PRE-CALCULUS
TRIGONOMETRY
2013-2014
COURSE GUIDELINES
AND
EXPECTATIONS
INSTRUCTOR
CATHERINE YSLAS
Email: Catherine.yslas@tusd1.org
CLASSROOM RULES AND EXPECTATIONS
RESPECT... Students in this class are expected to treat other students and the teacher respectfully at all times. Respect the
rights of other students to learn, ask questions, and be different. Respect the right of the teacher to teach without having to
stop class to enforce discipline. We all have to work together and students are expected to be helpful and encouraging at all
times. Make sure you come to class prepared to learn and be ready for the challenge of learning new things. Sabino High
School’s Code of Conduct will be adhered to.
CHARACTER COUNTS… Students are expected to build character through academics and activities by modeling the six
pillars of Character Counts:
RESPONSIBILITY, CARING, RESPECT, FAIRNESS, CITIZENSHIP, and
TRUSTWORTHYNESS. Students who incorporate the six pillars of character and who are committed to excellence may be
nominated for the Sabino Incentive Program and will be eligible to win prizes and school-wide recognition.
MATERIALS... Students are expected to be in class on time, ready to work, attentive, participate in class and have the
proper supplies with them. No passes to lockers will be given. Materials that should be brought to class are:
a) Textbook
b) Pencils, Eraser
c) Timetracker/Planner
d) Math Assignment Calendar
e) Homework
f) Notebook paper
g) Graph Paper
h) 3x 5 index cards
i) 3-ring binder with section dividers
j) Highlighter
k) white board marker
l) 2-4 Composition Notebooks (exclusively for math)
l) Graphing Calculator – (TI-84 or TI-84+ or TI-Nspire are the models being used at Sabino and at several colleges and
universities, TI-86 and TI-89 are a little more complicated to use and not always allowed on tests). Casio graphing
calculators are ok, but you will need the instruction manual to help you find the where functions are located. Graphing
calculators are to be used to supplement your learning and will not be allowed on all assessments. If you cannot obtain a
graphing calculator, you will need to make arrangements to use a graphing calculator before school. The bookstore also
has a few calculators available to check out. There are also graphing calculator apps that you could use at home.
TARDIES AND ABSENCES... Sabino High School’s tardy and attendance policies will be adhered to. You must be in
your seat with your homework out and working on the bellwork when the bell rings or you will be marked tardy.
Credit may not be given to students who miss classwork due to unexcused tardies or unexcused absences. If you have to be
late, make sure you have a late pass. 3 or more tardies earn you a 30 minute late detention to be served at lunch and a T on
your report card, 5 or more tardies will earn a U on your report card. A student who misses 51% of the class will be marked
absent. TUSD Board Policy JE-R is enforced at Sabino. Students with 10 or more unexcused absences per semester may
lose credit and will have to submit an appeal to reinstate credit for the course. Board Policy JE-R is summarized in more
detail in the Student Handbook.
HALL PASSES… Hall passes are only given for emergency trips. Visit the restroom before class begins.
MAKE UP WORK... It is your responsibility to schedule and make up any missed work. Assignment calendars for
each unit are given to all students at the beginning of the unit. Work can also be given in advance for a planned absence. If
you have an excused absence you will have a day to make up missed homework. If you have an unexcused absence,
homework will be marked down 40% as late. This means it’s still worth doing since some points are better than none. If you
have an excused absence and miss a test or quiz, you will need to make special arrangements for a make-up test or quiz
immediately upon returning from the absence. These can be taken before or after school, during class, during lunch, or a
study hall period. Make-up tests and quizzes must be taken within one-day of the absence as no new material was
presented. If you are absent on review day, you will still take the on its scheduled date. This also means if you are
absent the day of the test, you will need to take it the next day.
CHEATING... Don’t. Any student caught cheating will a) receive a score of “0” on that assignment; b) your parents will be
notified; c) your counselor will be notified; d) the principal will be notified and appropriate consequences will be enforced.
