Mathematics 165: Calculus I

Section 9.

Fall 2012

Instructor:

Stephen J. Willson
Office: Carver 411
Telephone: 294-7671
Fax: 294-5454
E-mail: swillson@iastate.edu

Prerequisites:

2 years of high school algebra, 1 year of geometry, 1 semester of trigonometry or enrollment in Math 141 or 142.

Credits:

4 credits

The final exam will take place Wednesday, December 12, 4:30-6:30 pm in Coover 2245.

Current course grades

Current course grades and all recorded scores are available on Blackboard by clicking Blackboard Learn. If a score has been incorrectly recorded, you should contact the instructor.

Homework:

Most homework assigned will be ungraded. Ungraded problems on the homework will usually be the basis for the beginning of the next class period. These assignments may also be found by clicking assignments

A much smaller amount of graded homework will be assigned on MyMathLab, as described in the next section:

MyMathLab

While most homework will be ungraded, there will be a certain amount of computer-graded homework assigned and done on MyMathLab, an online assessment tool that accompanies the textbook. You will need to register on MyMathLab as soon as possible. To do this:
  1. Visit the website MyMathLab . On the lower left of that page is a link to registration instructions.
  2. As mentioned in these instructions, you will need a student access code. This should have been packaged with the text if you bought a new text. (If you bought a text last semester or were registered on CourseCompass, your access code should still be valid. Otherwise it can be purchased at the book store or on line.)
  3. You will also need the course ID number: willson10688
New assignments, due dates, and announcements will be announced in class and on this web site. NO LATE HOMEWORK WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY REASON. You need to be careful with syntax when entering your answers. Make sure that your answers are in the form requested (for example, the simplest form). For the early assignments I will set the homework progam to give you three tries for each answer. After you enter an answer, click "Check Answer". If the answer is right, move on to the next problem. If not, try to correct your mistake, whether it is a syntax error or a mathematics error (up to three tries). You may also choose "Similar Exercise" for a worked similar exercise.

Before you take the first homework set, click the button "Installation Wizard" for this course. This guides you through the setup so that your browser has the needed plug-ins and players. Secondly, click the button "Chapter Contents" and at the top "How do I enter answers?" This will tell you how to enter answers including special symbols like square roots and superscripts using the math palette.

I anticipate that MyMathLab homework will count for about 70 points in the total grade, It may be that at the end of the course, the scores on the homework will be rescaled to count for 70 points.

Class meetings:

Lectures are MTRF 9:00 - 9:50 am in Carver 8. The first class is Monday, August 20, 2012, and the last class is Friday, December 7, 2012. There are no classes on Labor Day (September 3), the day after the evening midterm, and Thanksgiving Break (the week of November 19-23).

Office hours and email contact:

Office hours tentatively are MTWRF 1:10 - 2:00 in 411 Carver
Please also feel free to make an appointment if the office hours are inconvenient for you.
E-mail: swillson@iastate.edu

Textbook:

Calculus, 9th edition, by Varberg, Purcell, and Rigdon

Course Topics:

Information about the instructor:

For more information about the instructor, visit the instructor's homepage.

Course Grading

Course grades will be based on the number of course points accumulated. Course points will be awarded for quizzes, hour exams, the midterm, the final exam, and some graded homework. Typically in a week without an exam there will be an in-class quiz for half a period. All graded work will be announced ahead of time.

Grades may include a plus or a minus. Grade cutoffs will be announced for each exam and quiz. The cutoff for a given level (for example A-) in the course will be the sum of the cutoffs for that level for each exam, etc.
The course coordinator may establish other minimum requirements on the basis of performance on the uniform midterm and final exams.

Sample midterm and final exams are available at Syllabus and Objectives for Math 165

Here is an approximate distribution of course points:

Here is a tentative schedule for exams and quizzes:

Sickness policy:

If you are sick the day of an exam or quiz, you should contact the instructor by phone that morning to arrange a timely make-up.

Calculators

Students are required to have a calculator for this class. Calculators should be capable of graphing functions and zooming in on the graphs. The most commonly used calculator in this course is the TI-89. This calculator is especially good for both calculus and differential equations courses, Math 165, 166, 265, 266, and 267. The TI-83 Plus, TI-84 Plus, TI-85, and TI-86 are all acceptable for Math 165 but not as good for later courses. Bring your calculator to class and to most quizzes and exams. For some quizzes and exams you will not be allowed to use your calculator.
For help in using your calculator, see your manual or else use web calculator help.

Help room:

The Mathematics Department runs a Help Room that is free to all students in calculus and pre-calculus. The Help Room is in 385 Carver. Its hours are
MTWThF 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Help Room begins August 27.

Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental instruction (SI) is a free service run by the Academic Success Center in which a student who recently did very well in a course leads regularly scheduled review and help sessions in that course for other students currently taking that course. You can visit the SI session every time, or only occasionally. See Supplemental Instruction for detailed information about the program.

There is no supplemental instruction specifically geared to this particular section of Math 165. Nevertheless, students are welcome to attend supplemental instruction for other sections of Math 165. The subjects being stressed may be slightly non-synchronized with our section.

Drop deadline

The last day to drop the course is Friday, October 26.

Disabilities:

Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources (DR) office (515-294-6624). DR is located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076.

General information about Math 165 and sample uniform exams:

See information about the syllabus and objectives of Math 165, for a detailed description of the course as provided by the course coordinator. The same site also has samples of past uniform midterms and final exams.

Last updated November 26, 2012.