Florida State College at Jacksonville

MAT 0024 Elementary Algebra

Fall 2010-1 Ref # 305113

TR 9:00 – 10:40 AM

Room: G-310

Instructor: Professor Joel Rappoport                                                       

Office:  C-134                                                             Phone:  646-2094         Fax: 646-2295

E-Mail:  jrappopo@fscj.edu Home Page: http://www1.fccj.edu/jrappopo/

If sending an email:  Please use your free ____@students.fscj.edu email account and include the following in the subject line: Your name; MAT 0024

OFFICE HOURS (in C134 unless otherwise indicated)

Monday: 8:00 – 11:30 A.M.

Tuesday: 7:45 – 8:45 A.M.

Wednesday: 8:00 – 11:30 A.M.

Wednesday: 1:45 – 2:45 P.M. (in G200)

Thursday: 7:45 – 8:45 A.M.

Catalog Description: (College preparatory studies course) (This course does not apply toward the associates degree.) Description: Prerequisite: MAT 0002 with a grade of C or better or satisfactory score on the placement test. This course is designed for students who have had little or no algebra. The major topics in this course are sets, real numbers and their properties, exponents and polynomials, linear equations and linear inequalities, as well as an introduction to applications, factoring, rational expressions, radicals (square roots), and graphing in two variables. Four contact hours.

Text: Elementary Algebra Concepts & Applications by Bittinger/Ellenbogen, 8^th Ed.

· You have 3 options for acquiring the text:

1) Purchase a new text package from the Florida State College bookstore complete with MyMathLab access code. Cost: More than $150

2) Purchase a used book (cost ≈ $75) + separate MyMathLab access code ($70). Total Cost ≈ $145.

3) Purchase complete online multimedia access to the package at CourseCompass web site for $65.

Calculator: Not allowed in this course

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Regular attendance is required to successfully complete this course. If you miss a class, you do not have to notify me; however, it is your responsibility to try to get class notes from another student and complete the homework assignment before coming to the next class. If you attend each class – on time -- during a testing cycle, you will be rewarded with 5 points extra credit for that test!

DISABILITIES: Appropriate accommodations (such as note takers, extra time on tests, quiet testing, etc.) will be available to assist students with disabilities, provided written instructions are sent to the instructor by the Disabled Student Services Counselor.

COMMON SENSE, COURTESY and COLLEGE POLICY:

1.  Turn OFF cell phones, Blackberries, etc.

2. There is to be absolutely no text messaging in class; you may not use your cell phone as a calculator.

3. It is Florida State College policy that children under 16 are not allowed in the classrooms.

GRADES WILL BE EARNED THIS WAY: POINTS

35 Online Homework Assignments (average after dropping lowest 2) 100

17 Online Chapter Quizzes (average after dropping lowest 2) 100

17 Library/Learning Commons Assignments (average) 100

5 In-class Tests (100 points each) 500

Final Exam (Practice Exit Exam) 100

= 900 points maximum

• Homework: You will be given a specific time-frame for which to complete online homework assignments. Check in MyMathLab for due dates. Until the due date, you may rework online homework assignments (or individual problems) as often as you like to achieve as high a score as possible. You will be able to take advantage of the “Help Me Solve This” and “View an Example” features of MyMathLab. Additional textbook homework problems may also be assigned to help increase your level of understanding, but will not be collected or graded.
• Online Quizzes: These quizzes (along with in-class reviews) will help prepare you for tests. They will test your ability to solve problems without having the “Help Me Solve This” and “View an Example” features of MyMathLab. Plus, once you submit a quiz online, you cannot go back and rework individual problems. You must retake the entire quiz. You will be allowed up to 3 attempts at each quiz and I will count your best score for each quiz in calculating your quiz average.
• Learning Center Assignments: Almost every week, you will be required to go to G200 to complete one of these assignments, which will have 10 – 15 questions about recently covered material. You will have about one week to complete each assignment and can take them any time the LAC is open. You can work with another classmate and/or seek assistance from faculty/staff who will be available to help you.
• Tests: Anticipated test dates and material covered are shown on the tentative course schedule. If you are absent the day of the test and I am notified that day (by phone or email), it may be possible for you to make up the test before the class meets again. This make-up policy will be allowed only once during the term.
• Final Exam: The cumulative final exam is meant to help you prepare for the state mandated exit exam. You can use the grade on this test a second time, to replace a poor regular test score.
• Exit Exam: Regardless of the grades earned on the above items, you cannot pass the class if you do not pass the Exit Exam. To sit for the Exit Exam you must have a course grade of at least a C (630 points or more). You must make at least a 70% on the Exit Exam to pass it. To repeat, satisfactory completion of this course requires passing the course and the State Exit Examination. The final course grade is determined by the qualifying course grade and affirmed by a passing score on the State Exit Examination.
• Extra Credit: In addition to the 5 points that can be earned each testing cycle for perfect, on-time attendance, up to an additional 5 points can be earned on each test for keeping a neat, orderly and complete notebook of 4 sections: 1) syllabus & due dates; 2) notes and handouts; 3) homework problems worked by hand; 4) test reviews and returned tests.

