Math 195: Mathematics for Elementary Education I
Course Goals: This course targets the mathematics subject matter specialization standard of the
Iowa State Teacher Education Standards. It is designed to help you understand the central
concepts, tools of inquiry, and structure of mathematics and prepare you to create learning
experiences that make these aspects meaningful for elementary students. At the end of this
course, you will have both content and process knowledge. You will have experienced what it
means to think mathematically, understand the value of conceptual insight, and appreciate how
mathematical knowledge is constructed in an exploratory manner. A detailed list of objectives is
available on the course website.
Course Prerequisites: Satisfactory performance on the placement exam, 2 years of high school
algebra, 1 year of high school geometry, enrollment in an early childhood or elementary
education program.
Course Website: WebCT Gold and www.public.iastate.edu/~roettger/195/homepage.html
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives http://www.nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
Course Materials: Bring these to class beginning with the second class meeting.
Text: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers, 3rd ed., Bassarear
Lab Manual: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers Explorations, 3rd ed.,
Bassarear Special Edition for Iowa State University (This must be new.)
Packet: All students must purchase the Math 195 packet from the University Bookstore.
Other: A 3-ring binder for organizing your homework, a calculator (a basic one is fine), a
ruler, and a protractor.
Content Covered: The course content focuses on the language of sets, systems of whole
numbers, numeration, algorithms for computation, topics from number theory, geometric shapes
and measurement, congruence, and transformations. We will be covering much of chapters 1,
2.1, 2.3, 3, 4, 8, 9.1, 9.2, and 10.1 of the text and accompanying explorations from the lab
manual. You will be responsible for all content covered in class (whether or not it is in the text.)
Attendance: The emphasis in this course is on active participation, small group work, the
processes of exploration and discovery, and communication of mathematical ideas. Students are
expected to attend class daily, participate in and complete all activities, and share in the
discussion of assigned problems, readings, and explorations. Due to the laboratory nature of this
course, the use of manipulatives in explorations, and the communication component of class,
daily attendance is extremely important. More than 2 absences are considered excessive and
will result in a deduction of the final grade by .5% for EACH absence beyond two. HOARD
YOUR EXCUSED ABSENCES FOR TRUE EMERGENCIES! The only exceptions are a
documented serious illness, a University-required event, or jury duty. You are always
responsible for all work missed.
Explorations/Homework: Explorations from the Explorations manual will generally be
completed in class. You are to record your answers in the manual. Use a 3-ring binder to
organize your daily homework assignments. Begin each assignment on a new page and clearly
identify the assignment, corresponding pages, and problem numbers. Your responses to the
explorations and homework will be collected periodically and graded. Late work will not be
accepted. Make a serious attempt on all problems and show all work.
Portfolio entries: Throughout the course, you will be required to submit portfolio entries which
take the place of a project. These will be “heftier” homework problems often requiring outside
research or reading. They must be typed and reflect your best mathematical thinking. These will
be graded for mathematical content, evidence of reflection on your part, as well as grammar and
spelling. These often may be done as part of a group. Any entry which is not typed will be
returned and may be accepted for a late grade.
Study Groups: Research shows that actively discussing mathematics promotes understanding.
Therefore, rooms will be reserved for you to discuss Math 195 and work on homework with
others taking the course. Once the rooms and times are established, please take advantage of this
opportunity.
Exams: Three evening exams and a comprehensive final will be administered during the term.
No make-up exams will be given. Students missing an exam with an approved, documented
excuse will have the appropriate portion of the comprehensive final weighted more heavily to
determine their final grade. (Approved excuses include things such as jury duty or illness with a
doctor's note.) The three evening exams (8:00-9:30 PM) are scheduled as follows:
Exam I: Wed., Sep 19
Exam II: Wed., Oct 17
Exam III: Wed., Nov 14
If you are unable to take an evening examination at the scheduled time because of a course
conflict or other legitimate reason, you must notify me in advance. Due to the three evening
exams, three regular class meetings will be omitted on dates to be announced.
Computation Quiz: While a calculator is a valuable tool, it is important that elementary
teachers be able to both perform simple calculations without a calculator and model for their
students appropriate calculator use. Therefore, there will be a no-calculator quiz administered
during class, covering multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and long division
computations. Fifteen of the total points on the final must be earned on this no-calculator quiz. If
you receive 90% or above on the quiz, then you will get the full 15 points on the final. If you do
not score at least 90%, you will be given an opportunity to retake the quiz after you have made
arrangements to strengthen your skills. There will be a maximum of 3 retakes on the quiz.
Grading: The components of the course are weighted, and grades will be assigned as follows:
HW/Explorations
Portfolio Entries
16%
16%
Exams (3 evening)
Final (including computation quiz)
16% each
20%
Course grading scale: A 90.00-100%, B 80.00-89.99%, C 70.00-79.99%, D 60.00-69.99%, F
0.00-59.99%. Pluses and minuses will be given.
Note: A grade of C- or better is a prerequisite to enrolling in Math 196. Incompletes will be
given rarely and in accordance with university guidelines.
Special Needs: Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the
beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking
accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation
Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources (DR) office (515-294-6624). DR is located
in 1076 Student Services Building.
Academic Regulations as outlined in the University Bulletin are in full effect.