Syllabus
Math 112, Spring 2008
Elements of Calculus
Time: 8:30 – 9:20am Daily
Section: 5834
Location: 27-150
Time: 10:30 – 11:20am Daily
Section: 5835
Location: 28-221
Instructor: Meredith LaFlesh
E-mail: mlaflesh@tacomacc.edu
Office: 9-55
Phone: (253) 460-4337
Office Hours: Daily 9:30 – 10:15 and by appointment
Course Overview: Welcome to calculus! Math 112 shows you all the calculus you will need in order to understand
and solve problems in business, economics, and statistics. Calculus is a powerful tool for understanding the world and
making predictions about it. Because it is so powerful, calculus can be a little hard to understand at first, but don’t let
this worry you! Be sure to ask questions in class and come to office hours, and you will master the material more
quickly than you expect!
Instructional Methods Used: In class, we will use a combination of lecture and small group work plus. In the
computer lab, we will use Excel®. Outside of class, projects will require the use of Excel® and some web research.
Course Description: For Students in business, economics, social sciences, and other fields requiring a one-quarter
survey course in calculus. Topics include the derivative, rates of change, maxima and minima, the integral, and area
under curves. A graphing calculator is required.
College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes: Tacoma Community College has identified six learning outcomes that
form the foundation of our educational emphasis: Communication – COM; Critical Thinking – CRT; Information and
Information Technology – IIT; Responsibility – RSP; Living and Working Cooperatively – LWC; and Core of Knowledge
– COK.
Learning Objectives:
Each objective is followed by the abbreviations of the college-wide learning outcomes that it addresses.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Take derivatives of polynomial, rational, composite, logarithmic, and exponential functions. (CRT, COK)
2. Graph the above functions using information from the first and second derivatives. (CRT, IIT, COK)
3. Apply concepts of calculus to business, economics, and other application problems in order to obtain maxima,
minima, and other pertinent information. (CRT, IIT, COM, COK)
4. Find anti-derivatives of definite and indefinite integrals. (CRT, COK)
5. Apply integral concepts to business, economic, and physical problems. (CRT, IIT)
6. Write clear, complete and understandable solutions to problems using correct mathematical notation. (COM,
CRT, COK)
Required Text: Finite Mathematics And Applied Calculus, 4th Ed, Waner and Costenoble
Other Available Text: Student Solutions Manual
Calculator: A graphing calculator is required for this course. The TI-83 or TI-84 types are strongly recommended. It
is the calculator that will be used during lectures and the only calculator that will be supported in this class. It also has
financial applications which other calculators do not have. If you choose to use another calculator, I will not be able to
help you learn it. You are responsible for knowing how to operate it. Calculators on cell phones and PDA’s and
calculators that do symbolic manipulation such as the TI-89 and TI-93 will not be allowed on exams.
Additional Supplies: Graph paper (¼ inch squares), 6-inch ruler, and colored pencils for graphing are required.
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Class Rules
Each person in this class is entitled to respect. It is important to me that you show respect for your fellow students and
for the learning process. These rules are designed to ensure that all students get the respect they deserve and the
learning they have paid for.
1. When one person is talking, please listen quietly.
2. Please turn off your cell phone, pager, etc. before class begins, as the noises they make distract people who are
trying to learn.
3. Please do not engage in disruptive behaviors (excessive talking, arriving late, leaving during class, etc.).
The first time, you will receive a verbal warning.
The second time, you will be required to leave class.
You may not return to class until you have made an appointment with me, and we have come to an
agreement as to how to better support learning in the class. Assignments missed because of behavior
cannot be made up.
4. If you intend to bring people (especially children) who are not enrolled to class, you must get permission from the
instructor first, and the visitors must follow all class rules.
5. You are welcome to bring food and beverages to classes held in most buildings on campus as long as you do not
distract other students and you clean up after yourself.
6. If you want to succeed in this class, you need to attend regularly. If you cannot be in class on a given day, let me
know ahead of time, otherwise, there will be no way for you to make up credit for missed in-class assignments. But,
notifying me does not guarantee you can make up the missed assignment.
7. Come to class on time. Arriving late to class distracts your fellow students and disrespects the learning process.
8. Late work will be accepted for half credit as long as the work is turned in before the beginning of the next class after
the deadline. If you are late (even one second), your work will be late. Work turned in after the start of the next class
will receive no credit.
