Math 3A Tentative Syllabus

Day 1 (Monday, August 29th):

• Prior to class: Students individually explore the course on Canvas, specifically the "Start Here" Module; it is recommended you try setting up the online homework, start the first discussion forum and take the first quiz. **NEW** Make sure to download the WVC Go app to complete the daily health assessment before you arrive on campus each day. If you are at all concerned about your health please feel free to send me a message in Canvas.

• In class: Discuss Class Setup and any questions students have from the "Start Here" module, then discuss some review material from Chapter 1 and the beginning of the Calculus material from 2.1

• After class: Finish the "Start Here" Module (especially the discussion forum to Introduce Yourself and Quiz 1) and work on the online homework for Sections 1.1 and 1.2

Day 2 (Wednesday, August 31st):

• In class: Finish up the material from 2.1 and 2.2 (Definitions of Limits) then discuss some trig review (1.4)

• After class: Finish up the first week's assignments and continue working on online homework (note whenever possible you should try to finish homework the same day you see the material covered in class).

What assignments will you do in this class?

Homework will be given on MyMathLab (MML) (It is recommended that you get a spiral notebook in which you can complete all your homework and thus be better organized and prepared for exams). Homework will be due approximately two days after the material is covered in lecture on either a Wednesday or Sunday. You may try the problems up to 5 times in order to get 100% credit, but please try to avoid random guessing and use the help features within reason. Expect to spend about 10 hours a week on homework (including reading the textbook and reviewing notes from class). You can turn in late questions for half credit anytime up until the final. Your two lowest homework scores will be dropped at the end of the semester.

We will have weekly quizzes every Thursday unless we have a test that week, and the quizzes will alternate between being on MML and in class. Your one lowest quiz score will be dropped at the end of the semester.

There will be three tests and one final exam. The tentative dates for our tests are as follows (it is your responsibility to stay informed of any changes),

Test 1: Wednesday, September 21st (covering Chapter 2)

Test 2: Wednesday, October 26th (covering Chapter 3)

Test 3: Wednesday, November 23rd (covering Chapter 4) **day before Thanksgiving

Final Exam: Monday, December 12th from 7:30-9:30am

MyMathLab

As soon as possible you should sign up for our online homework through Canvas; it is accessible under the MyLab and Mastering tab. If you are not signed up by Thursday, September 1st you can be dropped from the class. The first assignment is due Wednesday, August 31st at 8pm but all other assignments will be due at midnight on Wednesdays or Sundays.

There should be a way for you to get temporary access to MML option for a short period of time if you’re not sure about staying in the class, this also means lack of funds or access to a credit card should not keep you from registering for the online homework.

How will you be graded?

I want to make sure you know how you’re doing in this class, so I’ll be updating grades regularly in Canvas. Please alert me if you notice any errors in the Canvas gradebook, specifically ones that lower your grade. This class must be taken for a letter grade. I will calculate your grade two ways at the end of the semester; whichever gives you the higher percentage will be the grade you receive.

Grade Breakdown:

1st Grade Calculation

• Homework = 20%

• Quizzes = 15%

• Lowest Test = 10%

• Middle Test = 15%

• Highest Test = 20%

• Final Exam = 20%

2nd Grade Calculation

• Homework = 20%

• Quizzes = 15%

• **Lowest Test score dropped

• Middle Test = 15%

• Highest Test = 20%

• Final Exam = 30%

Notice that one grading option drops your lowest test score, so barring any extreme circumstances there are no make-up exams. We will use the typical grading standard; in other words, 90% or above is an A, 80-89% is a B, 70-79% is a C, and so forth. I will keep your scores updated in the Gradebook on Canvas, it would be very helpful If you all can make sure I don’t make any errors inputting those scores.

During class, we'll be working together to learn and practice math. You are all very busy people, and I promise to do everything I can to make our time together an active learning experience. After more than 15 years of teaching, the best way to learn math is by doing it, making mistakes, and ideally correcting those mistakes when you have access to an instructor who can assist in a timely manner.

Our initial plan will be to meet in person for each scheduled lecture, but realistically we know there will come a time when one or all of us cannot meet in person. What happens if our class cannot meet on campus during our regularly scheduled day and time?

• If you cannot be on campus for a lecture it will be your responsibility to reach out to me via the Canvas Inbox [ideally before or at least within a day of your absence] to get access to recordings for lectures from prior semester to watch while staying on top of all deadlines. You should also reach out to someone from class to get access to any notes you might have missed that are special to this semester (for instance if an announcement was made in class to change a deadline/due date, etc).

• If I as the instructor cannot be on campus for a lecture I will let the class know via a Canvas Announcement as soon as possible and a minimum of an hour before lecture. Ideally the campus lecture will instead meet at the same time via Zoom at Meeting information available on Canvas. If you haven’t already done so, in your Canvas Account>Settings, set up message forwarding to an email address that you check regularly. See How to Manage My Canvas Notification Settings.

• For more information specific to COVID please checkout COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Advisory | West Valley College.

According to the West Valley Catalog, instructors may drop any student who does not attend the first class or who has missed more than ten percent of the total class hours for the semester which equates to about 5 hours or a little over one week of class.

This semester, like the last two, is still a little bit weird due to the pandemic, so I will be flexible, but participation is important to learning the subject matter. Specifically, if you're not in class regularly and not passing the class with a C or better, I'll talk to you about dropping the class because this might not be the best semester for you to take it.

Sunday, September 11th is the last day to drop a class and qualify for a refund.

September 11th is also the last day to drop the class without getting a grade.