SCHOOL MATERIALS... Classroom furnishings and other materials in the room are not to be written on, played with, or
damaged in any way. Throughout the year students will have the opportunity to work with various computers and/or
calculators. Responsible care by students using this equipment is expected. Students caught damaging the equipment or
using it improperly (unauthorized CD’s, games, programs, or internet access, etc.) will not be allowed to use them for the
remainder of the class period. If there is continued abuse or unauthorized use, students will be given related assignments
without access to the computers. Parents may be liable for damage to school property as outlined in the TUSD handbook for
student rights and responsibilities.
PRE-CALCULUS/TRIGONOMETRY COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES... Pre-calculus is exactly what the name says. It is the course prior to
calculus. It is sometimes called college algebra. Trigonometry is loosely translated as the study of triangles. There are many
things we can do with triangles and it will take an entire semester to learn most of them. These are challenging, fast paced
courses designed to give some theory and allow you to apply what you learn to some realistic problems. For example: When
we study trigonometric graphs, we draw the graphs, write the equations for them, and them alter their characteristics to model
the volume of air in your lungs as you breathe, or the depth of the water at the beach as the tide roll in and out. Math is a
very powerful tool. Having learned the fundamentals of higher mathematics, you will be prepared to handle the applications
in the fields of science, business, industry or whatever your career choice may be. Should you choose a career that is not
math related, your understanding of higher math will still allow you to communicate and collaborate with those who do. A
high school education that exposes you to the basics in many disciplines is not only good but necessary in today’s global
society.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED... The course covers: functions and graphs, polynomials, exponential and logarithmic
functions, sequences and series, systems of equations and inequalities, degrees and radians, trigonometric functions, angles,
trigonometric identities, inverse functions, trigonometric equations and their various applications.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS… Across the state, Arizona’s Common Core Standards are being implemented to
ensure that all students have the academic knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, career and life. The
eight mathematical practice standards that are incorporated into every mathematics class are: Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them, Reason abstractly and quantitatively, Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of
others, Model with mathematics, Use appropriate tools strategically, Attend to precision, Look for and make use of structure,
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Students will be working to apply their skills and develop their
mathematical thinking in the depth of knowledge categories of Recall, Performing Procedures, Demonstrating Understanding
of Mathematical Ideas, Strategic and Analytical Reasoning, and Making Connections to Solve Non-Routine Problems.
GRADING PROCEDURE... In this course, students try to earn as many points as possible. Points are given for each
classroom assignment, all homework assignments, tests, quizzes, computer/calculator lab work, and Fast Five activities.
Grades are given each quarter according to the standard scale below. Mid-quarter progress grades are also given according to
this scale. The semester grade is based on the point total accumulated by a student over both quarters.
90% or more of the total number of points = A (excellent)
80% - 89% of the total number of points = B (above average)
70% - 79% of the total number of points = C (average)
60% - 69% of the total number of points = D (below average)
Below 60% of the total number of points = F (failing)
A sample semester grade may look like this:
Test1 Test2 Test3
Possible
100
100
100
Debbie
84
92
86
Ashton
84
92
86
Test4
100
99
99
Project
50
45
45
HW
100
90
60
Total
550
496
466
Grade
A
B
Debbie earned 496 out of a possible 550 points which is 90%. She gets an “A” that grading period. What happens all too
often is a student does minimal homework (60%). In Ashton’s case that would give him 466 points and an 84% which is a
“B.” It may seem as though each homework assignment is not worth very much, but points accumulate and as you can see,
doing only 60% of the assignments dropped Ashton’s grade six percent and from an “A” to a “B.”
In addition to a final exam in Trigonometry, there will be a final project. You will take all that you have learned during the
year and apply it to something of your own making. You will create a problem, write it up as a story, solve it, and present it
to the class. Together these will account for 15 to 20 percent of your semester grade.
