Math 297: Intermediate Topics for School Mathematics
Fall 2007, MWF 9:00-10:15 in Carver 002
Instructor:
Dr. Christian Roettger
email: roettger@iastate.edu
Office: 382 Carver
Office Phone: 294-9609
Office Hours: TRF 2.10-3, M 3.10-4 & by appt.
Please do not leave messages!
Course webpage: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~roettger/297 and WebCT
Course Supplies:
Students are required to bring to every class the Math 297 course packet, washable transparency marker (Vis-àvis), rubber bands, graph paper, ruler, protractor, scissors, and graphing calculator. During periods of use,
students must also bring their model spheres, circular protractors, and a computer disk or memory stick. We will
be using graphing calculators for much of the course. You are required to use a graphing calculator and bring it
everyday to class. A model sphere will be loaned to each student, and one transparency circular protractor will be
given to each student. If you break a sphere, a $2 fee will be charged to replace it. We will periodically use the
computer lab in 250 Carver or 449 Carver. For those days that we are in the lab, you will need to bring a disk or
memory stick to save your work.
Course Goals:
The overriding goal of this course is to develop students’ reasoning in mathematics using discussion, labs,
lectures, small groups, discovery learning, technology, and classroom aids. This is a mathematics course, and
students are expected to learn terminology, definitions, and concepts. Topics covered will be approached from
both a practical and theoretical standpoint, with an emphasis on understanding concrete examples. The focus of
this course is not just on material that a future teacher may teach. In addition, this course is not a methods course.
Instead, the two primary foci of the course are for students to: 1) improve their mathematical reasoning by
exploring new ways of thinking mathematically and developing mathematical judgment, and 2) learn to use
technology effectively to learn and teach mathematics.
Attendance:
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 the explorations, and the communication component of class, daily attendance is extremely
important. More than 3 absences are considered excessive and will result in a deduction of the final grade
by .5% for EACH absence beyond three. HOARD YOUR EXCUSED ABSENCES FOR TRUE
EMERGENCIES! Military service, jury duty and documented, serious illness are considered valid excuses – eg
car breakdown, family emergencies are not. You are always responsible for finding out what we covered .
Homework:
Daily homework assignments will be given and should be kept in a notebook. Begin each assignment on a
new page and show corresponding course packet pages and problem numbers. Put the assignment
number and your name on the top of the page. Your responses to the homework will be collected
periodically and graded. The grading of homework will emphasize effort, with a 2 reflecting serious effort with
work shown and correct solution method. A 1 will reflect the start of a correct solution method. A 0 will reflect
an incorrect solution method. Late work will not be accepted. Your one lowest homework score will be
dropped at the end of the course. Make a serious attempt on all problems and show all work.
Projects:
There are two technology-based projects. These will be announced in advance with more information concerning
the requirements. Any project accepted late will be marked 10% off for each day late.
Lab reports:
In the second unit, we will have three or four lab reports. These lab reports will document the inquiry process of
making hypotheses about the relationship between variables, designing an experiment, collecting data, and
analyzing data all while justifying the decisions that were made. Some lab reports will be completed individually,
while others may be completed in groups of 2-4.
Tests:
Three in-class tests and a comprehensive final will be administered during the term. Tests are tentatively
scheduled for September 21, October 24, and November 30. See the instructor ASAP if you know you will have
to miss an exam.
Grades:
Final grades will be assigned so that your grade will not be worse than that obtained according to the following
scale: A 90.00-100, B 80.00-89.99, C 70.00-79.99, D 60.00-69.99, F 0-59.99, with pluses and minuses given.
Incomplete grades are rarely given and given in accordance to university policies.
Special Needs:
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor early in the semester so that
your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the
Disability Resources (DR) office, located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076, 515294-6624.
Food Allergies:
At times we may collect data related to food. Please let me know if you have any food allergies.
Requirement
Exams: Three in-class tests will be given which will cover mathematical concepts,
procedures, problem solving, and discussions. Exams will consist of short answer and long
answer problems. The long answer problems may contain problem solving, programming,
transformations, analysis, essay items, or geometrical constructions.
Geometry/Geometer’s Sketchpad Project: Students will individually follow a set of
instructions to create a construction on Geometer’s Sketchpad. At different stages of the
instructions, students will need to write non-trivial conjectures and give supporting
evidence for each conjecture. Credit for the constructions will be worth half the number of
points for the project, while the other half will be attributed to the conjectures.
Discrete/Programming Project: Students, individually or in pairs, will complete a
discrete mathematics project or write a program for their graphing calculators simulating
one of two given events.
Lab Reports: Students, individually or in groups of 2-4, will be presented with various
scenarios, make hypotheses about relationships between variables involved, plan an
experiment, conduct experiments to collect data, mathematically analyze the data, and
reflect on the process, repeating/revising whatever components are necessary. Lab reports
will be typed documentation of the inquiry process from the beginning to the end. Three
or four lab reports will be written in the first unit.
Homework: Homework problems will be assigned daily and collected periodically to be
graded.
Comprehensive Final Exam
Percent
Due
16%
16%
16%
9/21
10/24
11/30
7%
9/26
7%
11/30
9%
NA
9%
NA
20%
NA