Mathematics

Syllabus

Mathematics 55 -Intermediate Algebra

Effective Fall 2006

Text:   Intermediate Algebra. 3rd edition. Robert Blitzer. Prentice Hall Publishers

Supplementary Material for the Student:

Student Solutions Manual

Supplementary Material for the Instructor:

Annotated Teacher’s Edition of Text: ISBN

Printed Test Bank

Note:  Instructor Joe Berland has written supplementary materials for this textbook. Each section for which there are materials is marked with an asterisk. Pages are attached to this syllabus on which a description is given of what is discussed in the supplementary material for each section. All the supplementary material is optional. See Alice to obtain an electronic or a hard copy of the supplement.

Chapter 1:  Basic Concepts

If you are going to use the supplementary materials for Section 1.3, you should either delay that section until immediately after Section 2.2, or teach Section 1.3 as in the text now and then teach the new topics in the supplementary materials after Section 2.2

Chapter One is all review.  Spend one hour reviewing the basic ideas from the first 5 sections.  Or intersperse this review as you cover Chapters 2 - 9 .  Section 1.6 can be delayed until just before Chapter 5 or even Chapter 9.

Total hours:  2

Chapter 2:  Functions and Linear Functions

Some of the supplementary material for Section 1.3 focuses on techniques of translation. Some supplementary material for later sections assumes knowledge of these techniques, so if you want to use that material you will need to teach the supplemented version of 1.3 here. The supplemented version of Section 1.3 takes about 1 ½ hours of class time.

If you skipped Section 1.3 during Chapter 1, then when you teach Section 2.1 you may wish to review basic graphing by point-plotting (if you want to assign any of problems

19 – 28.) In Section 2.1, you may also wish to introduce identification from a graph of domain and range.

In Chapter 2, the material on functions is new. The material on lines is review, but very important.

Total hours:  5

Chapter 3:  Systems of Linear Equations

3.3 is new material.  The rest is review. It isn’t necessary to go in depth into the inconsistent and dependent cases for 3-variable systems.

Total hours:  5

Chapter 4:  Inequalities

Section 4.1 is review.  The rest is new material.

Total hours:  5

Chapter 5:  Polynomials and Factoring

Section 5.1 and 5.5 contain some new material.  The rest is review.

Total hours:  6

Appendix:  Graphing Rational Functions

The method of translation presented here, involving changing the coordinate system, is also the one used in the supplementary materials for other sections that involve translation. You are of course free to use any method you wish.

Chapter 6:  Rational Functions and Expressions

Everything after 6.1 is review.

Total hours:  6

Chapter 7:  Radicals and Rational Exponents

This is basically all new material.  Emphasize square roots; higher indices are less important.

Total hours:  11

Chapter 8:  Quadratic Equations and Functions

This is mostly new material. 

Total hours:  10

Chapter 9:  Exponential and Log Functions

This is all new material.  Section 9.6 is optional but recommended.

Total hours:  12

Chapter 10:  Circles and non-linear Systems

New material.  Section 10.5 is optional but recommended.

Total hours:  2

Total hours: 66

In this schedule an “hour” means a 50-minute class period. Depending on holidays, the class meets for a total of 77 - 85 “hours”. So the schedule allows 11 – 19 “hours” for collaboratives, optional material, review and exams.

Possible exam schedule:

Exam 1:  Chapters 1 through 3

Exam 2:  Chapters 4 through 6.3

Exam 3:  Section 6.6 through 7.7

Exam 4:  Chapter 8 plus the Appendix and 10.1

Exam 5:  Chapter 9

Final Exam: Cumulative

Marcia Kolb, May 2004, Revised April 2005

Revised Joe Berland, Fall 2006