COURSE SYLLABUS – HONORS PRE-CALCULUS/TRIGONOMETRY – 2014/2015 SCHOOL YEAR
Teacher: Mr. Mills
Classroom: Room 79
Class Meeting Time(s): 1st, 6th & 9th Period
Contact Info: mills@freeport.k12.pa.us (Email)
@MrMillsFHS (Twitter)
Office Hours: 3rd Period – Audion/Room 79
7th Period – Room 79
Before School By Appointment Only
After School By Appointment Only
Text(s) Used in this Course: Algebra and Trigonometry, 6th Edition | Larson & Hostetler
Pre-Calculus: Mathematics for Calculus, 6th Edition | Stewart, Redlin & Watson
Pre-Calculus: Graphs and Models | Coburn & Herdlick
Required Notebook:
3-Ring Binder (1.5” or 2”)
Suggested Calculator:
Either “TI-84 Plus” or “TI-84 Plus C” Graphing Calculator
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Honors Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry is designed for the student who is academically talented in mathematics. This course
emphasizes the numerical, analytical, and graphical aspects of algebra and trigonometry, and it uses technology to solve
problems, experiment, interpret results, and verify conclusions. Topics such as functions, trigonometry, analytic
trigonometry and conic sections will be covered in this course along with introductory topics in Calculus. This course is
designed to be a rigorous preparation for any students planning to take Calculus or college mathematics.
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Classroom Expectations
You will be expected to be prepared for class every day. I expect you to bring your binder & notes, completed
assignments, and a writing utensil every day. You may NOT use a pen on any graded assignment. I expect you to also
arrive to class either on time or early, and to be in your assigned seat, have your needed materials on your desk and be
prepared to begin once the bell rings. If you repeatedly come to class late or unprepared you will lose percentage
points off of your final 9-weeks grade. At the end of each class, please do not begin to pack up until I am finished
teaching; the bell does not end class, I do.
Leaving Your Seat
You are allowed to leave your seat during classroom instruction to take care of any “internal” needs. These needs
include, but are not limited to, sharpening a pencil, getting a tissue, getting a pencil-top eraser, getting notebook
paper, etc. However, if you need to take care of any “external” needs that would require you to leave the classroom,
you must have an emergency or a valid reason. Any student leaving this classroom must raise their hand to ask
permission and must sign out the pass in the back of the room. Failure to comply means failure to leave the room.
Classroom Etiquette
Because Room 79 is my “home” each day, I ask that you respect this room as such. You may not use the phone, write
on the white boards or be behind my desk unless given permission. Don’t write on the desks and do not store your
things in my room overnight. Having respect each other’s personal space is expected. Use of foul language or
inappropriate conversations won’t be tolerated. You are allowed to have food and drink and chew gum in this
classroom as long it is not a distraction for yourself or others. If I determine that this privilege is being abused in any
way, it will quickly disappear.
Cell Phone Policy
Appropriate use of a cell phone is allowed during instruction in my classroom. You may use your cell phone during
instruction to look up facts about a current topic being covered, do more research, or use a math application.
However, use of a cell phone during instruction for social media, gaming, music, or any use of the camera is NOT
allowed. If you are caught using your phone inappropriately during instruciton, I will send you directly to the office for
insubordination. This is a zero tolerance policy.
***All other rules outlined in the Student Handbook will also be enforced (including the dress code and backpack policies).
ACADEMIC POLICIES
Grading Policy
I will use the grading scale established by the Freeport Area School District:
A
B
C
D
F
FASD Grading Scale
= 91% − 100%........................ Expert Knowledge Shown
= 81% − 90% ..................... Proficient Knowledge Shown
= 70% − 80% ..................... Sufficient Knowledge Shown
= 60% − 69% ....................... Limited Knowledge Shown
= 59% & Below ........................... No Knowledge Shown
Grades will be calculated each nine weeks by a weighted system of grading. (Please see below) The year-end grade
will be the average of your four 9-weeks grades.
