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Sean Raleigh Adjunct Professor of Mathematics, Miramar College |
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Syllabus for Mathematics 151, Calculus with Analytic
Geometry II Instructor: Sean Raleigh (please call me Sean) E-mail: sraleigh@sdccd.net Office: I have no office on campus so I won't have office hours. I promise to devote lots of class time to going over homework questions so that you won't need additional hours from me. Also, I encourage you to form study groups to work problems and prepare for tests. Time: MW 10:45 a.m.—12:50 p.m. Location: S5104 Required Text: Calculus, Larson, Hostetler, Edwards, Seventh Edition. (Since we won't cover anything past chapter 9, you can purchase the cheaper version, Calculus of a Single Variable, but if you are going to take Calculus III then you'll need the full text anyway.) Optional Text: Student Solutions Manual accompanying the main text. Topics Covered: All of chapters 6 through 9 except sections 7.6 and 9.6. Homework: Homework is due on Mondays except
on exam days and unless otherwise indicated in the schedule. We will plan to spend a significant part of
Mondays'
lectures working homework problems and answering questions from the assignment.
The homework for each week is posted here. Tests: There will be four "midterms" and a final exam. With the exception of the 10% contribution of the homework assignments to your grade, test performance is the sole indicator for your grade in the course. It is therefore crucial that you keep up with the material and study effectively for tests.
Each question of each test will have one extra point attached called the "notation point". This point is awarded on an all-or-nothing basis and will only be earned if there are no notational errors in the work shown. This point is completely independent of the remainder of the points for that question, so it you have notational errors that cause mathematical errors, you will lose points from the problem and you will lose the notation point as well. You may even have the correct answer and correct work, but you still could lose the notation point for various things like, for example, a lack of organization, illegible work, or even a misplaced equal sign. To help avoid such errors, please consult the notation guide located in the Resources section of the website. There will be no makeup exams except in the case of an extreme emergency. What constitutes an extreme emergency will be at my discretion and will require some kind of documentation. If you have to miss class on a midterm day for any reason, you will probably have to drop that midterm, even if the absence is "legitimate". (The option to drop one midterm in explained below.) Calculators: You are encouraged to have a graphing calculator, although a graphing calculator is not strictly necessary. Some homework questions will require at least a scientific calculator. You will be allowed to use calculators on tests, but tests will be designed in such a way that calculators will not be necessary or even advantageous. This is because all questions will require you to show all your work and not just the result of a calculation. Be very careful about using your calculator. Too often it becomes a crutch and distracts you from the correct conceptual formulation and algebraic manipulation that leads to the correct answer. As we proceed through the course, I will try to indicate where calculators can be beneficial and also how they might lead you astray. Grading: The grade distribution will be whichever of the following two distributions yields the higher score. (A spreadsheet will automatically assign the higher of the two calculations.)
OR
Your letter grade will initially be based on the following scale:
I say "initially" because I always curve the final grades. However, this won't
be a strict bell
curve where the majority of the class earns a C with a few A's and a few F's.
The ultimate
grade distribution will be based on a B- average with no quotas for any
individual letter grade.
Also, you are guaranteed to earn at least the grade indicated on the above
scale. So, for
example, suppose you get 85% in the class, but the class average is 90%. You
will still earn a
B in the class and a large percentage of the class will be in the A range.
Academic Honesty: Cheating will not be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to copying homework, using unauthorized materials in tests, looking at someone else's paper during a test, collaborating with another person during the test, and other similar activities. You are all adults and you know what constitutes cheating; therefore, I will never accept an excuse of "I didn't know." If there's any question as to what constitutes cheating, please ask before it becomes a problem. I reserve the right to assess a penalty for cheating as the severity demands. The minimum penalty will be a zero on that particular test or assignment. More likely, though, is that you will receive an F in the class. You will also be reported to the dean for any violation. Having said that, I encourage you to work together on the homework problems (this is not the same thing as copying another's completed homework) and study together for tests. Attendance: Attendance is required. I reserve the right to drop anyone from the
class for excessive
absences. Anyone who does not come at all in the first two weeks of class will
be dropped.
Changes to the syllabus: I reserve the right to change the syllabus as circumstances necessitate, but no new policy will be enforceable until after you have been notified in class. Last modified: 05/05/06 |