Geometry Syllabus (2011-2012)
Instructor
Patrick Sullivan (patsullivan@graceprep.com)
Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Euclidean
geometry. A main goal of the course is to help students develop their skills in both deductive and
inductive reasoning. Using The Geometer’s Sketchpad, dynamic geometry software, students will create
their own geometric constructions and formulate the mathematics to describe relationships they
discover. Student attempts to explain the validity of their conjectures will lead to the development of
proof. Major course content will involve the concepts of congruence, similarity, and transformation.
What will be the content focus of the class?
The content emphasis of the class is the geometry content strand of the Common Core State
Standards Iniative (http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics). An overview of the
content of the course is shown below.
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Congruence
o Experiment with transformations in the plane
o Understand congruence in terms of rigid motions
o Prove geometry theorems
o Make geometric constructions
Similarity, Right Triangles and Trigonometry
o Understand similarity in terms of similarity transformations
o Prove theorems involving similarity
o Define trigonometric ratios and solve problems involving right triangles
o Apply trigonometry to general triangles
Circles
o Understand and apply theorems about circles
o Find arc lengths and areas of sectors of circles
Expressing Geometric Properties with Equations
o Translate between the geometric description and the equation for conic sections.
o Use coordinates to prove simple geometric theorems algebraically
Geometric Measurement and Dimension
o Explain volume formulas and use them to solve problems
o Visualize relationships between two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects
Modeling with Geometry
o Apply geometric concepts in modeling situations
Mathematical Practices
o Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
o Reason abstractly and quantitatively
o Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
o Model with mathematics
o Use appropriate tools strategically
o Attend to precision
o Look for and make use of structure
o Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
How will the class be taught?
I will expect you to critically think and engage in class on a regular basis. You will be expected to
participate in class, ask lots of questions, and demonstrate your thinking. I will be using a concept
called “flipped teaching” quite often in this class. What this means is that many times for homework
you will be expected to go to either the Brightstorm
(http://www.brightstorm.com/math/geometry) or the Khan Academy
(http://www.khanacademy.org/) websites to view content lessons and take notes. Class time will
then be used to answer questions and do problems. It is a different way of teaching, but it will allow
me to help you in class with the problem sets. I will try to not give you challenging content for
homework. I want homework to be about reinforcing what you already know and/or practicing
skills that you are familiar.
How will my work be evaluated?
Assessment of performance within Geometry will be on-going and cumulative. During each class
efforts will be made to gain insight into students’ current mathematical understandings. These
assessments may take the form of paper-and-pencil quizzes, oral explanations, or reflective journal
entries. Also, there will be tests and quizzes that are cumulative in nature. That is, you will be
responsible for knowing ALL material presented and presumed learned during the class. With this
being the case it is very important that you take detailed notes and keep these neatly organized in a
three-ringed binder. These assessments will consist of 70% of the course grade.
Homework is an opportunity for you to gain confidence and proficiency in learning the material. I
use it as a tool to gauge students’ current conceptions as well as a means to move these conceptions
forward. As a result, what is assigned is what I have deemed as valuable to this process. Homework
may involve in-class problem-solving activities, out of class assignments, or lab reports. Homework
will consist of 30% of the course grade.
What is the class grading scale?
The breakdown for letter grades issued to students is as follows:
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
98-100
93-97
90-92
88-89
83-87
80-82
78-79
C
CF
73-77
70-72
Below 70
What materials will I need?
The course textbook that will be used is Prentice-Hall Geometry (2004). We will not follow the text
section by section. The text will mainly serve as a resource for our problem solving activities. Other
materials needed include a three-ring binder with paper, graph paper, pen, pencil. You will need to
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bring your straight-edge, compass, and protractor to class each day. Geometer’s Sketchpad
(www.keypress.com) is a dynamic geometry software that we will use extensively in class.
What are my expectations of students?
1.
I expect my students to have integrity. Proverbs 12:22 says that the Lord hates dishonesty,
but loves when people are truthful. A Grace Prep student strives to glorify God through
honesty in all academic pursuits. A Grace Prep student writes his or her own papers,
formally acknowledges the input of other people and resources, and represents his or her
own abilities and understanding when taking exams, quizzes, and other assessments. A
Grace Prep student takes full responsibility for his or her words, actions, and decisions.
2.
I expect my students to take responsibility. We expect you to take full responsibility
for your education (Proverbs 15:14 “The discerning heart seeks knowledge…”) That
includes:
A. Taking initiative to meet all deadlines
B. Making up all missed work
C. Meeting with your teachers to discuss papers, projects, and concepts
D. Pursuing tutoring whenever necessary
E. Producing top quality work for the glory of God.
3.
I expect my students to speak in a positive manner toward each other. “Let no evil talk
come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it
may impart grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)
4.
I expect my students to work hard. “Through him we have obtained access to this grace in
which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we
rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to
us.” (Romans 5:2-5)
What are my classroom expectations?
 How do I enter the classroom? My goal is to maximize classroom learning opportunities which
should minimize what you are expected to do outside of class. When you arrive in class you
should begin working immediately on the problem(s) shown at the front of class. This
problem may be a quick 10-minute quiz problem or a warm-up to review previously learned
material.
 How should I put a heading on my paper? Daily work should be folded lengthwise and the
following information should be shown on the outside top right corner of the paper.
o Name
o Class
o Assignment Heading
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How will I be graded on homework assignments? Homework is a major way in which your
knowledge of the class material and how it is learned will develop. Grading will be based
more on the completeness and quality of the work than on correctness. Late assignments
will not receive credit, but should be completed for no credit. Grace occurs when I spend
the extra time helping you understand the material in study halls and outside of class. It does
not extend to allowing incomplete homework assignments unless there are extenuating
circumstances beyond your control where grace and mercy are appropriate.
How should homework be completed? All homework should be completed in pencil. All work
should be neatly shown and presented in a professional manner. That means there should be
some sense of flow to your work that most anyone could follow. Also, graphs and visual
displays should be properly labeled and scaled.
What should I do if I have been absent from school? There are two ways to handle an absence. One
of your peers will be assigned to the task of keeping the class calendar and making copies of
the notes from the class you missed. You may receive the information from them. Another
option is your “study buddy”. You will be assigned a partner that you may wish to converse
with on assignments and other classroom activities. This person may also assist you in what
you have missed. It is important that you schedule any quizzes or assessments with me the
very next day that you are in class.
What should I do if I need to go to the bathroom? I will let you go, but do not ask at a time when I
am lecturing or having a class discussion. Do not abuse the privilege.
Can I bring food and drinks to class? You may bring bottled water in a spill-proof container.
Snacks are permitted. Again, do not abuse the privilege and clean up after yourself. If it
becomes a problem I will revoke the privilege.
What should I do near the end of class? My goal is to minimize the amount of wasted classroom
time. Let’s say that we meet 80 days a year and I let you visit the last 5-minutes of each class.
Over the course of the year we will have lost 5 to 6 class periods. My expectation is that you
are working until I dismiss you for the next class.
I have read these expectations and rules and understand that they are in place to help me (my child) be the best student
(he/she) can be.
____________________________
(student)
___________________________
(date)
____________________________
(parent/guardian)
___________________________
(date)
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