Fall 2008 Math 1030 (001) (Elementary Foundations of Mathematics I) Syllabus

Office Hours: TBA; Also by appointment.

Prerequisites: Math 0106, or 0110, or a passing score on the ELM examination, or equivalent.

Warning: I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus at any time during the term by announcing them in class and on my web page.

TEXT: Mathematics For Elementary Teachers, Eighth Edition by G.L. Musser, W.F. Burger, and B.E. Peterson.

General Education: This course satisfies General Education area B3 as outlined in the "Breadth Requirements" of the CSUS General Catalog.

Student Learning Objectives: We will cover most of chapters 1 - 9. Students will:

• Develop a variety of problem-solving skills.
• Introduce different number systems used throughout history.
• Develop and discuss properties of present-day number systems, including: whole numbers, integers, fractions, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and decimals.
• Explore different representations and algorithms of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in base 10 and other number bases; and examine/explain why these methods work.
• Introduce basic ideas of number theory, including prime/composite numbers, divisibility tests, greatest common factor, and least common multiple.
• Examine the process of learning math from the perspective of an elementary school student.
• Explore the national and California state content standards of teaching mathematics.

Grades:

This class will be graded using plus/minus grading. Your total course percentage will be translated to a letter grade as follows: 90-100%: A- or above, 80-89%: B- or above, 70-79%: C- or above. The course grade is based on:

Homework:

Assignments are given in class and will be available on the class web page. You are expected to complete all problems and understand the concepts behind them. You should consider the problems I assign as the bare minimum. I strongly recommend you do additional problems. The assignments are due, stapled, at the beginning of class every Wednesday. Late homework will not be accepted. See the Homework Guidelines for further restrictions. I will NOT answer homework questions on an assignment on the day the assignment due. Each assignment is worth 100pts: 30-50 for completeness/adherence to the guidelines, and 70-50pts for accuracy on selected problems. The lowest homework grade will be dropped.

Quizzes:

In class quizzes (15- 20 min) will not be announced.  Each quiz is comprehensive.  The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Lesson Plan:

You will be required to pick a topic from the course (choices will be made week 3), and develop a (2-3 page) lesson plan discussing the state standards pertaining to the topic including describing how you would teach the topic to students of the appropriate grade level.
Details will be given during week 3 of the course.  The lesson plan will be due October 29.

In-Class Exams:

There will be 2 in-class exams tentatively scheduled as above. The low exam score will be worth 15% of your grade.  The high exam score will be worth 17% of your grade. Other information about the exams will be announced in class.

Final Exam:

The comprehensive final will be on December 12, 8:30am - 10:30pm. DO NOT MISS IT!!

Class Participation:

Attendance is important to your success.  You are expected to be an active member of this class. If you must miss class (or are tardy), it is your responsibility to find out what you missed.  Some class time will be used for lectures, however we will often work through a number of worksheets and hands-on activities. Please bring your book to class every day.
Any disruptive behavior interfering with the learning environment of others will not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.

Late Work Policy:

I have a firm policy of not accepting late work. If alternate arrangements need to be made, you must complete the work before the due date. If you cannot make it to a quiz/exam due to documented illness or the like, let me know in advance by phone or e-mail. Make-ups will be given only under these circumstances. I do reserve the right to refuse make-up requests. The only exceptions to this policy are documented medical emergencies and the like (verifiable). I do not give early exams to accommodate vacation schedules, so please make your holiday travel plans accordingly. I do reserve the right to refuse make-up requests. Don't abuse this.

Academic Honesty:

I consider academic honesty to be at the core of the University's activities in education and research. Cheating is an attack on the efforts of myself and fellow students and, above all, on the cheater's integrity. Those caught cheating will be dealt with to the full extent allowed under University policy including, but not limited to, receiving a zero score and reporting to the Coordinator of University Discipline.

Cell Phone Policy:

During class time, your cell phone, or equivalent, is to be turned off and out of sight. Any use of a cell phone during class will result in confiscation of the phone until that day's class has ended or your removal from the class for that day. If you attempt to use your cell phone or leave it on during an exam, you will be considered to have finished your exam, and I will collect your exam at that time.  Exceptions may be made only if you discuss your situation with me prior to the start of that day's class, in this case, your cell phone must be set to vibrate/silence.

Students with Disabilities:

Academic accommodations are available to students who are registered with the Office of Disabled Student Services. I cannot make accommodations until the student has filed all appropriate paperwork and Disability Resource Services (MSR 210, 667-3159) has notified me of the appropriate accommodations.

Students in Athletics:

If you are a student athlete, it is your responsibility to provide me with a letter signed by your coach listing all of the days in which you will be absent. Accommodations will be made only if I receive the letter from your coach at least 7 business days in advance, with appropriate exceptions for the first seven business days of class.

General Suggestions:

• Don't use the fact that I drop one homework to blow it off. You might need the drop later on in case you get sick or do not do well. You will also need to know that material for the exams!
• Some of the homework exercises may be time consuming until you get the hang of them, so DO NOT put off the homework until Tuesday night.
• Keep all homework assignments, quizzes, and worksheets. They are the best study materials for the exams. You may also find them useful in your teaching career.
• Participate in class, ASK QUESTIONS, make use of my office hours. The material really builds on the sections previous to it, so it is important for you to understand the previous and current sections before trying to understand the next section. If you get behind or stuck, see me or work with other students RIGHT AWAY.
• Form a study group with others in the class. Work together on homework but everyone must join in and work. Know the difference between group work and plagiarism.
• If you think you'll need extra help, get it ASAP!

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