The rest of this page contains some information specific to the sections of Math 1331 taught by Dr. Kribs Zaleta. Some data may vary by instructor.
The page below contains essentially the same information as the syllabus handed out on the first day of class. Click here for a list of web links related to this course.
To see the data on the symmetries of regular polyhedra, click here.
To go to our class bulletin board and read or post messages, click here, select Math 1331-105 from the pull-down menu, and click on the "Enter the BBS" button below it.
| Unit | Topic | # Hours | Approximate Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Basics | 4 | Jan 13 - Jan 22 |
| 2 | Constructions | 5 | Jan 24 - Feb 03 |
| 3 | Polygons | 4 | Feb 05 - Feb 12 |
| 4 | Tessellations | 4 | Feb 14 - Feb 21 |
| 5 | Polyhedra | 3 | Feb 24 - Feb 28 |
| Midterm exam | 1 | Mar 12, in class | |
| 6 | Symmetry | 7 | Mar 03 - Mar 26 |
| - | Spring break | - | Mar 17 - Mar 21 |
| 7 | Rigid Motions | 2 | Mar 28 - Mar 31 |
| 8 | Non-Euclidean Geometries | 6 | Apr 02 - Apr 14 |
| 9 | Measurement | 5 | Apr 16 - Apr 25 |
| 10 | Discovering Theorems | 2 | Apr 28 - Apr 30 |
| Final review | 1 | May 02, in class | |
| Final exam | Wed May 07, 8 OR 11 AM |
Last day for automatic withdrawal: February 21
Last day for withdrawal if passing: April 11
Class policy on drops, withdrawals, academic honesty, and accommodating
disabilities follows the University policy on these matters. Copies can
be obtained upon request.
We will usually discuss the problems in a large group after most groups have finished them. Sometimes you will be asked to write up your ideas and solutions, but always you are expected to think about the problems, participate in solving them, and communicate your ideas with others. Communicating your ideas clearly to others is as important as developing them in the first place.
Note that this is a math content course, and not a pedagogy course. We hope that taking this course will help you be a better teacher, but more by setting an example rather than teaching you math methods. Students who come out of this course generally feel a lot more comfortable about teaching math, and about being a mathematical authority in the classroom. Hang in there!
The exams will be similar in nature to the problems we work in class, but short enough that you should be able to complete them in the time given. A sample exam will be distributed before the actual exam in order to give you a closer feel for it, though you should not expect it to serve as an exact blueprint for the real thing. There will be a midterm and a final exam (both in our usual room); the dates are given above. Please mark these dates and times on your calendar now so as to avoid conflicts. In the event that a conflict arises, please see me as soon as possible so that we can resolve it.
Attendance and participation are a significant part of your grade because this course is more an experience than a set of material to be learned. Most of what I hope will happen for you in this course will take place inside the classroom, working in groups and talking with others. You may miss up to 3 days (excused or not) without penalty; after that it starts affecting your grade. Arriving late (after we have started class) or leaving early counts as half an absence. If you come late frequently or repeatedly, it will affect your attendance grade; you will also miss important announcements! Students with special needs, or who develop a medical condition or other situation which affects their attendance for several consecutive classes should consult with the instructor as soon as possible. Unless I tell you otherwise, every absence counts, even if you tell me about it.
It is also in your interest to participate in the group problem solving sessions since active learning is better than passive learning. Participation includes both small and large group work. If you don't feel comfortable answering questions, ask some of your own: that spurs discussion as much as an answer, and you won't be the only one with that question. Participation also includes coming to class prepared: bringing requested materials to class or completing a problem at home.
Daily homework apart from the write-ups (see below) will also be assigned regularly, checked, and included in the participation grade. Assignments will typically involve working on some specific part of the problem currently under study, and bringing the results to class ready for discussion.
Grading: This component of the grade is somewhat subjective, but here are some rules of thumb which I use in determining it. Your attendance acts as a multiplier: if you miss 5 classes, for instance, and we have 43 class periods during the semester, this part of your grade will be multiplied by (43-5)/43, or about 89\%. Your participation grade includes both large group (I expect everyone to speak up in large group discussion [or write on the blackboard, or post a message on the electronic bulletin board] at least a dozen days during the semester; that's less than once per week) and small group (in addition to observing small group dynamics, this includes daily homework). Besides the write-ups and reflections assigned roughly weekly (see below), I will usually ask everyone to do work on the current problem outside of class, and bring some tangible evidence of it to our next meeting, for me to check. This is necessary in order to ensure that all group members are prepared to discuss it. I will keep a running tally of whether people have done these. They don't have to be correct to be checked, but they do have to be complete. This means that if you have trouble, you need to get help before class, and not wait until class to ask questions about it.
The written work will have two components: write-ups (also called problem reports) and reflections. A write-up is a detailed solution to a problem we discussed in class. These write-ups should be readable independently of any worksheet on which they are based, in good English and either legibly handwritten in ink or word-processed. They should always include the following (although you need not use this form): 1. a statement of the problem at hand, 2. any strategies you used to attack the problem, 3. the solution you obtained, with an explanation of how you got it (and how you know it is complete), and 4. a conclusion that says what we can take with us from the problem. Communication of what you understand (even if it's not a complete understanding) is at least as much the point as finding the solution.
Write-ups in Math 1331 differ in some important ways from Math 1330 write-ups. Perhaps most significantly, they will typically involve more pictures (with careful attention to detail, accuracy and labeling) and fewer words -- even though the need for clarity and solid justifications remains.
I will also sometimes ask you to write a reflection on a rather less concrete issue, like "What does it mean to get stuck?" These essays, usually a page or two in length, will be graded more loosely, more on how much thought went into it than on organization and content.
I will let you know at the time I assign written work when it is due, but typically it will be due in class a week from the time it is assigned, and you will have roughly one assignment due per week.
• Library: Barbara Howser is the Mathematics Librarian. She can be reached at (817)272-3000 and by e-mail at howser@uta.edu. You can find useful research information for mathematics on the UTA library page.
• Textbooks: In the past, students have asked about reference texts since we don't use a traditional textbook. The following texts may be helpful at times, though they do not follow our syllabus, nor are they in the least necessary for the course. I have a copy of these and other texts in my office which you may come browse.
O'Daffer, Charles, Cooney, Dossey and Schielack, Mathematics for elementary school teachers. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley (1998).
Billstein, Libeskind and Lott, A problem solving approach to mathematics. Sixth edition. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley (1998).
Alice F. Artzt & Claire M. Newman, How to use cooperative learning in the mathematics class. Reston, VA: NCTM (1990). (available in library)