Course Syllabus
Course: MATH 0850
Division: Natural Science and Math
Department: Mathematics
Title: Math Literacy
Semester Approved: Spring 2021
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2025
End Semester: Fall 2026
Catalog Description: Math 0850 prepares a student to go directly to the non-STEM GE courses Math 1030 or Math 1040. A graphing calculator and internet access are required.
This course is designed with the student in mind. Students are taught to use technology and other mathematical tools (such as algebra, geometry, and statistics) that will help them understand and analyze real-world data with more confidence. They will develop implement and analyze mathematical models to understand a variety of authentic--and personally relevant-- situations relating to basic personal finance, investment, and business management just to name a few.
Math 850 may also be used in place of Math 0800 as a prerequisite for Math 1010 for students intending to advance to Math 1050.
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 4; Lecture: 5; Lab: 0
Prerequisites: An ACT of 15-22 or successful completion of Math 0700 or its equivalent or appropriate placement test score. (14 to 22 in ALEKS PPL)
Corequisites: None
Justification: This course is designed to lead students to better numeracy and quantitative literacy in preparation for a non-algebra GE level course such as Math 1030 or Math 1040. These courses generally lead to non-STEM careers. While this course provides some algebra, it also focuses on geometry and statistics which is what better prepares students for the recommended GE courses (Math 1030 and Math 1040). Students in this course are also introduced to tools such as graphing calculators, and spreadsheets for analyzing and understanding mathematical information.
This course may also be used as a pre-requisite for Math 1010 which leads to Math 1050.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will be familiar with several types of graphs and charts commonly used to represent data and will be able to intrepret them and create an appropriate graph or chart for a given data set.
Students demonstrate their ability to make and interpret graphs and charts through homework, projects/presentations, quizzes, participation and/or exams.
Students will be able to make connections and distinctions among linear, quadratic and exponential equations, their graphs and the uses for each as models in our world.
Students will be assessed on their ability to recognize and use the listed functions through homework, projects/presentations, quizzes, participation and/or exams.
Students will learn to correctly use common Metric and US/Imperial units of measure for length, area, and volume then make sense of the world of numbers by applying dimensional analysis to convert those results to equivalent forms with different units of measurement.
Students will show that they know the connections between Metric and US/Imperical units, how to properly label measurements and how to write measurements in equivalent forms through homework, projects/presentations, quizzes, participation and/or exams.
Content:
Algebra:
• arithmetic operations on real numbers;
• estimation;
• order of operations;
• comparing/using linear, quadratic and exponential functions;
• unit conversions;
• rates of change;
• percentages;
• applied problems;
• equations and inequalities;
• graphing;
• variation;
• scientific notation;
• factoring and function notation;
• maximums and minimums.
Geometry:
• scaling;
• dimensional analysis;
• graphing;
• rectangles, triangles and pythagorean theorem.
Statistics:
• Pie and bar graphs;
• measures of average;
• basic probability; line of best fit;
• standard deviation.
Math 0850 strives to make the content applicable to students through projects and in the choice of the textbook. The textbook is written in a workbook format and the content is presented in a way that doesn’t feel like a “normal math class” Projects that students are asked to complete involve some of the following concepts; restaurant meal analysis for a restaurant of their choice, landscape planning using HOA guidelines and a budget, developing a simple blueprint for a themed water park they invented, or exploring the costs associated with purchasing a car including monthly payments, insurance, and upkeep. In class activities include currency exchange, investment comparison, and simple analysis of data that they collect or research. These types of projects and activities and working with other students from diverse backgrounds allow students to learn about situations other than their own.
Key Performance Indicators:
Student learning will be evaluated through:
Homework (skills/applications/technology) 10 to 30%
Presentations/Projects 20 to 40%
Quizzes 0 to 20%
Midterm Exams/Tests 20 to 40%
Attendance/Participation 0 to 20%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
"Pathways to Math Literacy" by Dave Sobecki & Brian Mercer from McGraw-Hill (Current Edition)
Pedagogy Statement:
Course content is delivered and student learning is assessed in a number of ways to ensure all students, particularly those of traditionally marginalized student populations, are afforded the tools they require to succeed in the mathematics classroom. In addition to conventional teaching strategies such as face-to-face lecture-style instruction and traditional homework—either computer- or paper-based—instructors of this course are encouraged to make use of in-class group work, and are required to incorporate one or more projects and presentations. The incorporation of such projects, wherein students collaborate with their peers to select specific topics to which they can apply the mathematical tools they learn, ensures all students can make meaningful contributions to the efforts of their groups and to the learning of their classmates. This wide variety of teaching and assessment strategies ensures students of all backgrounds have an opportunity to learn and to demonstrate that learning in accordance with their learning preferences.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Maximum Class Size: 32
Optimum Class Size: 24
