Course Redesign: Math 141
Currently “Intermediate Algebra”
solving all kinds of equations, factoring,
rational expressions, exponents, radicals,
systems of equations, inequalities including
absolute value inequalities
But also … functions and families of functions
(linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic,
rational) together with graphs and
applications
Who takes Math 141?
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Requirement for graduation
B.S. Degree requires 3 units of math above Math 141
Prerequisite to some lab sciences (Chem), Psych stats
Business majors take the sequence
M 141 --- Finite Math --- Business Calc
Biology/Geography/Geology/Elem Ed Math minors
take M141 --- Precalculus
Math, Chem, Physics, some Bio take Calc I and
beyond
Other information
Class size = 35 students
 About 25 sections a semester
 Teaching staff: 40% tenured/tenuretrack, rest academic staff
 DF rates not bad – about 25-30%
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Why change it?
Not appropriate as a course to fulfill gen
ed requirement
 Knowledge residue = epsilon
 Technology minimal and no uniformity in
how it is used
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(Mundane) Mission
Develop a course that better fulfills the
purpose of general education and that
serves as a prerequisite to other
courses.
Vision
Transform students into lifelong learners.
Goals
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Develop students’ competence and confidence in their problemsolving abilities.
Knowledge of different strategies, choice of the best model,
awareness of the limitations of a model, persistence in
solving a problem
Change students’ perceptions of the nature of mathematical
problem solving and its usefulness as a tool, as opposed to their
view of mathematics as a set of algorithms to be memorized and
applied.
Prepare students for courses that require it as a prerequisite.
Develop students’ critical thinking skills needed by informed and
productive citizens.
Improve students’ ability to communicate mathematical ideas.
Develop students’ ability to use technology for understanding and
doing mathematics.
Walking in the park …
While walking in Saguaro National Park, 5
mathematicians read that the temperature
decreases 3 ½ degrees Fahrenheit for every
1000 feet of elevation.
(a) The temperature in Tucson is 107 degrees F.
Tucson is 2400 feet above sea level. What is
the current temperature at the top of Mica
Mountain, 8600 feet above sea level?
(b) Write an equation that relates the
temperature of a place in the park to its
elevation.
The Parking Lot Problem
You drive Deb and Don to the Tucson airport, entering the short term
lot at 2:30 PM. The graph below represents the cost of parking
in the lot for the day. Answer the following related questions:
(a)
How much do you owe Bill, the parking attendant, if you pay
him at 4:35 pm?
(b)
Deb leaves her laptop behind. Scott volunteers to bring it to
the airport but wants to know how much parking cost. What do
you tell him?
(c)
On a different trip to the airport, you paid $12 for parking in the
short-term lot. How long were you parked in the lot?
(d)
The graph represents a function. What is its domain? Range?
Find a symbolic representation of the function.