Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon completion of the course students should be able to

1. Use and integrate several different types of technology to explore and analyze data to solve problems.
2. Reflect on and communicate the reasonableness of mathematical approaches and solutions using contextual information.
3. Articulate individual positions using quantitative reasoning and respectfully consider the approaches and solutions of others.
4. Critically analyze information for its accuracy, relevance, and credibility to reflect on how mathematics can be used in one’s life and in the larger community.
5. Engage with and formulate questions to explore mathematical topics, collaborate with others, and persevere through the problem solving process.
6. Develop self-awareness of the learning process and self-monitor understanding and performance.

This class is designed around a group work and discussion classroom format.  The focus of the activities are reality based problems and situations from which formal definitions and procedures will arise.  A technology component is included as part of the course activities.
 

Assessment shall include:

1. At least two proctored, closed-book, no student-note exams (An instructor-provided sheet containing steps for using the TI-84 is allowed; see Addendum A via the following link:  http://spot.pcc.edu/math/addenda/mth98addendum.pdf).  One of the exams must be a comprehensive final exam that is worth at least 25% of the overall grade.   These exams must consist of primarily free response questions.
2. Group work and class participation
3. Homework including each of the following:
   1. Technology assignments
   2. At least one group project culminating in a written report and/or oral presentation

4. Must include at least 2 of the following

   1. Online skills assignments

   2. Written homework

   3. Quizzes

   4. Reflections

   5. Portfolio

   6. Individual student conference

   7. Community based learning

1. Linear Equations in Two Variables
   1. Determine and interpret horizontal and vertical intercepts of linear equations and graphs
   2. Determine and interpret the slope of a line
   3. Graph linear equations
   4. Solve linear equations using graphs, tables, and algebra.
   5. Represent linear equations verbally and with graphs and tables.
   6. Write an equation of a line based on data from a description, table, or graph
   7. Write a linear function to model an application
   8. Use linear curve fitting to model and analyze relationships
   9. Use systems of equations to model a situation; solve the systems using tables, graphs, and basic substitution (i.e., y = 3x + 2 and y = -7x+9)
2. Quadratic Functions
   1. Combine expressions using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
   2. Use the quadratic formula to solve quadratic equations
   3. Determine and interpret the parts of a parabola
   4. Solve and represent quadratic equations graphically, numerically, symbolically, and verbally
   5. Use quadratic curve fitting to model and analyze relationships
3. Statistics
   1. Calculate mean, median, mode, and range
   2. Compute and interpret basic probabilities
   3. Compute and interpret sample standard deviation
   4. Use the empirical rule (68-95-99.7 rule) to find probabilities
   5. Create and interpret visual representations of data using Venn diagrams and pie graphs
   6. Recognize misuses of graphical representation and measures of spread in statistics
   7. Calculate and interpret margin of error
   8. Solve for a minimum sample size for a given margin of error and a given confidence level
   9. Investigate margin of error for various levels of confidence
4. Applications of right triangles
   1. Identify the legs and hypotenuse of a right triangle
   2. Solve application problems with the Pythagorean theorem