Schedule
The first day of class (April 1 Thursday),
I'll discuss the administrative aspects of the course
and give a brief introduction to the general idea of algebra.
If you miss this day, then you shouldn't suffer too much for it,
but you'll want to get the administrative information from me.
The next day (April 6 Tuesday), the class will begin in earnest.
The material for the first full week
is to review arithmetic that you should already understand;
this is mostly Sections 1.3–1.5 and 1.7 of the textbook
(although some of it is hidden away in Sections 5.4 and 5.6).
Note that Section 1.2 is not on the syllabus,
although you should already know that material too.
Next, I'll discuss arithmetic identities,
which is mostly in Section 1.6
(although some of it is in Sections 5.2 and 5.4);
I'll apply these to the rules of arithmetic
in Sections 1.4&1.5, 1.7, and 5.4.
Then I'll build on these to introduce algebraic expressions;
these are covered in Section 1.8 of the textbook,
and most of Chapter 5 is also about that (but I'll skip Section 5.5 for now).
I'll also discuss
some material from Section 2.4 involving evaluation of expressions
and some material from Sections 2.5 and 3.1&3.2
that relates to linear expressions.
After that, we'll learn to solve and apply linear equations,
which is most of what Chapter 2 (except for Sections 2.4 and 2.8) is about.
We'll also cover linear inequalities (Sections 2.8 and 8.6)
and some absolute-value equations and inequalities (Section 8.7).
Next, I'll talk about equations in more than one variable,
which is covered in Section 2.4 and most of Chapter 3 (except for Section 3.7);
we'll approach most of this through graphing,
and we'll also graph linear inequalities in two variables (Section 3.7).
Finally, we'll discuss systems of linear equations,
which is the topic of Chapter 4
(except for Section 4.6, which we won't cover).
If there's time, we'll also do Section 5.5,
which can serve as a sort of preparation
for Intermediate Algebra.
In total, we'll cover Chapters 1–5 from the textbook
(except skipping Sections 1.2 and 4.6),
as well as Sections 8.6&7.
It's a lot of material for 10 weeks, so the class has to move pretty fast;
please talk to me early if you need help!
Here is a more detailed list of topics and sections from the textbook.
The size of this list will not match our time in the course;
where I follow the book's order more closely, the list is more condensed.
- Introduction:
Section 1.1 (April 1): Success in mathematics.
- Arithmetic:
- Section 1.3 (April 6): The number systems and the real number line;
- Sections 1.4&1.5 (April 6):
Adding and subtracting integers, fractions, and decimals (concepts);
- Section 1.4&1.5 (April 6):
Multiplying and dividing integers, fractions, and decimals (concepts);
- Sections 1.7 and 5.4 (April 8):
Exponents (evaluating exponential expressions);
- Section 5.6 (April 13): Scientific notation (converting notations);
- Section 1.6 (April 8): Properties of real numbers;
- Sections 1.4&1.5 (April 8):
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers and fractions
(rules);
- Sections 5.2 and 5.4 (April 13):
The product, power, and quotient rules (arithmetic expressions only);
- Section 1.5 (April 13):
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals (rules);
- Section 5.6 (April 13): Scientific notation (to multiply and divide);
- Section 1.7 (April 13): The order of operations.
- Algebraic expressions:
- Section 1.8 (April 15): Algebraic expressions (evaluating);
- Section 5.1 (April 15): Polynomials (evaluating);
- Section 2.4 (April 15): Evaluating formulas;
- Sections 2.1 and 3.2 (April 15): Linear equations (identifying only);
- Section 5.1 (April 20): Polynomials (degrees and terms);
- Section 1.8 (April 15): Simplifying algebraic expressions;
- Section 5.1 (April 20): Adding and subtracting polynomials;
- Sections 5.2 and 5.4 (April 20): Multiplying and dividing monomials;
- Section 5.3 (April 22): Multiplying polynomials;
- Section 2.5 (April 27):
Problem solving (translating phrases to expressions);
- Section 3.1 (May 4):
The rectangular coordinate system and tables of values;
- Section 3.2 (May 4):
Graphing equations in two variables
(formulas only, by plotting points).
- Equations and inequalities:
- Sections 2.1 and 3.1 (May 4):
Linear equations (determining solutions);
- Sections 2.1–2.3 (May 6):
Solving linear equations (no word problems);
- Sections 2.8 and 3.7 (May 11):
Linear inequalities (determining solutions);
- Section 2.8 (May 11):
Solving linear inequalities in one variable (no word problems);
- Section 8.6 (May 11): Compound inequalities (compact only);
- Sections 2.1–2.3 (May 13&18):
Solving linear equations (word problems);
- Sections 2.5–2.7 (May 13&18): Problem solving;
- Section 2.8 (May 13&18):
Solving linear inequalities in one variable (word problems);
- Section 8.6 (May 20): Compound inequalities;
- Section 8.7 (May 20):
Absolute value equations and inequalities.
- Equations in two variables:
- Section 2.4 (May 25): Solving formulas for a variable;
- Section 3.1 (May 25): Equations in two variables;
- Section 3.2 (May 25): Graphing equations in two variables;
- Sections 3.3–3.6 (May 27): Slope and lines;
- Section 3.7 (June 10): Linear inequalities in two variables.
- Systems of equations:
- Sections 4.1–4.3 (June 1):
Solving systems of linear equations (no word problems);
- Sections 4.1–4.3 (June 3):
Solving systems of linear equations (word problems);
- Sections 4.4&4.5 (June 3):
Solving problems using systems of linear equations.
- Preparation for Intermediate Algebra:
- Section 5.3 (June 10): Multiplying polynomials (special forms);
- Section 5.5 (June 10): Dividing polynomials.
The last day to drop the course with a full refund is April 7 Wednesday;
the last day to drop at all is May 24 Monday.
On May 5 Wednesday, I will turn in midterm grades to the college;
this is why the midterm exam
is one full class day earlier, on April 29 Thursday.
By May 6 Thursday,
these should be available
on
WebAdvisor
(and mailed to you if they're poor);
your final grades should be available on June 14 Monday.
Go back to the course homepage.
This web page was written between 2003 and 2010 by Toby Bartels.
Toby reserves no legal rights to it.
The permanent URI of this web page
is
http://tobybartels.name/MATH-0950/2010SP/schedule/.