9. TCC e-mail accounts are provided for each student. You can check your TCC e-mail from any computer on
campus as well as from any off-campus computer that has access to the Internet. You should check your e-mail at
least once a day because I will use your TCC e-mail account to send you class assignments and information. If class
is canceled due to weather, or if I will not be able to attend class due to illness, I will e-mail you no later than 6:30am. I
will also occasionally send information about scholarships and other things I think you could use, but I will never send
spam.
10. Cheating is unacceptable. As stated in the TCC catalog: “students are expected to be honest and forthright in
their academic endeavors. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or other forms of academic dishonesty corrupt the
learning process and threaten the learning environment for all students.” Students who engage in behaviors that may
be interpreted as cheating will receive a zero score on the assignment in question. A second offense will result in an
“E” course grade. Common "cheating" behaviors include
 communicating with another person while an exam is going on in the room,
 using notes, cell phones, or other resource material not specifically allowed during an exam,
 copying or allowing another student to copy answers during an exam,
 talking to someone outside of your group during a Group Solve, and
 presenting another person’s work as your own.
It is your responsibility to be honest and to appear honest.
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General Information
Students with Special Needs: All students are responsible for all requirements of the class, but the way they meet
these requirements may vary. If you need specific academic auxiliary aids or services due to a disability, please
contact the Access Services Office in Building 7 (253) 566-5328. They will require you to present formal, written
documentation of your disability from an appropriate professional. When this step has been completed, arrangements
will be made for you to receive reasonable auxiliary aids or services. The disability accommodation documentation
prepared by Access Services must be given to me a minimum of one week before the accommodation is needed so
that appropriate arrangements may be made.
Withdrawing From The Class: If you decide for any reason to stop attending class, you should withdraw. It is your
responsibility to withdraw yourself. No one else can do it for you. This may allow another student who wants to take
the class to enroll. If you do not withdraw yourself, you will receive a “V” or an “E” grade for the class.
For Help With Homework
The Al-Kwarizmi Math Advising and Resource Center: The Math Center is located in 19-22.
 Math instructors are available to help with math questions 8:30am-1:30pm Monday through Friday and 5:308:00pm Monday through Thursday.
 Math tutors are available Monday through Thursday from 7:00am to 8:00pm and Friday from 7:00am to 2:00.
 For best results, bring specific questions or problems you are working on to ask about.
 Even if you do not have any problems, the Math Center is a pleasant place to study. You are always welcome!
The Tutoring Center: The Tutoring Center is located in building 7, room 221. Student tutors are available by
appointment for one-on-one tutoring. The hours during which tutoring is available in specific subjects may vary from
quarter to quarter. Call the Tutoring Center at (253) 566-6032 to find out what their current schedule is.
The Open Door Policy: I want you to get the help you need when you need it. If my door is open, please come
in, sit down, and tell me what I can do for you. I am, of course, always available during my scheduled office hours.
Good Websites
For Calculator Help:
http://education.ti.com/us/support/main.html
http://education.ti.com/us/product/tech/83pse/guide/83pseguideus.html
http://education.ti.com/us/product/tech/84pse/guide/84pseguideus.html
For Algebra and Trigonometry Review (as well as basic algebra review):
http://purplemath.com
http://www.sosmath.com
For nice graph paper:
http://printfreegraphpaper.com
Getting Your Grade: You can check your grade regularly on-line by following these directions.
Log in to the MyTCC Portal at http://my.tacomacc.net
Select the “My Classes” tab.
Next to the listing for this class, you should see an OIS icon that looks like this:
When you click on the icon, a new window will open with a “Grade Book” link that will show you
your
grades for this class.
If you find an error, you have one week from the day the assignment was recorded to bring it to my attention.
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Chain of Command: If you have questions or complaints about your grade or any other aspect of the class, please
follow the steps below:
1. See me and present your case in a professional, unemotional manner. I am always willing to listen to a good
argument. If I am wrong, I will admit it. If you are not satisfied, go to step 2.