GRADING SCALE: Students who do not withdraw from the course by Monday, November 9^th will receive the following qualifying course grade (which will subsequently become your final course grade should you qualify to sit for the Exit Examination and pass it).

A: > 90% (810 points or more)

B: 80 – 89% (720 – 809 points)

C: 70 – 79% (630 – 719 points)

F: < 70% (less than 630 points)

OTHER GRADES:

• W (Withdraw): must be initiated by the student no later than Monday, November 9^th.
• I (Incomplete): will only be given if the student is 1) passing the course; 2) has completed 75% of the course material; and 3) has a compelling reason as to why s\he was unable to complete the remaining test and/or final exam.

• FN (Failure for Non-attendance) will be given to students who stop attending class on a regular basis, but do not take the action of withdrawing. If a student accumulates more than 6 absences and fails the course, s\he will receive an FN grade. An FN grade can affect your financial aid.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Students are expected to maintain honor and integrity in completing course requirements. Academic dishonesty (cheating) is a serious offense and will be treated as such. In the event that a student is found cheating on a test, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. Possible actions that may result are a zero on the test, a failing grade in the course and possible expulsion from the college. For the full Florida State College policy visit: Catalog

COMPUTER WORK: Homework and quizzes are to be completed online using MyMathLab, an online enhancement to the course.  You can work from your own personal computer or from one of those on campus.  To get started in MyMathLab, you will need a valid FSCJ email address, the course ID code (see below) and the student access code from your book package.  

• Registration/Student Access Code - You will initially register and subsequently log in at: http://coursecompass.com.    The access code is an individual, course-specific 6-word code needed for registration as a CourseCompass student. A Student Access Code is packaged in a CourseCompass Student Access Kit with your new hard copy book. The kit or book itself will include a pull-back strip that reveals the code. If you buy a book without a MyMathLab access code, you may purchase an access code online at the site above.
• Course ID Code -  The code for this course is: rappoport21189
• Use 32246 as the zip code for the school. 
• Technical Support:  1-800-677-6337.
• Click here to launch the MyMathLab software installation wizard. This wizard will walk you through the installation of the software you will need to successfully view all content in MyMathLab.  Note: if you do not download the required plug-ins, you will not be able to view the homework or quiz problems!!

System requirements are shown below.

Note: Please print out the section handout (under Chapter Contents in MyMathLab) before each class, when available.

LATE WORK:

Because “life happens” (illness, family situations, computer problems, work-related issues), you will be allowed two occasions during the term when you can submit to me a request to extend a particular week’s online assignments. Such an extension will be for one week after the original due date. So don’t wait until 6 days after the initial due date to make your request, as 1) I may not even see your request in time and 2) that will leave you only one day to complete everything you were late on. I will provide you with a separate online form for you to complete and email to me to initiate such a request.  After the one week extension, assignments will not be accepted, period. You may work ahead of schedule, but do not fall behind!

STATE MANDATE:

• A student may have three attempts per course including the original grade, repeat grade and withdrawals. All grades count as an attempt, including: IW, AW, W, NP, D, F and audit.
• A student will be permitted a maximum of two withdrawals per course. Upon the third attempt, the student will not be permitted to withdraw and will receive a grade for the course.
• College Credit students must pay full tuition (out-of-state) for their third attempt.
• A student cannot repeat a course when a grade of A, B or C has been earned.