CLASSWORK... Classwork is guided practice done as a class or in small groups under the supervision of the teacher. It
may involve problems on the board which are done as part of a lesson or help introduce a lesson. It may be review work
before a test or a quiz. Classwork may also involve review problems done at the beginning of class to help the teacher as
well as the students to determine whether important concepts were mastered. When work time is given, the volume of any
discussion must be low. If a student does not work efficiently during time given in class for that purpose, no credit will be
given for that assignment, regardless of whether it is completed later. Keeping a notebook with all the in-class examples and
homework is required and will be given a semester grade based on completeness and organization.
DAILY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS... Completing your homework is the most important thing you can do to
learn the concepts! MATH IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT. You must participate. It’s like anything else you want to do
well. You have to practice every day! I will provide you with practice problems every day. By completing your
homework, you will be able to determine if you have mastered the concept or if you need extra help. It is very important that
you keep up with the assignments because PreCalculus and Trigonometry are courses that build upon your previous learning.
Homework counts for approximately 12-15% of your semester grade as in accordance to the TUSD homework policy.
Homework is work assigned from the textbook or worksheets that relate to what is being studied in class. It is usually
additional practice involving current concepts covered in class or review of previous material. The purpose of homework is
to extend and enrich the learning beyond the classroom and practice for mastery of Arizona Standards and the TUSD
curriculum. Homework is assigned for every class and will be corrected and collected the following day. To get full credit
for each assignment, it must 1) BE ON TIME, 2) BE COMPLETE and CORRECT- I will be reasonable here as corrections
can be made and the assignment turned back in for full credit, 3) BE ORGANIZED NEATLY AND LABELED
APPROPRIATELY (Name, date, per., teacher, section #, page #)
Students will have a chance to ask questions about the homework in class or before school in the tutor room. Keep all of
your homework, they are excellent study guides for quizzes and tests!
PARENTS: I would like for every parent to ask and check to see their child’s math notes and homework on a weekly basis
to ensure all is going well with these problem areas. The two best pieces of advice I can offer to your child to do their best are
to make sure they: 1) Take good notes of examples, definitions, and have active participation every day during class. 2)
Practice/work out the homework problems consistently and checking their mistakes. We have many resources for help. A
few of the on-line resources are listed below.
HOMEWORK RESOURCES…Students can also refer to these internet sites for help outside of class:
http://www.calcchat.com/book/PreCalculus-8e/
http://college.cengage.com/mathematics/larson/precalculus/7e/student_home.html has practice tests for each section
www.hotmath.com This year’s Sabino password is sabermath
www.edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/cyslas
LATE WORK - a complete assignment will be accepted only one day late for half credit, otherwise no credit will be given
EXTRA CREDIT... Is very rare. There will only be one or two extra credit homework assignments each semester.
POSTING GRADES – Grades are posted a least twice per week on the TUSD Stats Parental Login Page
https://tusdstats.tusd.k12.az.us/paweb/utility/Accounts/Login.aspx .
SCHOOL RULES regarding dress code, cell phones, pagers, cosmetics, headphones, etc. will be enforced.
I encourage students and parents to contact me via my email listed below. If you would like to see me before class from
7:45-8:00 please make arrangements with me prior to coming in. If you cannot meet at this time, please contact me to make
other arrangements.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at school.
Email: Catherine.yslas@tusd1.org
I am looking forward to having a wonderful school year!
HOMEWORK FORMAT
You should turn in your homework everyday. It should be clearly organized and easy to read. You must copy the problem
and show all your work for full credit. Below is an example of how your homework should be formatted.
1.
Work all non-graphing problems on lined paper. If graphing is required, use graphing paper and draw, label, and
scale the axes. Use a straightedge to draw all lines. Work problems vertically down the page. You may use at
most 2 columns.
2.
Use pencil or erasable pen to work problems; erase mistakes rather than crossing them out. Write legibly and neatly;
box or circle your answers. Use equal signs or approximation signs when appropriate. Word problems require
word answers, including units of measurement. If your paper cannot be easily read, in part or as a whole, it will be
returned to you ungraded.
3.
Answers must be justified. Copy the problem (except word problems), state the answer appropriately, and justify
the answer either with algebraic steps or a written reason (such as referring to a theorem, formula, definition, rule, or
property by name.)