2. See the Mathematics Department Chair, Greg Ferencko in Building 29. If you are still not satisfied, go to step 3.
3. See the Dean of the Science Division, Mike Flodin, in Building 29.
Grading System: Letter grades will be assigned based on the following:
Percentage Letter
Grade
93 – 100
90 – 92
A
A-
Percentage Letter
Grade
87 – 89
B+
83 – 86
B
80 – 82
B-
Percentage Letter
Grade
77 – 79
C+
73 – 76
C
70 – 72
C-
Percentage Letter
Grade
67 – 69
D+
63 – 66
D
60 – 62
D-
Percentage Letter
Grade
0 – 59
E
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grade: A grade of "Satisfactory" will only be given for grades of D or above (that is, 63%
or above). If you are planning on taking another math class for which this course is a prerequisite, you must receive a
C- or above (that is, 70% or above) to go on. A "Satisfactory" will not be sufficient to get you into the next class.
A grade of Incomplete, I, will be given only in emergency situations, at the instructor’s discretion, and only if at least
75% of the work has been completed with a passing grade.
A grade of WI is given at the instructor’s discretion when a student has completed all assigned work and is forced, due
to circumstances beyond her control, to withdraw from class after the 50th day of the quarter.
A grade of V is given to a student who has attended class at least once and stops attending before doing enough work
for the instructor to evaluate the student’s performance.
A grade of Z is given to a student who has never attended class.
Grades: Your final grade will be determined by your performance on the following graded events:
3 Exams
100 points each
4 Group Solves
50 points each
1 Project
100 points
Final
200 points
Class Participation
50 to 100 points
Homework Quizzes
10 points each
Exams: Each exam is comprehensive and may cover material from previous chapters; however, most of the material
tested will be from the most recently covered topics. There are no make-up exams. If you must miss an
exam due to a medical emergency, you must leave a message with the building 9 secretary or e-mail me before
the time of the exam, explaining the reason for missing the exam. I will then give you 95% of your final exam
percentage for the exam you missed. A second missed exam will result in a 0 grade.
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Group Solves: The ability to work effectively in a group is essential in many industries. Group Solves are designed to
challenge you and motivate you to work with others. You will be grouped with a few other students in the class and
given a set of problems to work out within a designated time frame. Each group will submit one set of solutions to be
graded. Group Solves may not be made up. Attendance is mandatory. If you miss class the day of a
Group Solve, you will receive no credit for the Group Solve.
Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive and will assess your mastery of course objectives. There is no
make-up for the final exam.
Substituting the Final Exam grade for the course grade: If you complete all Group Solves, exams, and projects,
miss no more than one class participation event, earn at least 80% of the possible homework quiz points, and earn a
final exam score that is higher than your computed course grade, I will give you your final exam score as your course
grade.
Study Groups: Students who score in the top 10% of the class on the first exam may be invited to be Study Group
Leaders. Study Group Leaders will hold a 1-hour study session at a regularly scheduled time once a week on campus.
Students wishing to participate in a study group will choose a Study Group Leader. The groups will meet together
regularly to study, work homework problems, etc. Each Study Group Leader who (1) meets the requirements for
substituting the final exam grade for the course grade, (2) maintains a 90% (or greater) course average, and (3)
conducts a 1-hour study group session each week will not have to take the final exam.
The Project: The project gives the student the opportunity to use a special function of the Excel® spreadsheet
program. All spreadsheets must use Excel®. The assignment will require the solution of a problem or the display of a
set of data. The project write-up must be between 250 and 500 words typed, and must begin with a brief paragraph
explaining why you chose the project.
Homework Quizzes: Homework quizzes may be given one to three times a week. They will consist of one or two
problems that are similar to assigned homework problems. If a student is not in class when the quiz is handed out, the
student will not be allowed to take the quiz.
Class Participation: Pop quizzes and small group activities will earn you class participation points. Pop quizzes are
essentially free points for students who arrive ready to work on time, stay until the end of class, and attend regularly.
Pop quizzes may be given at any time during the class period.
Extra Credit
1. You earn one point for every hour you study with a designated Study Group Leader (maximum of 1 point per week).
You must sign in with the Study Group Leader each time you attend.
2. You may earn extra credit for volunteering to put solutions to homework problems on the board as long as you have
already done the problems and have the solutions with you.
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Guidelines for Written Work
I expect a professional job.
Requirements:
Written must be
done in pencil
neat and organized (The instructor’s aesthetics are the criteria for neatness.)
Problems requiring explanations must include complete explanations in complete sentences. “Yes” and “No”
are not complete explanations.
For application problems, a brief description of the problem may be used instead of copying the whole
problem. All supporting work (five problem-solving steps) must be included.
When you have used a calculator to solve the problem, a narration of all steps needed to complete the
problem, not calculator key strokes, as well as a clear statement of the solution must be included.