LIBRARY LEARNING COMMONS (LLC): G-200/300 ASSESSMENT CENTER: U-120

7:30AM – 8:00PM M – R 8:00AM – 7:00PM M & R

7:30AM – 3:00PM F 8:00AM – 8:00PM T & W

9:00AM – 3:00PM SAT 8:00AM – 3:00PM FRI

MAT 0024 Fall 2010-1: Course Schedule

TUESDAY	THURSDAY
Sep 1	Sep 3
Review Syllabus Intro to MyMathLab Pre-Test (up to 5 pts extra credit)	1.1: Introduction to Algebra 1.2: The Commutative, Associative and Distributive Laws Tour of LLC
Sep 8 (DROP DEADLINE)	Sep 10
1.4: Positive and Negative Real Numbers 1.5: Addition of Real Numbers 1.6: Subtraction of Real Numbers	1.7: Multiplication and Division of Real Numbers 1.8: Exponential Notation and Order of Operations
Sep 15	Sep 17
Review for Test 1: Chapter 1 2.1: Solving Equations	Test 1 (Chapter 1)
Sep 22	Sep 24
2.2: Using the Principles Together 2.3: Formulas	2.5: Problem Solving 2.6: Solving Inequalities
Sep 29	Oct 1
3.1: Reading Graphs, Plotting Points and Scaling Graphs 3.3: Graphing and Intercepts	Review for Test 2: Chapters 2 & 3 4.1: Exponents and Their Properties
Oct 6	Oct 8
Test 2 (Chapters 2 & 3)	4.2: Polynomials 4.3: Addition and Subtraction of Polynomials
Oct 13	Oct 15
4.4: Multiplication of Polynomials 4.5: Special Products	4.7: Division of Polynomials 4.8: Negative Exponents and Scientific Notation
Oct 20	Oct 22
Review for Test 3: Chapter 4 5.1: Introduction to Factoring	Test 3 (Chapter 4)
Oct 27	Oct 29
5.2: Factoring Trinomials of the Type x^2 + bx + c 5.3: Factoring Trinomials of the Type ax^2 + bx + c	5.4: Factoring Perfect-Square Trinomials and Differences of Squares 5.5: Factoring: A General Strategy
Nov 3	Nov 5 (Nov 9 is last day to drop with W)
5.6: Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring Review for Test 4: Chapter 5	Test 4 (Chapter 5)
Nov 10	Nov 12
6.1: Rational Expressions 6.2: Multiplication and Division	6.3: Addition, Subtraction and Least Common Denominators 6.4: Addition and Subtraction with Unlike Denominators
Nov 17	Nov 19
6.7: Applications Using Proportions 8.1: Introduction to Square Roots and Radical	8.2: Multiplying and Simplifying Radical Expressions 8.4: Radical Expressions with Several Terms
Nov 24	Nov 26
Review for Test 5: Chapters 6 & 8	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: NO CLASS
Dec 1	Dec 3
Test 5 (Chapters 6 & 8)	Course Review
Dec 8	Dec 10
Practice Final/Exit Exam	Final Exam
Dec 15	Dec 17
Exit Exam (8 – 10 AM)

MAT 0024 Fall 2010-1: Assignment Due Dates

TUESDAY	THURSDAY
Sep 1	Sep 3
	Be registered in CourseCompass/MyMathLab
Sep 8 (DROP DEADLINE)
HW Sections 1.1, 1.2 Quiz 1; LLC 1	HW Sections 1.4 - 1.6 Quiz 2; LLC 2
Sep 15	Sep 17
HW Sections 1.7, 1.8 Quizzes 3 & 4; LLC 3 & 4	Be prepared for test and notebook check.
Sep 22	Sep 24
HW Section 2.1	HW Sections 2.2, 2.3 Quiz 5; LLC 5
Sep 29	Oct 1
HW Sections 2.5, 2.6 Quiz 6; LLC 6	HW Sections 3.1, 3.3 Quiz 7; LLC 7 Oct 5 (night before Test): complete review/studying!
Oct 6	Oct 8
Be prepared for test and notebook check.	HW Section 4.1 Quiz 8; LLC 8
Oct 13	Oct 15
HW Sections 4.2, 4.3 Quiz 9; LLC 9	HW Sections 4.4, 4.5 Quiz 10; LLC 10
Oct 20	Oct 22
HW Sections 4.7, 4.8 Quiz 11; LLC 11 Oct 21 (night before Test): complete review/studying!	Be prepared for test and notebook check.
Oct 27	Oct 29
HW Section 5.1	HW Sections 5.2, 5.3
Nov 3	Nov 5 (Nov 9 is last day to drop with W)
HW Sections 5.4, 5.5 Quiz 12; LLC 12 Nov 4 (night before Test): HW Section 5.6, Quiz 13 & LLC 13 and complete review/studying!	Be prepared for test and notebook check.
Nov 10	Nov 12
	HW Sections 6.1, 6.2 Quiz 14; LLC 14
Nov 17	Nov 19
HW Sections 6.3, 6.4 Quiz 15; LLC 15	HW Sections 6.7, 8.1 Quiz 16; LLC 16
Nov 24	Nov 26
HW Sections 8.2, 8.4 Quiz 17; LLC 17 Nov 30 (night before Test): complete review/studying!	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: NO CLASS
Dec 1	Dec 3
Be prepared for test and notebook check.	Study and review; study and review….
Dec 8	Dec 10
Practice Final/Exit Exam	Final Exam
Dec 15	Dec 17
Exit Exam