This is a mathematics content course. The goal is to have students acquire a deep understanding of the material -- the kind of understanding that leads to fluency in explaining the material effectively from a number of points of view. It is designed to be particularly useful to students interested in preparing to teach in grades K-8. It is also designed to meet certain general education and distribution requirements.
The class may see some examples of actual elementary school student work in order to analyze misconceptions and to develop corrective explanations. The class may also work with technology to explore concepts and conjectures.
Check the revised syllabus and revised homework assignments [11/13/08]
I have clarified the directions for writing up homework. Two previously separate sets of directions now follow one another without intervening material. [posted 9/17/08]
Homework will be assigned once a week and collected the week after it is assigned. Assignments will appear also at the end of this website. [posted 9/10/08]
A tentative syllabus is available below. Beware of frequent adjustments.
Read the assigned sections once before each lecture. Read them again after each lecture before starting on the homework. Re-read them as often as necessary! Additional material may be posted on this web page.
Attendance is crucial. I will accept late homework only in special cases and even then only if I have not yet returned the graded set.
Make-up exams will be offered only if there is adequate reason to do so. A student's lack of preparation or lack of confidence is not an adequate reason. In most cases, if you must miss an exam you will know in time to discuss the matter with me (in person, by phone, or by email) IN ADVANCE. If we have not discussed the matter in advance, then I will need evidence of an emergency.
EXAMS: There will be two midterm exams, and a final exam.
HOMEWORK: There will be regular homework assignments from the textbook. These assignments will be made in class. Homework scores will be rescaled to contribute toward the term grade.
One goal of the course is to develop understanding of the material. Another goal is to develop clear expository technique. Do not turn in first efforts or rough drafts, but rather edit and turn in a final draft.
More detailed instructions appear just before the table below showing homework assignments.
TERM GRADES: The term grade will be based on a 550 point scale.
.
| Class meeting | Date | Sections from Text | topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Sept 2 | 8.1-8.3 | Introduction to Geometric Ideas |
| Class 2 | Sept 4 | 8.1-8.3 | Angles, circles, spheres |
| Class 3 | Sept 9 | 8.3-4 | Triangles |
| Class 4 | Sept 11 | 8.4 | Triangles, Polygons |
| Class 5 | Sept 16 | 8.5 | Straightedge and compass |
| Class 6 | Sept 18 | 9.1 | Rigid Motions |
| Class 7 | Sept 23 | 9.1 and 9.2 | Rigid Motions, Symmetry |
| Class 8 | Sept 25 | 9.3 | Congruent Triangles |
| Class 9 | Sept 30 | handout | Coordinate Systems on lines and planes |
| Class 10 | Oct 2 | 9.4 | Similarity |
| Class 11 | Oct 7 | 9.1-9.4 | Congruence vs. Similarity |
| Class 12 | Oct 9 | Ch 8 and 9 | Review |
| Class 13 | Oct 14 | Ch. 8 and part of Ch.9 | EXAM 1 |
| Class 14 | Oct 16 | 10.1-10.2 | Area |
| Class 15 | Oct 21 | 10.3 | Volume of boxes |
| Class 16 | Oct 23 | 10.4 | Measurement |
| Class 17 | Oct 28 | 10.5 | Units, changing units |
| Class 18 | Oct 30 | 10.1-10.5 | More basic measurement |
| Class 19 | Nov 4 | 11.1-11.2 | Advanced Measurement |
| Class 20 | Nov 6 | 11.2 | Pythagorean Theorem |
| Class 21 | Nov 11 | 11.3 and 11.4 | Areas of Triangles and Polygons |
| Class 22 | Nov 13 | 11.5 and 11.6 | Areas of Circles, Areas of curvilinear figures |
| Class 23 | Nov 18 | 11.9 | Volumes of cylinders and pyramids |
| Class 24 | Nov 20 | Ch 10 & 11 | Review |
| Class 25 | Nov 25 | Ch 9(similarity), Ch 10, Ch 11 sections 1-6 | Exam 2 |
| Nov 27 | Thanksgiving Holiday | ||
| Class 26 | Dec 2 | Perimeters | |
| Class 27 | Dec 4 | Perimeters | |
| Class 28 | Dec 9 | Review | |
| Final Exam | Dec 19, 8AM-11AM | Cumulative | place tba |
Try to do all problems from sections we are discussing.
I will assign homework in class once a week to be turned in a week later.
This assignment will also be posted on this website.
I will sometimes assign group a problem to prepare and present in class.
I will help with the preparation if requested.
We will also discuss other textbook problems in class.
Directions for writing up homework:
Remember you will be graded on clarity of mathematical communication as well as on "mathematical content".
If I cannot understand your content, I cannot give credit for it.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS by date due.
These will be entered as the assignments are made.
| Due Date | Section | Problems to do | Problems to turn in |
| Sept 4 | none | ||
| Sept 9 | 8.1 8.2 8.3 |
#1, 5 #1, 2, 3, 4 #1, 3 |
all |
| Sept 16 | 8.4 8.5 | #3a, 4, 9, 10, 11 #1, 2, 6, 7 | #3a, 9, 11 #2, 6 |
| Sept 23 | 9.1 | #2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9,15 | #3, 7, 9, 15 |
| Oct 2 | 9.2 9.3 |
#3, 7, 9, 15 #1, 3, 4 |
#3, 7, 15 #1, 4 |
| Oct 7 | 9.4 | #1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 | #1, 7, 13, 19 |
| Oct 14 | EXAM #1 | No homework due | |
| Oct 23 | 10.1 10.2 | #1, 2, 3, 6 #1, 2 | #1, 2, 3 none |
| Oct 28 | 10.3 10.5 | #3, 4, 5, 7 #1-10 | #4, 5, 7 #2, 5, 7, 10 |
| Nov 4 | 11.1 11.2 |
#3, 5, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17 #1, 3, 6 | #3, 11, 15, 17 #1, 6 |
| Nov 11 | 11.3 11.4 |
#1, 3, 7, 8, 12, 14 #1, 2, 3, 4 | #3, 7, 12 #2, 4 |
| Nov 20 | 11.6 11.7 |
#2, 4, 10, 15 #1, 3 |
#4, 10 #3 |
| Nov 25 | exam day | no homework due | |
| Dec 2 | |||
| Dec 9 |
Some solutions may be posted after the problems are due to be turned in.