4.
To submit your work, staple separate sheets together in the upper left-hand corner, then fold in half lengthwise. On
the outside of the paper, in the corner with the staple, print your name, class, period, assignment, and
date. Failure to include this information may mean that your paper will be returned without a grade.
Homework assignments are worth at least 2 points each.
PRECALCULUS / TRIGONOMETRY
CLASS GUIDELINES & EXPECTATIONS
SIGNATURE SHEET
My child and I have read and we understand the guidelines and expectations regarding behavior and work to be done in this
class.
(PLEASE PRINT)Student’s Name:_______________________________________________________
Student’s Signature: ____________________________________________________________________
(PLEASE PRINT)Student’s e-mail address___________________________________________________
Date_________________________________________________
Please circle the number indicating the period that you are in this class:
1
2
3
4
5
6
(PLEASE PRINT)Parent’s Name:_______________________________________________________
Parent’s Signature: ___________________________________________________________________
Date:_______________________________________________________________________________
Please list phone number(s) and an e-mail address where you may be contacted weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Parent Phone number(s): (H)_________________________________
(W)_________________________________
(Cell)________________________________
(PLEASE PRINT)Parent e-mail address____________________________________________________
Pre-Calculus and Trigonometry Rights and Responsibilities
This class will be different from previous math classes in that it is not considered a minimum for graduation. It is a rigorous
class for students continuing on to college. As a result, the material will be presented at a pace closer to that of a college
class. The class will cover material faster; a week in Intermediate Algebra may be a day in Pre-Calc/Trig. At the same time
we will delve more deeply into the material then in previous math classes, working to make connections with Calculus when
appropriate. To be successful in this class, students will need to become active learners which means taking the
initiative to read the textbook, ask questions, practice concepts by doing the homework and showing all steps of their
thought process, study with a partner, use the web sites, and ask more questions. Students will be held responsible for
their own learning and should not solely depend on the teacher to learn the material to perform well in the course. Students
not accustomed to active learning will need to develop new learning strategies. It is not unusual for some students to earn
one letter grade lower than the one earned in Intermediate Algebra. Students are, therefore, encouraged to make best use of
the available resources and be aware of their expectations for their success in this class.
Students should expect to:
1. Have the material explained as clearly as time allows
2. Have approximately one hour of Homework each night
3. Have access to extra help in tutor room before school (7:05-7:30)
Students are expected to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Do their homework daily and ask questions
Read the textbook and come prepared to class.
Take notes and use them.
Use the precalculus internet sites www.hotmath.com and
http://www.calcchat.com/book/PreCalculus-8e/ and
http://college.cengage.com/mathematics/larson/precalculus/7e/student_home.html outside of class as
resources for extra help and test preparation
5. Prepare for tests and quizzes effectively (cramming to review the night before is not a recipe for
success. Therefore you should constantly look back at previous assignments and keep the concepts
fresh in your mind)
6. Take the initiative in finding out and understanding their grades in a timely manner (use the TUSD parental Stats webpage
https://tusdstats.tusd.k12.az.us/paweb/utility/Accounts/Login.aspx
7. Find and work with a study partner from this class.
Parents are expected to:
1. Take the initiative in asking their children about grades and exam scores to supplement the progress
and grade reports sent home every 4.5 weeks.
2. Use the TUSD Parental Stats webpage for updates on student grades and homework completion.
https://tusdstats.tusd.k12.az.us/paweb/utility/Accounts/Login.aspx
3. Encourage their child to seek help during school hours and to use the internet sites www.hotmath.com
http://college.hmco.com/mathematics/larson/precalculus/5e/students/index.html outside class when
they need help at home
4. Be aware that their child will have at least one hour of HW each night. This, for most students, will not
include the time needed to prepare for tests and quizzes.
I have read and understood the rights and responsibilities for this class. In addition, I have seen, read, and understood the
other rules and procedures sheet.
Your signature:____________________________________________________________
Parent signature:___________________________________________________________________