MATH 3309 Section 33445 / 32081

Summer I & II, 2009

Instructor:               Jorge Viramontes

E-mail:                    jviramon@utep.edu

Office:                    EDUC BLDG 211-F 

Ph:                         (915) 747-6524

WebSite:                http://www.math.utep.edu/jviram/

 

Course Information

Class meetings:       LART 308 From 2:000pm to 4:10pm M-F Summer I / BELL 130 From 9:20am to 11:30am M-F Summer II.

Office hours:           http://www.math.utep.edu/jviram/

Course Packet:        Reasoning About Shapes and Measurement Part 3

 

Course Description

MATH 3309 (Conceptual Mathematics from Multiple Perspectives II) is a problem-oriented course focusing on shapes and measurement with an emphasis on reasoning and justification. The main goals of this course are:

 

(a)  being precise with definitions, terms, and notations,
(b)  organizing relationships and information,
(c)  solving problems by visualizing and manipulating mental images
(d)  making conjectures, and then proofing or disproving to enhance geometric reasoning. 

 

During class, challenging problems will be posted. You must try to solve these problems before working as a team.  You are expected to encounter obstacles in your attempts to solve some of these problems.  It is by overcoming these obstacles that learning occurs.  Your learning becomes explicit when you communicate your reasoning to your classmates.  However, if you are not able to solve the problem, you must at least identify the difficulties you face prior to listening to someone else’s solution.  This way, you will appreciate the reasoning behind their solution. Try to understand the definitions and propositions.

 

You are required to bring the following material into each class: Scissors, a ruler, scotch tape, protractor, stapler, some white paper, and crayons.

 

Grading Scheme:

 

Quizzes/Homerwork, Team work.  Unannounced quizzes can be given at any time during the class.  No make-up for quizzes or any other missing assignment is allowed. Quizzes/Homework and Team work are 35% of your final grade.

 

Exams.  Three exams are given (each one is 15% of your final grade). There are no makeup exams.

 

Final Exam.  The comprehensive final exam will be given on July 3rd from 4:00pm to 6:45pm for Summer I, and August 3rd from 10:00am to 12:45pm for Summer II. The final exam is 20% of your final grade.

 

Last Day to Drop with an automatic “W” Grade: Jun 10, 2009 for Summer I and July 8, 2009 for Summer II.

 

 

Class Policies

1.       Your discussion should be about mathematics and nothing else.  There should virtually be no non-mathematics related disruption during class time. Come to class prepared.

 

2.       Attendance will be taken. If you accumulate 3 or more absences in this period you will receive an "F"

 

3.       You are expected to put in on average two hours of study time for every hour of class time.

 

4.       There will be no make-up assignments.

5.       Late work will not be accepted.  Illegible work will not be graded.  You are advised to type your work if it takes you more time to write legibly and neatly.

 

1.       Electronic and Wireless Devices:  Please do not use cell phones, pagers, IPods, MP3 players, blue tooth devices, etc. during class.  Cell phones and pagers should be set to silent.  Please do not wear headsets or blue tooth devices during class.  Cell phone can not be used as a calculator on quizzes or exams.

 

2.       Cheating/Plagiarism: Cheating is unethical and not acceptable. Do not submit work under your name that you did not do yourself. You may not submit work for this class that you did for another class. If you are found to be cheating or plagiarizing, you will be subject to disciplinary action, per UTEP catalog policy. Refer to http://www.utep.edu/dos/acadintg.htm for further information.

 

3.      Homework. The homework due date is either at the end of the class or at the beginning of the following class, you must include all sections fully covered during the previous week of classes. Include a cover sheet (course name, your name, sections you are covering, and date). Every new section must start in a new sheet, you don’t need to include the statement of the problem, just the steps and the solution (bubble it). Write using only one side of every sheet and stapled the papers together.

 

Target Knowledge and Skills

1.       Shapes

a.       Know the meanings and definitions of geometric terms (e.g., prism, tetrahedron, kite, polygonal region, chord, inscribed angle, bisector, isometry)

b.       Identify common 2-D and 3-D shapes and list their basic characteristics and properties

c.       Relate 3-D figures and their 2-D representations (nets, projections)

d.       Make conjectures about geometric shapes and then prove or disprove them (e.g., Euler’s formula for polyhedra, sum of angles of polygon formula)

e.       Identify all the reflection symmetries and rotational symmetries of a given 2D or 3D figure

f.        Determine whether a given shape can or cannot tessellate a plane

g.       Demonstrate how similar figures result from a dilation, and the role of proportional relationships in determining similarity

h.       List the criteria for two figures to be similar

i.         State the relationships between lengths and perimeters, areas, and/or volumes of two similar figures

j.         Make geometric constructions using compass and straightedge

k.       Demonstrate how rigid motions result in congruent figures

l.         Differentiate among different types of isometries, and state and apply key facts of each type.

2.       Measurement

a.       Understand the common forms of measurement, and choose appropriate tools and units for measuring

b.       Recognize the inverse relationship between the numerical part of the measurement and the unit-size

c.       Convert among units of measurement

d.       Use the relationship between the areas, or volumes, of two similar shapes

e.       Understand, derive, and use circumference, area, and volume formulas

            f.    State the Pythagorean theorem and use it to solve problems involving length, area, and volumes.