Course Overview:
This
is an intermediate-level algebra course, which is to be followed by a
college-level algebra course. It begins
with a review of basic mathematical topics, and then proceeds to the fundamental
algebra topics of variables, and their use in linear algebraic equations. The course continues through more advanced
topics such as solving linear equations and inequalities, solving quadratic
equations, and graphing these equations and inequalities.
Requirements:
A final grade of A, B, or C is needed to pass this
course. Students will be required to
demonstrate mastery of the material taught in class, and on tests (quizzes),
and exams.
It is the responsibility of each student to use his personalized
Blackboard account. This program is an
important means of communication between you and your instructor. Your instructor will use this program to
e-mail you, and your grades will be posted as quickly as possible.
Materials:
The following materials are required in
this course:
A Graph Paper Spiral Notebook
A ruler (At least 6 inches)
A Scientific Calculator (Approx. $15)
Sharpened Pencils
Textbook:
The textbook for this course
is: Intermediate Algebra, by
Aufman, Barker, & Lockwood (Houghton Mifflin, 2003). The text offers the following support for
students:
1.
Smarthinking, (an
Online Help Program). Students can ask
questions online and receive answers in real time. An I.D. number comes with the purchase of the text.
2.
A Practice CD. Additional practice work is provided for
each
chapter.
Attendance:
We know that attendance plays a very
important role in this course. Each topic
is built on the topic that came before it, and will be required for the algebra
that comes next. When a topic is
missed, the result could effect all the learning to come. The student is responsible for filling the
gap.
As an incentive, we will award
additional points to students at the end of the semester for good attendance.