Abstract, symbolic problems (problems that do not involve words) must have all work shown vertically in
columns with at least one inch of blank space between the columns. Please see the example below:
For full credit, problems must look like this:
1. Solve for x.
The following are examples that would receive no credit.
1. Solve for x.
3x  5  44
3x  39
x  13
by Bob Thaves
1. 3x  5  44
x  13
1. x  13
x  13
August 30, 2005
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Graphing Guidelines
The following requirements are those of the TCC Mathematics Department and your instructor.
AXES:
1. Axes and any straight lines are drawn with a straight edge.
2. If either axis requires a scale other than one square = one unit, both axes must have the scale clearly
indicated.
3. Axes are labeled with appropriate letters and with the meaning and units of the axis. (See Graph B.)
ACCURACY: 1. Graph paper is used.
2. If the graph of a function continues infinitely, the ends of what is drawn must have arrows
(see Graph A). If a graph terminates, the ends will have closed circles or dots (see Graph B).
3. The vertex of a parabola is rounded, not pointed. (See Graph C).
4. Asymptotes are drawn with a dashed line. Graphs approaching asymptotes appear to get closer and
closer, not touching the asymptote and not pulling away from the asymptote. (See Graph D.)
CLARITY: 1. All problems that involve graphs must be on graph paper. That is, the problem, the work needed to
graph the equations, and the graph must be on the same page.
2. The coordinates of important points (intercepts, maximum or minimum points, vertices, and points of
Intersection) are clearly labeled with an ordered pair.
3. If multiple equations are graphed on a single set of axes, each graph is labeled with its equation.
4. Separate problems should be graphed on separate axes.
5. Each graph is neat, big, and dark enough to be easily read and understood.
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Tentative Course Schedule
Subject to change as the instructor sees fit to best meet the needs of the students.
Please see the Homework Packet for specific problem assignments.
Date
Topic
March 31
April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 7
April 8
April 9
April 10
April 11
April 14
April 15
April 16
April 17
April 18
April 21
April 22
April 23
April 24
April 25
April 28
April 29
April 30
May 1
May 2
May 5
May 6
May 7
May 8
May 9
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 19
May 20
May 21
May 22
Introduction
Limits: Numerical and Graphical Approaches
Limits and Continuity
Average Rate of Change (Numerically and Graphically)
More Average Rate of Change (Algebraically)
The Derivative: Numerical and Graphical Viewpoints
More Numerical and Graphical Viewpoints
The Derivative: Algebraic Viewpoint
Derivatives of Powers, Sums, and Constant Multiples
A First Application: Marginal Analysis
More Marginal Analysis
Group Solve 1
Review
Exam 1
Professional Development Day – No Class
The Product and Quotient Rules
The Chain Rule
More Chain Rule
Still More Chain Rule
Derivatives of Logarithmic and Exponential Functions
More Logarithmic and Exponential Functions
Maxima and Minima
Applications of Maxima and Minima
More Applications of Maxima and Minima
Math Conference – No Class: Work on Project
The Second Derivative and Analyzing Graphs
More Second Derivative and Analyzing Graphs
Related Rates
More Related Rates
Elasticity
More Elasticity
Group Solve 2
Educational Planning Day
Review
Exam 2
The Indefinite Integral
Substitution
More Substitution
The Definite Integral: Numerical and Graphical Approaches
The Definite Integral: An Algebraic Approach and The Fundamental
Theorem of Calculus
May 23
Section Covered
In Class
11.1
11.3
11.4
11.4
11.5
11.5
11.6
11.7
11.8
11.8
12.1
12.2
12.2
12.2
12.3
12.3
13.1
13.2
13.2
13.3
13.3
13.4
13.4
13.5
13.5
14.1
14.2
14.2
14.3
14.4
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Date
Topic
May 26
Memorial Day – No Class
May 27
More Definite Integrals
May 28
Averages and Moving Averages
May 29
Averages and Moving Averages
May 30
Group Solve 3
June 2
Review
June 3
Exam 3
June 4
Applications to Business and Economics
June 5
More Applications to Business and Economics
June 6
Group Solve 4
June 9
Review
June 10 8:30 Class Final Exam (2 hours)
June 12 10:30 Final Exam (2 hours)
** Do odd problems only!
Section Covered
In Class
14.4
15.3
15.3
15.4
15.4
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