MCS 121 Calculus I

Fall 2001

Catalog description: Introduction to the basic ideas of differential and integral calculus and formal development of differentiation and integration. (1 course)

Prerequisite: Two years of high school mathematics beyond plane geometry, including trigonometry, or MCS-120.

MCS-121 meets the Curriculum I QUANT (quantitative reasoning) area D requirement.

Calculus I is a general education course in quantitative reasoning that introduces calculus, the branch of mathematics dealing with "limits." The fundamental concepts treated in this course are: function, limit, continuity, derivative, definite integral, and differential equation. The goals of the course are to give the student (1) knowledge of the topics in the syllabus, (2) skill in carrying out the operations and algorithms of calculus, (3) practice in mathematical modeling and problem solving, (4) understanding and appreciation of the axiomatic and logical structure of calculus, and (5) appreciation of the role of calculus in the history of ideas and its impact on the natural and social sciences.

Instructor (Sections 3 & 5): John Holte

holte@gac.edu

http://www.gac.edu/~holte/

Class meetings

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
- Section 3: 10:30-11:20 in Olin 317
- Section 5: 11:30-12:20 in Olin 318
Regular attendance is expected. Class time will be used for a variety of activities--lectures, discussions, problem solving, and presentation of solutions. You should come to each class prepared for the day's work; read the text before (as well as after) the class, and do the "prep" problems in advance.

Textbook

Calculus: Single Variable, third edition, by Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, et al. (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2001). This text is written specifically to aid you in understanding the concepts of calculus, and our questions and problems will require you to invoke your understanding rather than to mimic template problems worked in the text, so you should read this text, both before and after each class.

Calculator

You should have a graphing calculator to use in class and on exams. If you are buying a new one, the department recommends the TI-83 or TI-86. You may use other calculators (especially another TI, Casio, HP or Sharp) as long as you are able to enter a simple program into your calculator and you are comfortable with basic graphing features. A couple of calculators are on reserve in the library.

Web sites for Calculus I

Sections 3&5 (Holte): http://www.gac.edu/~holte/courses/mcs121/fall01/
Assignments/all sections: http://www.gac.edu/~mcs121/2001F/

Syllabus

Dates	Chapter/Sections	Topic	Test/Exam
Sept. 5-18	1	Functions	Wed., Sept. 19
Sept. 21-Oct. 10	2	The derivative concept	Wed., Oct. 10
Oct. 12-30	3.1-3.7	Derivative skills	Wed., Oct. 31
Nov. 2-19	3.9-3.10 4.1, 4.3-4.7	Applications of derivatives	Mon., Nov. 19
Nov. 20-21 Nov. 26-Dec. 3	5	The definite integral
Dec. 4-11	6	Antiderivatives Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Dec. 12	2-6	Wrap-up	Mon., Dec. 17 3:30-5:30 NHS 201

Tests/Exams

We will have two in-class skills tests and two evening examinations during the semester and a two-hour final examination at the end. They are scheduled as follows:

Skills test 1	Wednesday, September 19	10:30-11:20 or 11:30-12:20
Exam 1	Wednesday, October 10	5:30-7:25 or 7:30-9:30
Skills test 2	Wednesday, October 31	10:30-11:20 or 11:30-12:20
Exam 2	Monday, November 19	5:30-7:25 or 7:30-9:30
Final exam	Monday, December 17	3:30-5:30 NHS 201

Homework

Homework assignments will be collected about once a week, but you are advised to do the problems from each section right after the class meeting on that section. A selection of the problems turned in will be graded. You are allowed and encouraged to discuss homework and prep problems with others, but (see the College Academic Honesty policy) ultimately you must work the problems and write up the assignment entirely by yourself. As a general rule, you must justify your answers: Explain, or show your work. Occasional extra credit problems will be assigned. These will be especially challenging and should be done without consulting anyone else. Typically one extra credit problem will be worth as much as 1/2 of a week's regular homework.

Homework rules

Acknowledge your sources (people and texts).
In nontrivial problems, show how you get your answers.
Turn in neat, well-written solutions, not messy first drafts. Trim "fringes." Staple.
Do not copy collaborative solutions; write up solutions in your own words.
Do extra credit problems entirely on your own.
Turn in homework on time. Each class day late reduces the possible points by 25%.

Prep Problems/WeBWorK

Prep problems, when assigned, must be done before the beginning of class, by the time deadline given. These problems are designed to prepare you for the day's class.
The prep problems must be done on WeBWorK, a web-based system that provides different, but equivalent, problems to each student, and allows correction of errors before final submission and recording. Your email name is your login name. Your student ID# is your password.

Quizzes

Occasional quizzes will be given. These may announced or unannounced.

Academic honesty

Gustavus Guide

For a first cheating offense, a student will be given a zero on the paper in question. For a second offense, the cheater will fail the course.

Make-up policy

not

Homework rules

Grading

Percent	Work	Notes
5%	Prep problems	WeBWorK
20%	Homework	Lowest score will be discarded.
5%	Quizzes
20%	Skills tests	10% each
30%	Unit exams	15% each
20%	Final exam

Participation and performance factors may modify your grade.

Positives Negatives
Faithful attendance
This counts a lot! Missing classes,
tardiness
Being prepared Being unprepared
Paying attention in class Not paying attention
Contributing to class discussions Disruptive behavior
Asking relevant questions--
I am impressed when I am asked more
often about points of mathematics
than points of grading.
Curiosity, appreciation, cheerfulness Apathy, resentment, sullenness
Turning work in on time Turning work in late
Neat, well-written work Messy work
Working hard Hardly working
Improvement during the term,
overcoming setbacks Going downhill
Attendance the day before
and the day after a break Skipping class the day before
or the day after a break

Positives	Negatives
Faithful attendance This counts a lot!	Missing classes, tardiness
Being prepared	Being unprepared
Paying attention in class	Not paying attention
Contributing to class discussions	Disruptive behavior
Asking relevant questions-- I am impressed when I am asked more often about points of mathematics than points of grading.
Curiosity, appreciation, cheerfulness	Apathy, resentment, sullenness
Turning work in on time	Turning work in late
Neat, well-written work	Messy work
Working hard	Hardly working
Improvement during the term, overcoming setbacks	Going downhill
Attendance the day before and the day after a break	Skipping class the day before or the day after a break

Extra help

Please feel free to see me during office hours and at other times when my door is open.
Student tutors will be available 6:30-9:30 p.m. in Olin 319 Sunday through Thursday evening to help you to learn calculus. They will not work your homework problems for you, but they will
If you have a disability that requires accommodation, please see me privately as soon as possible.