CU-Denver Math 1010-010
Mathematics for Liberal Arts Students Spring 2010
Monday & Wednesday 4:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m. NC 1316
Instructor: Steve Carson
Math Department Office
Office: none
CU-Denver Building. 6th Floor
(1250 14th St.) Across Speer Blvd.
Phone: 303-556-8442
Phone: 303-388-6355
Email Address:
Web Address: http://www-math.cudenver.edu
carson@gscassociates.com
GEORGE.CARSON@UCDENVER.EDU Course web site:
http://www.gscassociates.com/math1010/math1010.html
Math 1010 Office Hours:
Fax: 303-556-8550
MW: by appointment
(Please put my name on all faxes)
TH: by appointment
Course Captain: Gary Olson
CU-642 gary.olson@ucdenver.edu
Book Web Page:
http://www.aw.com/bennett-briggs
(Please contact the course captain about any course
concerns).
Dept. Associate Chair:
Lynn Bennethum
CU-Bldg., Rm. 638
Phone: 303-556-4810
Course Goals: Welcome to Math 1010, a mathematics course designed specifically for
liberal arts students. The course has two major goals:


To strengthen your quantitative skills and restore your confidence in using those skills.
To demonstrate the relevance and applicability of mathematics to your lives and careers.
Hopefully, the course will give you an awareness of the role that mathematics plays in today’s
society in everything from population crises to financial planning, from environmental issues to
the spread of disease. If successful, this course should equip you with quantitative skills that you
will need for future courses, for careers, and for life itself!
Prerequisites: The mathematical prerequisite for the course is that you have met the entrance
requirements for the university, namely three years of high school mathematics sometime in the
past. In addition, you must have a calculator that can do at least basic arithmetic and exponents
(Some of the Casio and Sharp calculators cost less than $20). You also should have an active
email account that you are able to use and you should know how to access the Internet.
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Required Text Book: Using and Understanding Mathematics: A Quantitative Reasoning
Approach, by Bennett and Briggs. This is a custom edition of the book made specifically for the
University of Colorado at Denver (which means it is cheaper for you the student).
Reading: As liberal arts students, it is safe to assume that you like to read! The course will
cover roughly one chapter every one or two weeks. Please read the text actively with a pencil in
hand, always before the material is covered in class! Use the margins of the book to make notes.
Stop to work the Time-Out to Think problems and always answer the review questions at the end
of each unit.
Assignments: Mathematics is not a spectator sport! No one learns mathematics without
practice and discovery; furthermore, that’s the best way to have fun. The key to success in any
mathematics course is to do at least the minimum assigned work, and to do it on schedule. There
will be 10-12 regular assignments or assignment quizzes (approximately one each week that
there is no exam) that will vary in character; they will involve reading, writing, short answers,
calculations, and yes, story problems! Each assignment will have a clearly marked deadline, and
it must be observed.
Assignments and Assignment Quizzes may not be made up. To take into account unforeseen
circumstances only your best (10) assignments/assignment quizzes will be counted toward your
final grade.
Please see the preface to the book for guidelines on the presentation of solutions. Specifically,
all assignments must meet the following conditions:





They must be either typed or hand-written neatly; in the latter case, it is safest to work in
pencil. You may use a word processor and write equations and calculations by hand if
you would like.
All assignments involving calculations or book problems, must be done on engineering
paper (You can find it in the book store). Note: Engineering paper has a yellowish tint to
it and should not be confused with the white graph paper.
All assignments must be stapled. Note: folding your papers together is not the same as
stapling them together.
Assignments must include all steps that lead to the final answer. Solutions that require
discussion must be written in complete sentences with perfect spelling and grammar.
Do not leave assignments until the last minute. Get an early start, work on them
throughout the week, and seek help (office hours, email, or study groups) before the
assignment is due.
Projects: A term project is required of all students. The subject may be taken from a list of
projects (which I will provide) or may be of your own choosing (with instructor approval). All
projects must deal with a practical application of mathematics in everyday life.
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Exams: There will be three in-class examinations and a comprehensive final exam for the
course. The comprehensive final exam will be held during the common final exam period for all
mathematics courses: Saturday, May 8th, 2010 from 9:00-12:00. Set this time aside now.
