Heartland Community College
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MATH 091--Preparing for College Math A – Sec 17
Course Overview
Greetings! We are glad to see you here. The design of this course allows students to work at an
accelerated pace and to take their success with them from semester to semester. We utilize MyLabsPlus
(MLP) so that you receive immediate feedback as you work on math problems with one-on-one instructor
help in the Developmental Math Center (DMC). In addition, you will work on Activities in Problem Solving
(APS) to enhance your understanding of course topics.
Instructor Information
Matthew Lathrop
Email: matthew.lathrop@heartland.edu
Phone: 309-268-8722
Office: ICB 2426
Office Hours: MW 3-4 pm; F 9-12 pm
Day/Time course meets: MW 12-1:15 pm
Catalog Description
Prerequisite: Placement by assessment. This course is designed for students who need to develop their
math skills prior to taking college level mathematics. Topics include basic operations with integers,
fractions, decimals, signed numbers, ratios, proportions, percents, and solving equations. For students who
can successfully work at an accelerated pace, additional topics include: real numbers; order of operations;
exponents; factoring; linear, quadratic, polynomial, rational and radical functions; inequalities; and systems
of linear equations and inequalities. Problem solving will be stressed throughout the course.
Credit Hours: 4.0
Contact Hours: 4.0
Lecture Hours: 4.0
Laboratory Hours: 0.0
Textbook & Course Materials
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Etext (cost covered by course fee; included in MLP account www.heartland.mylabsplus.com)
o Martin-Gay, K. Elayn. PreAlgebra. 6th Edition. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 2011.
o Trigsted, Kirk, Kevin Bodden, and Randall Gallaher, Beginning and Intermediate Algebra, 1st
Edition. Pearson, 2012.
Calculator
o No calculator on modules 1 – 5, scientific calculator on modules 6 – 20
Guided notebook and three-ring binder
o Guided notebook (for appropriate Milestone) may be purchased from bookstore or printed
from the guided notebook link in MLP and placed in your three-ring binder
Loose-leaf lined paper for homework and progress check problems
o All homework and progress checks should be added to the three-ring binder after the
appropriate section in the guided notebook
Ear buds or ear phones are required to listen to video lectures in the DMC
Technology Requirements
Participation in this course will require the Internet to access the course website at
heartland.mylabsplus.com. During class and drop-in time, you will have access to this website in the DMC.
When studying outside of the DMC, you may use any computer with internet access.
Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transferability:
MATH 091 is designed to enhance students' academic performance for other college courses for which they
are currently under-prepared, as indicated by their performance on HCC's math placement exam. Credit
Heartland Community College
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earned from successful completion of this course (or other developmental courses) is not calculated into
students' HCC GPA and will not apply toward degree or certificate requirements, nor will it transfer to
other colleges or universities. However, some institutions calculate admissions GPA using grades from all
courses, including developmental courses.
Measurable Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing the course, students should be able to:
Course Outcomes
Perform basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) on integers, fractions, decimals.
Break down numbers into their prime factors and distinguish between a prime and composite number.
Understand the concept of a ratio and construct a proportion set-up.
Perform calculations involving percent.
Convert between fractions, decimals and percent.
For students who work at an accelerated pace, the following outcomes may apply:
Simplify an expression using the correct order of operations.
Solve application problems using various methods, including linear and quadratic equations and proportions.
Simplify exponential expressions involving integer and rational exponents.
Solve linear equations and inequalities in one variable, including literal equations.
Simplify square roots and convert radical expressions to exponential form.
Perform basic operations on polynomials and factor polynomials.
Solve quadratic equations by factoring.
Understand the meaning of a function and function notation.
Perform basic operations on roots, radicals, rational expressions, and complex numbers.
Solve linear equations and inequalities, absolute value equations and inequalities, quadratic equations, rational
equations, and radical equations. Solve systems of linear equations and inequalities.
Graph linear equations and inequalities, quadratic equations, and systems of linear equations and inequalities.
