Math 191S and 191T

Basic Mathematics, including fractions, decimals, percent, and pre-algebra.

Instructor: George Drake: B.A., M.A., and C.Ph. all in math from UC Davis.

Office: F130

Phone: (530)541-4660x256

Office Hours:

M.: 2:30-3:30

T.: 5:30-6:30

W.: 1:00-2:30

Th.: 1:00-2:30

These hours are for drop-in student counseling (i.e., I am there waiting for someone, anyone, to show up). If I appear to be busy, be sure to make your presence known, as I rotate questioning amongst all students who are in attendance. In addition, a limited number of individual appointments may be made, but please observe the courtesy of attempting to meet your needs through the drop-in service as much as is practical. Thanks

Text: Basic College Mathematics, fourth edition: John Tobey and Jeffrey Slater; Prentice-Hall; 2002. ISBN# 0-13-090954-8

Class Meets: M. W. 11:00-12:50 in A 208

Syllabus: (Note: This is a tentative schedule of lecture dates for the two courses, Mat 191S and 191T, which will be offered one right after the other in the same room. It is subject to change via announcement in class.) Notice that 191T meets twice during finals week according to its normal schedule!

Mat 191S

Date: Sections:

4/7 Introduction, review of add/subtract with whole #s, + §§1.4 &1.5

4/9 §§ 1.6-1.8 + P, E, M-D, A-S.

4/14 §§ 1.8, 2.1 + Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic (FTA) handout §§ 1-5 (replaces reading from §2.2)*

4/16 §§ 2.3-2.5 + Fractions mnemonic

4/21 FTA handout §§ 6 (§ 2.6 Note: the l.c.d. and l.c.m. are, essentially, the same thing)* + Test #1**

4/23 Return test #1 + FTA handout §§ 7 (§ 2.7)* + §2.8

4/28 § 2.9

4/30 §§ 3.1-3.2

5/5 § 3.3 + review FTA handout

5/7 Questions answered (review) + Test #2**

5/12 Return test #2 + total review

5/14 Final exam for Mat 191S**

* Where a text section number follows a handout descriptor, the usual reading from the section is being superceded by the handout. The student is expected to do the homework from the exercise set at the end of the text section after reading the handout and without actually reading from the text. This is an exception to the usual rule. See the General Policy Statement for a more thorough discussion.

** Each exam may be retaken once, if done so by the following deadlines: Test #1, retake must be completed by 4/30; Test #2, retake must be completed by 5/19; Final exam, retake must be completed by 5/27. In addition, students are required to get a C or better in either 1) the final exam or 2) both the numbered tests. See General Policy Statement for a more thorough discussion.

Mat 191T

5/19 Return final from 191S + §§ 3.4-3.5

5/21 §§ 3.6-3.7, 4.2-4.3

5/26 Memorial Day (Holiday)

5/28 §§ 5.1-5.2 + 5.3B (Do not read, nor do exercises from, 5.3A)

6/2 §§5.4-5.5

6/4 Conversion Factor handout (§ 6.4)* + Test # 1**

6/9 Return Test #1 + §§ 7.5 & 9.1

6/11 Negative Numbers handout (§§ 9.2-9.4)*

6/16 Solving Linear Equations handout (§§ 10.1-10.4–definitely do not do the reading from the text here)*

6/18 Review + Test #2**

6/23† Return test #2 + total review

6/25† Final Exam for Mat 191T**

** Each exam may be retaken once, if done so by the following deadlines: Test #1, retake must be completed by 6/16; Test #2, retake must be completed by 6/25; Final exam, retake must be completed by 6/27. The deadlines for these last two retakes are constricted by the end of the quarter. In order to qualify for a retake of the final, the student must contact the instructor on June 26 to find out what grade was received on this exam and make arrangements to retake it on the following day. The instructor will be on campus all day that day (6/26).

In addition, students are required to get a C or better in either 1) the final exam or 2) both the numbered tests. See General Policy Statement for a more thorough discussion.

† Note that Mat 191T meets as usual throughout the finals week.

General Policy Statement

Mat 191S &191T

I) Time Commitment:

Two hours out of class for each 50 minutes of class time.

II) Note Taking:

You are expected to keep comprehensive notes on lectures. Note taking is a critical skill for success in math and science classes (at least). Like all skills, it is only developed by practice. Bring a notebook devoted to Mat 191S/T every day. Enter the date before the lecture begins, and take notes throughout the lecture. Arrange with another student to get notes and assignments from any classes you miss.

III) Attendance:

Instructors may drop students if they miss a total of two more meetings than the number of times the class meets per week. See me if you wish to be exempted from this policy.

However, if you wish to drop the class by a certain date in order to avoid various kinds of penalties, you must attend to the task yourself by going directly to the Admissions and Records office. The Instructor is not responsible for a student not meeting deadlines!

IV) Grading:

1) Scores which count toward your grade are as follows:

Homework (graded based upon genuine effort and timeliness):

(10 % of grade)

Two Midterms (Tests 1 and 2–based largely on publisher produced tests):

(30% of grade each)

Final Exam (Comprehensive) (30% of grade)

2) If a student receives a score of “retake” on an exam, s/he must retake the exam. Because of the press of time, the retaken exam must be arranged individually with the instructor and completed by the dates indicated in the syllabus. A student must score 70% or better on either both midterms, or on the final, in order to get a passing grade in either Mat 191S or Mat 191T.

3) If the student receives a grade on the first administration of an exam which s/he would like to improve, the student may also retake the exam as above, and the original score is not jeopardized by retaking the exam.

4) Tests are not to be taken home by students, even after being graded and recorded. Tests which leave the campus may inadvertently result in a student getting an F in the pertinent module.

V) Homework:

When working homework, be aware:

1) Handouts supersede the text and may be introduced into the curriculum without advanced notice. Be sure that you know whether you have missed any handouts when returning from an absence.

2) Students should always read the appropriate sections or handouts prior to attempting to do homework. In reading the text, the student must also realize that mathematics is a participation sport. You must work your way through a math text. Simply reading it does not suffice. When you encounter a practice problem in the middle of a section, stop and work the problem, then check the answer which is fully worked out at the back of the book (pages SP1 ff).

3) Unless over-ruled in a class announcement, homework consists of working every third exercise beginning with number 1 and continuing until the exercise set is exhausted. I.e., working numbers 1, 4, 7, 10, etc. until there are no more exercises. Homework through the previous Thursday (as described in the syllabus) is due every Tuesday. I.e., if the lecture on Tuesday was §5.1 and the lecture on Thursday was §§5.2-5.3, then the homework from §§5.1-5.3 is due the following Tuesday. To be counted, the homework must be turned in within one week of its due date.

VI) Miscellaneous:

Students will not be allowed to use a handheld calculator for any portion of this class.

Students are always required to show their work. If there is any question in a student's mind whether a grader will doubt that a step might have been completed mentally, the student should write "B.I." (for "By Inspection") next to the written work.

There is no prerequisite for Mat 191S, and Mat 191T assumes only Mat 191S. But anyone who has attended school as a child has been exposed to most, if not all, of this material before. If you were not referred to Mat 191S/T as a result of taking the mathematics assessment test, be sure to take it immediately.