You will be expected to take the final exam on this day. The three in-class exams will be closed
book, but you will be allowed the use of a calculator and a formula sheet. The exam dates will
be:
Exam #1:
Exam #2:
Exam #3:
Final Exam:
Wednesday 2/17
Wednesday 3/17
Wednesday 4/21
Saturday, May 8th 2010 from 9:00-12:00
Final Course Grade: Your final course grade will be determined as follows:
Graded Assignments/Quizzes
Project
Exam #1
Exam #2
Exam #3
Final Exam-May 8th
25%
10%
15%
15%
15%
20%
Your Final grade will be determined according to the following grade scale:
A:
A-:
B+:
B:
B-:
C+:
C:
D
F:
92-100%
90-91.99%
88-89.99%
82-87.99%
80-81.99%
78-79.99%
70-77.99%
60-69%
Below 60%
Drops and Incompletes: The incomplete policy of the department and college is strictly
enforced: incompletes are given only in situations in which a student who has been in good
standing all semester (passing the course), is prevented from completing a course assignment (for
example, the final exam) by circumstances beyond his/her control (for example, hospitalization,
death in the family). Incompletes can only be granted by the course captain and are rarely if ever
given. If you feel you need to drop the course and focus your time elsewhere I will be happy to
sign your drop request as long as it is made within the University assigned deadlines. All drop
requests should be made during the appropriate office hours and will never be accommodated
within the actual classroom with other students present.
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Cheating: Cheating of any kind will result in a course grade of F and possible expulsion from
the University. Plagiarism is considered cheating and will result in University disciplinary
actions.
Missing an Exam: If circumstances arise that prevent you from attending an exam, please
contact me ahead of time as I will be much more lenient. Unexplained absences will require
hard evidence such as a death certificate, hospital paperwork, etc.
Additional Note: Attendance at the final exam is mandatory. Having the final
rescheduled is extremely rare and is not permitted for reasons such as a plane ticket that
was purchased earlier or attendance at weddings. Any request to take the uniform final at
a different time must be made to the Course Captain well in advance of the actual final
exam.
Assistance: There are several places to seek help with this course, in addition to office hours.
Early in the semester, I will announce the office ours of the other Math 1010 instructors. You
are welcomed at their office hours. The lab assistants in Science 130/132 are available to help
you. Finally, the Center for Learning Assistance (North Classroom 2006, (303)-556-2802) has
tutors and tutoring sessions for Math 1010. You have plenty of sources of assistance. It’s up to
you to take advantage of them!
Advice: I will do everything I can to help you, work with you, and make this a meaningful
course. But you must take the course seriously and put in the necessary effort. If you spend
from 10-12 hours per week on the course, turn in assignments on time, attend classes regularly,
and take advantage of office hours, you will not only pass this course, but find it a beneficial
experience. So please decide early in the semester whether you can give the course the time and
energy that it needs. If you can’t, then don’t even try because you will waste your time. If you
can, then welcome aboard and let’s get started!
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The following is a “tentative” schedule for the semester
WEEK
SECTIONS
MATERIAL COVERED
1/18
1C
Course Introduction, Sets and Venn Diagrams
1/25
2A, 2B
Unit Conversions; Standardizing Units
2/1
2B, 2C
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
2/8
3A, 3B
Uses and Abuses of Percentages; Big Numbers and
Estimation/Putting Numbers in Perspective.
2/15
Review/Catch-Up
Exam #1 (1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B Required; 3D, 3E
Optional).
2/22
4A, 4B, 4C
4A Taking Control of Your Finances is Optional
The Power of Compounding; Savings Plans and
Investments.
3/1
4C, 4D, 4E
Savings Plans and Investments; Loan Payments, Credit
Cards, and Mortgages; Group Project Time. Section 4E
Income Taxes is Optional
3/8
8A, 8B
Linear Versus Exponential Growth; Bacteria in A Bottle;
From Hero to Headless Parable; Doubling Time and HalfLife.
3/15
Review/Catch-Up
Exam #2 (4B, 4C, 4D, 8A, 8B Required; 4A, 4E, 8C
Optional).
3/22
No Class
Spring Break!!!
3/29
6A, 6B, 6C
Characterizing Data
Measures of Variation
The Normal Distribution
4/5
7A, 7B
Fundamentals of Probability
Combining Probability
4/12
7C, 7E
The Law of Large Numbers/Expected Value
Counting and Probability
4/19
Review/Catch-Up
Exam #3: (6A, 6B, 6C, 7A, 7B, 7C, 7E Required)
4/26
5A, 5B, 5D
Fundamentals of Statistics
Should You Believe A Statistical Study/Misleading Graphs
5/3
Review/Catch-Up
Extra practice with Chapter 7 is Recommended
5/8
SATURDAY
Uniform Final Exam
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Math for Liberal Arts Students Survey
1.
Name:
2.
Major:
3.
Email Address: (In Case of Emergencies)
4.
Total number of hours you are taking this semester:
5.
Briefly explain your background in mathematics. When and where did you take your
last math course?
6.
Would you consider yourself a person with Math Phobia? If so explain.
7.
Anything else you want to tell me about yourself?
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