Recognize the graphs of polynomial, rational, and radical functions.
Write the equation of a line based on specific characteristics provided.
COURSE OUTLINE
1. Whole Number Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division
2. Signed Number Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division
3. Prime/Composite Numbers
4. Fraction Basics, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division
5. Decimal Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division
6. Solving Equations
7. Ratio and Proportion
8. Percent
For students who progress at an accelerated pace, additional topics include:
9. Solving linear and quadratic equations and linear inequalities and basic application problems
10. Using linear and quadratic equations to solve problems
11. Simplifying exponential, polynomial, radical, and rational expressions
12. Factoring polynomials
13. Graphing linear equations and inequalities
14. Functions
15. Linear and nonlinear Models
16. Algebra and Problem Solving
17. Linear Functions and Inequalities
18. Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities
Heartland Community College
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Polynomial Functions and Factoring
Rational Functions and Equations
Radical Functions and Rational Exponents
Quadratic Functions
Method of Evaluation
This shell course consists of modules covering topics from pre-algebra through the intermediate algebra
level—each with 2-8 sections. At the beginning of each module there is a pre-test. Students who pass the
pre-test do not have to do any more work for that module and may move on to the next module. Students
who do not pass the pre-test for a module must complete the components of the module consisting of a
video lecture, homework assignment, progress check for each section, a notebook requirement, and an
Activity in Problem Solving (APS) . Students are allowed to rework assignments and must complete each
successfully before moving to the next assignment. At the end of the module a post-test must be passed.
The grade for this course will either be a P (pass) upon completion of the milestone in which you were
placed (see course outline), or an NP otherwise.
Assignment
Module 1-18
Module 19-20
Video
100%
100%
Homework
90%
90%
Progress Check
80%
80%
Notebook
80%
80%
APS
80%
80%
Pre-test & Post-test
75%
75%
Required Reading and Writing
You must read and complete the guided notebook, inserting all work from homework and progress checks
on lined paper. This notebook is graded, and must pass at an 80%, in order to move on to a Module X Posttest. In addition, you need to complete one APS per module (unless you test out of the module).
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Week to Week Course Calendar
Week
Date
Milestone I
Milestone II
Milestone III
Milestone IV
1
Jan 22
1.2
7.2
13.1
17.1
2
Jan 29
1.5
7.5
13.2
17.3
3
Feb 5
1.8
8.1
Pre-test Mod 14
Mod 17 Post-test
4
Feb 12
2.1
Mod 8 Post-test
14.1
Pre-test Mod 18/18.1
5
Feb 19
2.4
9.2
14.2
18.1
18.3
6
Feb 26
Mod 2 Post-test
9.5
14.3
18.5
7
Mar 4
3.2
Pre-test Mod 10/10.1
Pre-test Mod 15/15.1
Mod 18 Post-test
8
Mar 18
Pre-test Mod 4/4.1
10.1
10.3
15.1
15.2
Pre-test Mod 19/19.1
9
Mar 25
4.1
4.3
Mod 10 Post-test
15.3
19.1
19.3
10
Apr 1
4.6
11.2
15.4
Mod 19 Post-test
11
Apr 8
Mod 4 Post-test
11.5
Pre-test 16/16.1
Pre-test Mod 20/20.1
12
Apr 15
5.2
11.8
16.1
16.2
20.1
20.3
13
Apr 22
5.5
12.1
16.3
20.4
14
Apr 29
Pre-test Mod 6/6.1
12.4
16.4
20.5
15
May 6
6.1
6.3
12.7
16.5
20.6
16
May 13
Mod 6 Post-test
Mod 12 Post-test
Post-test 16
Mod 20 Post-test
17
May 17
Mod 6 Post-test
Mod 12 Post-test
Post-test 16
Mod 20 Post-test
(Thursday!)
DISCLAIMER:
This syllabus is subject to change, any changes will be posted under Announcements in MLP.