M316K – Foundations of Arithmetic
University of Texas at Austin
Summer 2007
Instructor: Anthony DiTanna
Phone:
475 – 9143
E-Mail:
aditanna@math.utexas.edu
Office:
RLM 10.110
Office Hours: M, W, F 9-10am
Course Web Page: www.ma.utexas.edu/users/aditanna/316KHomePage.html
Course Details:
M-F 10-11:15am; GRG 424 Unique #93965
Text Materials: Bassarear, Tom, (2005). Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers,
Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA. Text AND Explorations Manual
Supplies: You may find it helpful to use a 3-ring binder to store your explorations and
notes. In addition, you should have a separate spiral bound or composition notebook to be
used as a journal. You may also want a calculator that you are comfortable using.
Prerequisite and degree relevance: M316K is intended for prospective elementary
teachers and other students whose degree programs require it; it treats basic concepts of
mathematical thought. The prerequisite is Mathematics 303D, 305G, or 316 with a grade
of at least C. Prerequisites will be checked and enforced by the department. If you receive
a prerequisite warning letter, but think you have met the prerequisites, you must bring
evidence of having met the prerequisites to RLM 8.136.
Course description: An analysis, from an advanced perspective, of the concepts and
algorithms of arithmetic including algebraic thinking; numeration systems, basic
operations with natural numbers, integers and rational numbers and percents, ratios, and
proportions. Class time will be used to investigate these topics through hands-on and
problem solving approaches. Students are expected to read the text outside of class for
reference.
Course objectives: To enrich students' understanding of the mathematics of elementary
school (with a focus on problem solving, informal reasoning, and communicating
mathematics within the topics of numeration, operations, and algebra) in order to help
them improve their ability to teach mathematics at the elementary level. In particular, to
help bring students up to the level of mathematics understanding outlined in the State
Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) Standards for Early Childhood - Grade 4 (EC 4).
Course Topics: The course will cover the bulk of the first six chapters of the text,
omitting section 2.1 and parts of chapter 4.
Course Grading:
Quizzes
(5%, 25 points)
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Final
Homework
Projects
Attendance and Class Participation
(15%, 75 points)
(15%, 75 points)
(25%, 125 points)
(20%, 100 points)
(10%, 50 points)
(10%, 50 points)
Semester grades assigned as follows:
A: 450 – 500
B: 400 – 450
C: 350 – 400
Any scaling will be done after the final exam.
D: 300 – 350
F: below 300
Organization: Our day-to-day classes will have a mixed format of group work (typically
from the Explorations book), class discussions, lecture, and quizzes/exams.
Quizzes: Once a week, we will begin class with a 10-15 minute quiz. The quiz problems
will usually reference HW problems, explorations or readings from the text book, but will
occasionally be more open-ended. There are 5 quizzes total.
Exams: There will be two in-class exams, and one final exam. The dates of the exams are:
Exam 1: Monday June 11
Exam 2: Monday June 25
Final Exam: Saturday July 7, 7-10pm
All exams are cumulative and open book/notes. There are no make-up exams. With
documented advance notice, or in the case of documented emergencies, parts of the final
can accommodate missed exams.
Projects: There will be two projects, each with equal weight. See the course web page for
details.
Homework: There will be 6 homework assignments. These will usually be worth 20
points and collected each Monday. The first and last homeworks are exceptions, each
being worth only 10 points.
Attendance and Class Participation: This class is designed to be active and interactive.
Much of your learning will evolve from in-class activities, experiences and discussions.
This means that class attendance is essential. It is assumed that you will not miss class
unless you are ill or must attend to a personal emergency. Beyond the first two absences,
every absence will result in a five point deduction of your semester grade (up to a possible
50 points total deduction).
Incomplete Policy: Incompletes will not be given except in extreme cases and with
written documentation of the reasons. ‘Extreme’ means that something drastic occurred
after the official university withdrawal date.
Students with Disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request
appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more
information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the plan for the course.