MATH 004

MATH 004 Intermediate Algebra (3) Algebraic expressions; linear, absolute value equations and inequalities; lines; systems of linear equations; integral exponents; polynomials; factoring. This course may not be used to satisfy the basic minimum requirements for graduation in any baccalaureate degree program.

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Overview

This course covers algebraic expressions; linear, absolute value equations and inequalities; lines; systems of linear equations; integral exponents;
polynomials and factoring.  Please note that this course may not be used to satisfy the basic minimum requirements for graduation in any baccalaureate degree program.

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Objectives

In this course, students will:

• sharpen their general and mathematical problem solving skills
• will develop the mathematical reasoning processes necessary to solve college level mathematical problems
• will review techniques of algebra to prepare for the next level of mathematics in the students’ college work

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Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.) For a specific list of required materials as well as recommended suppliers, please check the Online Course Catalog approximately 3-4 weeks before the course begins.

 

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Technical Specifications

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor	2 GHz or higher
Memory	1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	20 GB free disk space
Browser	We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers. Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

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Course Requirements and Grading

200 points:  Two exams, a mid-term and a final, will be given in the 8th and 15th weeks,
                     respectively.  Each exam is worth 100 points.  The mid-term will cover
                     material from lessons 1 through 7, and the final will cover material from
                     lessons 8-13.
                   
130 points:  A brief quiz will be administered at the completion of each week’s lesson.
                     Each quiz is worth 10 points.  The quiz must be submitted prior to
                     beginning the next lesson.

130 points:  Homework is assigned at the close of each lesson.  Each homework
                     assignment is worth 10 points, and is to be submitted before beginning
                     the next lesson.

Please note:  The above are the only means by which students can earn points toward their course grade.  The instructor is unable to allow individual students to earn additional points separate from the rest of the class.  Occasionally, an additional graded assignment is available to the entire class, but this should not be counted on when tracking your progress in the course.  If you need a particular grade, plan to earn it from the 460 points outlined above.  Grades cannot be increased after completion of the course.

All grades will be determined by points.  The recorded points will be totaled at the end
of the semester and a letter grade determined by the following scale:
A   = 91-100%          B+ = 87-89%          C+ = 77-79%          D = 60-69%
A-  = 90-90.9%         B   = 82-86%          C   = 70-76%          F =  0-59%
                                  B-  =  80-81% 

Writing Standards:

All work submitted must be clear, neat, and well written.  Grading on written work in mathematics will be based on the logical flow of your work as well as the content; therefore, organize your work carefully and show all steps and procedures.

 

Academic Dishonesty:

In those cases where academic dishonesty is observed, the student(s) involved will
receive a grade of “F” for the course and a brief written report will be forwarded to
the Academic Dean for inclusion in a special file to be kept in the Dean’s office.  A
copy of this report, along with a statement of the consequences of such behavior,
will be sent to the student(s) concerned.

 

 Students with Disabilities:

Penn State is committed to providing access to a quality education for all students, including those with documented disabilities.  If a student has a disability and wishes an accommodation for a course, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain a University letter confirming the disability and suggesting appropriate accommodation.  Students are encouraged to request accommodation early in the semester so that once identified, reasonable accommodation can be implemented in a timely manner.

Please note that this syllabus is subject to change.

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies. If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

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Proctors

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Course Schedule

 

Summer courses are 12 weeks in length and Fall/Spring courses are 15 weeks in length. Assignments and due dates will vary accordingly.

Unit / Lesson	Activity
Getting Started	Submit your academic integrity form and proctor information form.
Lesson 1: Sets and set notation; operations on signed numbers	Reading Assignment: Sections 1–1 and 1–2, pp. 2–10 and pp. 13–20. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 1–1, pp. 10–13, problems 1–75 (odd). Exercise 1–2, pp. 20–23, problems 1-91 (odd). Quiz 1
Lesson 2: Properties of real numbers; order of operations	Reading Assignment: Sections 1–3 and 1–4, pp. 24–28 and pp. 31–34. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 1–3, pp. 28–30, problems 1–55 (odd). Exercise 1–4, pp. 34–38, problems 1-59 (odd). Quiz 2
Lesson 3: Algebraic terminology; evaluating algebraic expressions; solving first degree equations in one variable	Reading Assignment: Sections 1–5 and 2–1, pp. 38–43 and pp. 56–63. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 1–5, pp. 43–53, problems 1–35 (odd), 41–53 (odd). Exercise 2–1, pp. 63–65, problems 1-43 (odd), 51. Quiz 3
Lesson 4: Solving literal equations and formulas; solving verbal problems	Reading Assignment: Sections 2–2 and 2–3, pp. 67–69 and pp. 73–76. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 2–2, pp. 70–72, problems 9–45 (odd). Exercise 2–3, pp. 76–78, problems 1-24 (odd), 35, 39. Quiz 4
Lesson 5: Solving first-degree inequalities in one variable; solving absolute value equations and inequalities	Reading Assignment: Sections 2–4 and 2–5, pp. 82–88 and pp. 93–100. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 2–4, pp. 89–92, problems 9–27 (odd) and 35–63 (odd). Exercise 2–5, pp. 100–103, problems 1–57 (odd). Quiz 5
Lesson 6: Finding sums and differences of polynomials; properties of exponents	Submit Request for Online Proctored Exam Reading Assignment: Sections 3–1 and 3–2, pp. 112–115 and pp. 119–124. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 3–1, pp. 115–119, problems 1–53 (odd). Exercise 3–2, pp. 124–125, problems 1–57 (odd). Quiz 6
Lesson 7: Multiplying polynomials; properties of exponents (continued)	Reading Assignment: Sections 3–3 and 3–4, pp. 126–131 and pp. 135–140. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 3–3, pp. 132–133, problems 1–45 (odd). Exercise 3–4, pp. 143–145, problems 1–63 (odd). Quiz 7
Mid-Term Exam covers material from lessons 1-7	Mid-Term Exam
Lesson 8: Factoring out the GCF and factoring by grouping; factoring trinomials of the form x^2+bx+c	Reading Assignment: Sections 3–5 and 3–6, pp. 147–151 and pp. 154–158. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 3–5, pp. 152–153, problems 13–49 (odd). Exercise 3–6, pp. 158–160, problems 1–37 (odd), 41, 47–59 (odd). Quiz 8
Lesson 9: Factoring trinomials of the form ax^2+bx+c; factoring special products	Reading Assignment: Sections 3–7 and 3–8, pp. 161–168 and pp. 170–175. Homeworks Problems: Exercise 3–7, pp. 169–170, problems 1–45 (odd). Exercise 3–8, pp. 175–177, problems 1–53 (odd). Quiz 9
Lesson 10: Review and general strategy for factoring; solving quadratic equations by factoring and extracting roots	Quiz 10
Lesson 11: Introduction to graphing in the rectangular coordinate system; distance formula, midpoint formula and slope	Submit Request for Final Exam Quiz 11
Lesson 12: Finding the equation of a line; graphing the solution set of linear inequalities and absolute value inequalities on the rectangular coordinate system	Quiz 12
Lesson 13: Solving systems of linear equations; review	Quiz 13
Final Exam covers all topics from lessons 8 through 13	Final Exam

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

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Academic Integrity

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Policies

• Accommodating Disabilities
• Use of Trade Names

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.

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