW DUE for Chapters 8, 9, 10
W 12/8 / Review for final
(12/13) / No class meeting (final exams week)
W 12/15 / FINAL EXAM (10:15 am – 12:15 pm) Cumulative (covers EVERYTHING!!)
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