MATH 151, Introduction to Calculus
Spring 2009
Text: Stewart, Calculus: Early Transcendentals or Single Variable Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 6th edition (you will need the latter of you intend to take Calculus 3), Chapters 1-4.

Course objective: My primary objective is for you to enjoy learning mathematics in this class, and to gain appreciation of Calculus and its historical relevance. It is easy to imagine a Calculus class in which students are taught some formulas, and then master the use of these formulas through many drill problems, without ever having learned where the formulas come from, or why we need them. Although this type of class may be easier for both of us, it is not the Calculus class I want to teach. Instead, you will learn about the problems that motivated the discovery of Calculus and its historical development; you will learn where formulas of Calculus come from; and the ways in which Calculus is present in many aspects of our lives (to the extent possible in an introductory class). You will work with your peers, both on easier practice problems, and more complex concept and application problems. We will occasionally play games and have hands-on activities. It is my hope that this class will encourage you to become a critical mathematical thinker. It will likely not be easy: Calculus is not easy, even for those who have taken it before, but I will do whatever I can to make your experience enjoyable and worthwhile.

Writing in mathematics: I will assign weekly questions and problems that will require writing, rather than just the use of formulas. In addition, I will occasionally assign readings that you will respond to with a paragraph or two. The purpose of this type of problem is to develop your mathematical communication skills and to gauge your understanding of the concepts of Calculus. You can find the Guidelines for written work on the main course webpage.

Technology: Graphing calculators are required in the course. Make sure you always have a calculator with you. I will often use applets and Maple worksheets to demonstrate new concepts in class. I will occasionally assign some computer work as homework as well.

Attendance: Students are expected, though not required to attend class regularly. Note, however, that if you do not attend class regularly, you decrease your chances for succeeding in the class, since you will not only missing lectures, but also in-class handouts and quizzes. If you are not present during a class period, you are responsible for obtaining notes and/or homework assignments.

Office hours: Each student must come to office hours at least two times. These two visits will earn you 10 points each. (If you come to office hours more than twice, though, you will not get any additional credit; hopefully, the help you get in office hours will be a sufficient incentive to come.)

Participation: Each student has to present at the board at least once during the semester. You can either volunteer to solve a problem, or sign up beforehand to present a topic on the board. This will earn you 20 more course points.

Classroom conduct: Classroom atmosphere must be based on mutual respect. Everybody is entitled to learn and everybody is entitled to a comfortable learning environment. There is no such thing as a stupid question. I will always have patience for your questions, and I expect the same from you: I will not tolerate derogatory remarks directed at your peers. I also expect you to come to class on time, turn off your cell phones and pagers, and refrain from all side conversations. All conversation that pertains to the course is encouraged.

Group work: Class work will be done in groups. Research shows that material is better learned and retained in a group environment, which is my experience as well. You can learn from your peers, and solidify your understanding when explaining to them. You can find the guidelines for group work on the main course webpage.

Class structure: Most class periods will be structured similarly: we will spent the first 5-10 minutes discussing homework, then go over new material for the next 20-30 minutes, and devote the remainder of the class to group work, working either on handouts or quizzes. We will diverge from this structure when preparing for exams or working on computers. There won't be too much lecturing in this class, partly because I believe that students learn much better through discussion and problem solving, and partly because I doubt that a lecture could keep you awake so early in the morning.

Course materials:
Notes: I will type notes for every section that we will be covering. They will be available on the course webpage, and you will be responsible for printing them out and bringing it to class. They will contain the key concepts and definitions with explanations, questions we will be discussing, and a list of problems we will be working on in class.
Handouts: In addition to course notes, we will work on handouts, in groups. The handouts will usually be graded, and this will be part of your quiz or homework grade, depending on whether you finish them in class or at home.
Homework: There will be two types of homework: written and electronic. Written homework is assigned daily, and collected during the next class period. No late homework is accepted. The only exceptions will be made in the case of illness or family emergency. Homework IS graded and counts towards the grade (a random set of problems from an assignment is graded). Each homework assignment is worth 10 points. Each writing assignment is worth 5 points. The lowest two homework scores will be dropped. You can find more specific grading guidelines on the main course webpage. Collaboration on homework is allowed and encouraged, but it is essential that you write up your own solutions, and write on your assignment that name of all persons you were working with. All solutions must be sufficiently explained and assignments must be stapled when turned in. For electronic homework, we will use the WeBWorK system. WeBWorK tells you immediately whether or not answers are correct. You may resubmit assignments as many times as you wish up to the due date for the assignment. I have posted instructions on using WeBWork, and we will go over them in class. Be warned: WeBWork takes a lot of getting used to! Written homework is worth 75% of the homework grade, and WeBWorK is worth 25%.
Quizzes: In addition to the handouts, I will occasionally give you quizzes, to be done individually or in groups. Quizzes will usually consist of 2-3 concept questions.
Mini projects: There will be three mini projects during the semester. you can do them individually or with a partner. The first project will be an exploration of a family of functions; the second will be an investigation into the meaning of derivatives; and the third will be an application problem. More detailed information is available on the course webpage.

Exams: There will be three chapter exams during the semester (on chapters 2, 3, and 4), whose dates we will negotiate in class.

Final exam: If your class meets at 8am, then your final is on Monday, May 18, 8:00-9:50. If your class meets at 9:15am, then your final is on Tuesday, May 19, 8:00-9:50. Do not make travel arrangements before the date of the final, as you will not be able to take it at an earlier time.

Make-up policies: Make-up exams are given only when there is a valid excuse, such as a medical or family emergency, proof of which has to be provided.

Grading:
Homework 150 points
Quizzes 75 points
Projects 75 points
Office hour/participation 40 points

Exams 250 points (highest test score is worth 100 points, and the other two are worth 75 points)
Final 150 points
Total 740 points

Grades will be no lower than the following:
A: 90%-100%
B: 80%-89%
C: 70%-79%
D: 60%-69%
E: 0%-59%

The last day to drop the class is Thursday, February 19. The last day to withdraw is Friday, April 24.

Special accommodations: Students with medically recognized and documented disabilities and who are in need of special accommodation should contact the Office of Disability Support Services (x7206). If you need special accommodations, please schedule an appointment to meet with me.

Academic honesty: PLU's expectation is that students will not cheat or plagiarize, and that they will not condone these behaviors or assist others who plagiarize. Academic misconduct not only jeopardizes the career of the individual student involved, but also undermines the scholastic achievements of all PLU students and attacks the mission of the institution. In this class, cheating includes, but is not limited to: submitting material that is not yours as part of your course performance, such as copying from another student's exam, or allowing another student to copy your exam; helping another student to cheat; altering exam answers and requiring the exam to be re-graded. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: representing an idea or strategy that is significant in one's own work as one's own when it comes from someone else. If you are unsure about something that you want to do or the proper use of materials, ask me for clarification. All cases of cheating and plagiarizing will be dealt with as specified in the Code of Student Conduct, which you can find at www.plu.edu/print/handbok.

I look forward to working with you. Good luck!