Mathematics 494/594 Syllabus

Mathematics 494/594 Fall 2004

Professor: Dr. Maria Fung	Phone: 503-838-8871
Office: AA 305	Email: fungm@wou.edu

CLASS MEETS

5-7 :30 p.m. in AA 104

Mondays

Dr. Fung’s OFFICE HOURS & SCHEDULE

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Friday
10 – 11	Prep		Prep	Prep
11 – 12	Office Hour	Prep	Office Hour	Office Hour
12 – 1	Math 341	Math 341	Math 341	Math 341
1 – 2	Office Hour	Office Hour	Office Hour	Office Hour
2 – 3	Math 393	Math 292	Math 393	Math 292
3 – 4	Math 393	Math 292	Math 393	Math 292
4 -5	Grading	Meetings
5-7:30	Math 494/594

Office hours are for you, so please do come to introduce yourself in more detail to me and feel free to drop by for help. At times other than my listed office hours you are welcome and encouraged to call or email me with questions about the course. If you have direct scheduling conflicts with my office hours and would like further help, please let me know. If you are a graduate students, do not hesitate to see be right before or after class.

Overview: During this term we will explore the geometry topics of plane transformations, symmetry, isometries, tessellations, dilations and similarity, and the Pythagorean Theorem. We will work in small cooperative groups in class and in the lab. We will use the software capabilities of The Geometer's Sketchpad to further the conceptual understanding of geometry. Readings and materials will come from the course pack (available at the bookstore) for this course and from the reading assignments sheet. Graduate students will do higher level or more work through exams and the final project.

Learning Objectives:

Build upon and expand our understanding of what geometry is and what it means to “know” geometry
Contemplate and reflect on what middle-school learners need to understand, be able to do and believe about themselves in the area of geometry
Develop teaching and learning insights through weekly assignments and explorations

Course Goals:

We will work on viewing mathematics as a creative problem-solving process
We will familiarize ourselves with geometry curricula and current standards upheld by NCTM and OCTM
Take risks and build confidence in your abilities to explore mathematical ideas

Course Requirements and Grading: Your grade will be determined as follows:

Weekly Assignments, Including Writing Assignments (40%)
Labs with The Geometer's Sketchpad (20%)
Attendance and Participation (10%)
Final Project (15%)
Final Oral Exam and Portfolio (15%)

1. Weekly Assignments will be collected every week and graded carefully by me. I will be looking for evidence of the thought process you went through to arrive at your solution. Short answers with no explanations will receive no credit. Give yourself enough time to really think about each problem. Please see the writing assignment sheet for more information about this type of assignment.

2. Labs will be assigned approximately every other week. We will use the Natural Sciences Lab. You would be expected to write up your explorations, conjectures, and conclusions in a way that a fellow classmate could follow and learn from. The software program we are using, The Geometer's Sketchpad, is available on the network, or could be purchased through Key Curriculum Press as a student edition, together with Fathom and Kaleidomania, for about $50.

3. Attendance and Participation means not only being in class, but also being prepared by completing assignments and readings, sharing your thoughts and strategies both in small groups and with the whole class. If you miss a class, please try to make up the work by contacting me or a classmate.

4. The Final Project will be assigned later in the term. It will consist of writing a series of lesson plans in geometry for middle schoolers.

5. The Final Oral Exam and Portfolio presentation will give me a chance to see all the work that you have completed during the term. You will be given the set of possible questions ahead of time and at the time of the exam you will draw two questions out of a hat and explain the concepts involved verbally.

Late Work Policy: There is a 20% penalty for work turned in after its due date, each week past the due date adds another 20%.

Final Grade Policy: All points are assigned based the QUALITY of your analytical thinking and writing.

Assessment Rubric for Weekly Assignments:

Each problem is assessed according to the following grading scheme:

l Interpretation (0-2 pts.)

l Execution (0-2 pts.)

l Completeness (0-2 pts.)

l Reflection (0-2 pts.)

l 0: sketchy, incomplete, incorrect, or missing

l 1: adequate

l 2: thoroughly developed, excellent

DISABILITIES

If you have a documented disability which requires any academic accommodations, please notify me early in the term. You must go to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) for appropriate coordination of your accommodations. You can go by APSC 405 or contact ODS at (503) 838-8250 to schedule an appointment.

STANDARD GRADING SCALE FOR THIS COURSE

(Total % for the course, usual rounding rules apply)

%	Grade	%	Grade	%	Grade	%	Grade	%	Grade
93 – 100	A	90 – 92	A-	87 – 89	B+	83 – 86	B	80 – 82	B-
%	Grade	%	Grade	%	Grade	%	Grade	%	Grade
77 – 79	C+	73 – 76	C	70 – 72	C-	60 – 69	D	Below 60	F

CLASS WEB PAGE

There will be a link for the Math 494/594 web page on my home page:

http://www.wou.edu/~fungm

INCOMPLETE POLICY

If you are passing this course and have a documented reason for not being able to complete the course, I may be able to grant you an incomplete. You must obtain my agreement if you wish to have a grade of incomplete recorded.