COURSE SYLLABUS

Fall 2008

Course: MAT 123A Math for Elementary and Middle School Teachers I 3 credits

Course Prerequisites: Completion of the Basic College Mathematics Competency requirement.

Note: this means that students are expected to be able to use basic algebra. If you have not completed the Basic College Mathematics Competency you must drop this course and add MAT 90.

Instructor: Dr. Julie Belock Email: julie.belock@salemstate.edu

Office: SB308C Telephone: (978) 542-6338

Office Hours: T, Th 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Website: http://www.salemstate.edu/~jbelock

Other hours available by appointment

Course Description:

This course is especially recommended for those prospective elementary school teachers who realize the value of a strong mathematics background in the elementary teaching profession. The topics include problem solving, logic and sets, numeration systems, algorithms for arithmetic operations, estimation, number theory and probability concepts.

Restrictions: Not open to students who have received credit for Mat 123.

Materials Required:

Text: Musser, Burger and Peterson, Mathematics for Elementary Teachers: A Contemporary Approach, 8^th ed., Wiley and Sons, New York, 2006.

Calculator Policy:

Appropriate use of technology is an important topic to explore in any mathematics course, and we will use calculators and some computer software in class and on projects. However, the ability to compute and estimate without relying on a calculator is an important skill to develop, especially for prospective teachers. Therefore, NO calculators will be allowed on in-class quizzes and exams. It is suggested that you practice some homework problems without calculators to get used to this, especially if you have been dependent on calculators in the past.

Course Goals: This course is intended to provide the student with:

A solid foundation in the mathematical subject matter covered in elementary and middle school math.
The underlying framework of our number system and arithmetic operations, based on logic.
Increased understanding and practice in using number sense to make estimates and do computations.
Exposures to activities that illustrate how to make this subject matter better understood by school age children.
An understanding and appreciation of the goals for teaching and learning mathematics as described in the NCTM Standards for School Mathematics.
An exposure to estimation techniques, problem solving, pattern recognition and other practices strongly advocated by the NCTM.

Learning Objectives: The student will be able to:

Display a facility in the use of set notation and use it in solving problems.
Simplify expressions using the correct order of operations of arithmetic.
Explain basic arithmetic operations and identify mistakes in computations.
Convert numbers from base 10 to other number bases and back.
Find the prime factorization of any integer.
Find the greatest common divisor and least common multiple of any set of integers.
Solve problems and display a mastery of arithmetic involving fractions, decimals and percents.
Create word problems whose solution can be found by a specified operation.
Identify the subsets of the real numbers and classify numbers by those subsets.
Compute probabilities of events in simple and complex experiments.

Course and Grading Policies:

The course grade will be determined as follows:

Exam 1 (tentative date: Tuesday, Oct. 7^th) 20%

Exam 2 (tentative date: Tuesday, November 18^th) 20%

Cumulative Final Exam 25%

Quizzes 20%

Projects / graded assignments 15%

Attendance, participation and improvement may also be taken into account in assigning final grades

Final Exam Dates: Section 01 Thursday, December 18^th 11:00 – 1:00

Section 02 Wednesday, December 17^th 11:00 – 1:00

Grade ranges (approximate): 100 – 90 A, A-

89 – 80 B+, B, B-

79 – 70 C+, C, C-

69 – 60 D+, D, D-

59 – 0 F

Students are expected to attend every class and to complete all course requirements.

· Attendance will be noted. Students are expected to keep up with all that goes on in the class whether or not they are present. If a student is absent from a class, please notify the instructor, preferably via email, as a courtesy. The student should obtain class notes from another student and see the instructor if further help is needed.

Homework will be assigned every class, to be completed by the following class. In general homework is not collected. Questions regarding the problems may be asked in class or during office hours. Also, students are encouraged to work with other students in the class on these problems.

There will be a weekly short (5 – 10 minutes) quiz, consisting of several previously assigned homework problems. There are no makeups for missed quizzes for any reason. A missed quiz results in a grade of zero for that quiz. The two lowest quiz grades will be dropped.

If an assignment is to be handed in for a grade, students should work individually on it unless it is a group project. Students will be notified of any assignments to be handed in at least one class in advance of the due date. Late assignments will only be accepted at the discretion of the instructor and will usually have a reduced grade.

Exams may be made up at the discretion of the instructor for an excused absence and only if the instructor has been contacted as soon as possible concerning the absence.

In case of an unexpected school closure, an exam date or project due date will be the next class meeting.

Academic regulations allow undergraduate students to withdraw from a course on or before November 21^st without receiving an F.

Cell phones must be turned off during class. In addition, please show respect to your fellow students and professor by arriving on time to class, not leaving the room during class, not eating during class and observing other common courtesies.

College Policy Statement:

Salem State College is committed to providing equal access to the educational experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act and to providing all reasonable academic accommodations, aids, and adjustments. Any student who has a documented disability requiring an accommodation, aid or adjustment should speak with the instructor immediately. Students with disabilities who have not previously done so should provide documentation to and schedule an appointment with the Office for Students with Disabilities and obtain appropriate services.