Grading Weights
Homework ......................... 30%
Quizzes .............................. 40%
Exams ................................ 30%
It should be noted that bonus does not exist in my classroom. Bonus opportunities take away your responsibility to
perform at your best all year long. If you find yourself struggling at any point, make it a priority to see me for help right
away. Ask for help while your feet can still touch the bottom of the pool; don’t wait until you are treading water in the
deep end.
Problem Sets
Practicing problems and mastering mathematical processes are both important factors in your success in math and in
this course. Therefore, I am going to expect you to complete problem sets for each lesson that is taught. Daily and
weekend problem sets should be expected for this course. Problem sets will be categorized into two types: BLUE and
GOLD. Blue problem sets will be the first problem set given after a lesson and will be graded for completion. Gold
problem sets will be the second (or third, etc.) problem set given after a lesson and will be graded in a variety of ways
for correctness. Problem sets will mostly likely be 10-15 problems each. I am expecting collaboration for these
problem sets and I encourage PRODUCTIVE collaboration rather than cheating. If you do the problems in study hall the
day that it is due or use someone else’s work to just “get it done”, I can promise that you won’t do well on quizzes or
exams.
Assignment Headings
Please put a heading on each assignment or assessment you complete in this class. As a senior or junior in high school,
I shouldn’t have to tell you to put your name, the date and your period on top of any assignment you turn in to me.
Exam and Quiz Retakes
During the course of the year, if a student earns a failing grade on a quiz or exam, he/she MAY be given an opportunity
to retake a comparable assessment within a few days of the original or make corrections to the mistakes made on the
original, per the teacher’s discretion. The new grade will either be an average of the two percentages or a specified
percent of the corrections will be added to the original score, as per the teacher’s discretion.
Make-Up Work
If you are absent it is your responsibility to check for missed assignments and notes. My only responsibility is to know
that you were absent on any given day, not to nag you for missed work. I update my twitter account (@MrMillsFHS)
daily with homework updates, helpful hints, and reminders. Any note sheets or problem sets that you may have
missed will be in the shelves in the front of the room and will be marked accordingly. As per school policy, you will be
given the same amount of days you missed to make-up any missed work. That is, if absent for three days, you must
make up any work or an exam within three days of your return. Gold problem sets that are turned in after the allotted
time will not receive full credit. Blue problem sets will receive a zero if they are late. Make-up exams/quizzes will not
be given during your assigned class period, so it is your responsibility to set up a time with me to make-up your
exam/quiz.
Please note: if you are absent only on the day of a quiz or exam, you will be required to complete the assessment on
the day of your return out of fairness to your classmates.
Cheating and Academic Integrity
Cheating in any form is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating includes but is not restricted to: cheat sheets
of any kind, wandering eyes during an exam/quiz, claiming someone else’s work as your own, and sharing exam or quiz
questions. Any work that is completed through the means of cheating would be a breach of academic integrity and will
be given zero credit.
Calculators
The suggested calculator for this course is the TI-84 Plus or TI-84 Plus C graphing calculator or something comparable
(see Mr. Mills). Any sophomore or junior intending on taking Calculus should consider purchasing a graphing calculator
this school year as it is a requirement for Calculus. We have TI-84 Plus calculators in the classroom that will only be
loaned out for personal use in certain situations. We will use the calculators as much as we can and whenever it is
appropriate. Some examples of calculator use in this class will include: graphing functions, finding roots of functions,
finding the values of trigonometric and inverse trigonometric values, statistics, polar coordinates and finding minimum
and maximum values of a function.
Office Hours and Tutoring
Office hours are to be used to ask for help on problem sets or preparation for a quiz or exam. Tutoring can be
requested on an individual basis, but my availability may be limited. I am here to help you, not make your life
miserable. See the beginning of the syllabus for when I will be available. If a certain class deems it necessary, I will be
more than happy to hold a group study session on a given evening.