Friday, November 18th is the last day to drop the class with a W.

Other Important Dates:

There will be no class on Monday, September 5th for the Labor Day Holiday. You may also want to be aware of the following holidays, but they should not affect our class meetings: Veterans Holiday, November 11th-12th and Thanksgiving Holiday, November 24th to 27th --all West Valley Offices will be closed on these days.

I realize there are a variety of religious celebrations that you all observe. Please inform me within the first week of each semester about such holidays so we can work out an accommodation.

Our community goals

What you can expect from me

• I will treat you with dignity and respect and be flexible to support your individual needs.

• I will provide you with a clear, organized course that is designed to ensure you meet our course outcomes in a meaningful manner.

• I will provide a variety of assignments to ensure your learning needs are met.

• I will grade assignments in a timely manner to facilitate your success on future assignments.

• I will be actively present in your learning.

• I will provide a supportive and safe environment for you to share and discuss ideas with your peers.

• I will reach out to you when I sense that you need support.

What I will expect from you

• Treat me and your peers with dignity and respect.

• Strive to be an active participant in this course.

• Maintain an open line of communication with me so I understand how to support you.

• Aim to meet due dates. Contact me if you have a concern with meeting a due date.

• Do your best to have patience with technology. There will be hiccups; expect them. We will get through them together.

What we can expect from each other

• We won't be perfect. We are human and will make mistakes at times. We will view mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow.

• We will all strive to contribute regularly in collaborative activities to ensure all members of the community have ample opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to all ideas. Disagreements are part of learning and growing, but we will always treat one another with dignity and respect. If you sense a negative emotion surfacing within yourself, step away for a while; reflect on what is happening; then return and respond by focusing on the issue, not the person.

• ...

Is there anything else you would like to add to any one of these lists? If so, you will have the opportunity to add your suggestions during the first week of school. Please see the Student Code of Conduct for more information.

Sources of Help:

You are encouraged to ASK QUESTIONS! If not in class please use one of the following resources:

Academic Counseling

West Valley College wants you to succeed! If you have not made an educational plan with a counselor or if you have other questions about your academic pathway, make an appointment with a counselor right away to explore your academic future. Find more information about the counseling services available, including online appointment booking by going to Counseling Services. You can also see an embedded counselor, special program counselor, or a learning community counselor.

Accommodations for a Disability

West Valley College is here to support you, and we want to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you think you may run into academic barriers because of your disability, such as a learning disability, ADHD, mental health, or chronic or temporary medical condition, please let me know so we can privately discuss your options. Registration with the Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP) is also highly recommended. West Valley College’s DESP program is known for going the extra mile to support students, and they will work with you to establish reasonable accommodations to further your success. Find out more about their services by going to Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP).

Classmates

The other students in the course are one of your best resources and likely people you will have classes with in the future. I highly encourage you to exchange contact information with someone so you have a person to call if you need notes, or just someone to text you if he/she notices you missing from an exam.

Health Services

West Valley College Health Services is here to help you with a range of services and resources. In addition to clinical assessment and intervention, other services available include mental health support, personal counseling, and specialty support for issues like alcohol and substance use disorder and sexual assault. Many services are covered by enrollment fees and are free of charge to students. For a comprehensive list, go to Health Services.

Learning Support

Are you having difficulty with your classes? Do you feel shy or uneasy about asking questions in class or even when attending student hours for extra help? Or has life just gotten in the way, due to trouble managing home duties with school responsibilities? We are here to help! West Valley College’s Success Center offers FREE tutoring, no matter what your challenges are! Visit the Success Center website for more information about tutoring support available to you both in-person and online.

Math Resource Center

Free tutoring through Zoom! Please checkout the course shell accessible from your Canvas Dashboard. Also, they have a physical location near our classroom in SM 5. This is also a nice place to just hang out and do homework.

Student Hours

I encourage you to attend my student hours (formerly known as office hours) whenever possible and as soon as you have a question that cannot be answered in class. No prior notice needed when you plan to stop by consider bringing a classmate with you.

Student Needs

• Food: If you need help affording food while attending West Valley College, you are not alone, and West Valley College can help. A mobile food pantry provides free food on campus weekly.

• Housing: West Valley has resources to help you deal with housing instability or homelessness. West Valley also has on-campus showers Monday -Thursday.

• Finances: If you are having difficulty paying for your classes, there is help.

See Student Needs for information about the services listed above and more.

Textbooks ‘n’ Technology

The college Library has textbooks for many courses available to loan out for the term as well as laptops, Surface Gos, hot spots and graphing calculators. Go to the library’s Textbooks ‘n’ Technology page to find out which courses have books available for loan this term and complete the forms to check out technology.

Honesty is the foundation of academic work

Occasionally, you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to accomplish. If you cheat, you may get a warning, receive no credit for the assignment or be referred to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action. You would also be de-valuing your resulting degree or certificate when you enter the workforce or transfer and cannot meet the expectations that your degree or certification requires.

Here are some examples of what you should and should not do:

What not to do

• Pay someone to take a test or quiz for you. Recent reports show that people who sell papers or take exams for pay by students may end up "blackmailing" those students in a variety of situations. For example, if the student defaults on the agreed amount of compensation, does not purchase additional services, etc., these people have been known to notify the college of the misbehavior of students caught in this kind of trap.

• Use applications like Photomath to find answers on tests or quizzes. If I suspect that your work is copied from an application, I'll set up a meeting with you and ask you to do a similar problem with me.

• Copy answers or work from another student.

• Ask another student to do your work for you.

What to do

• Trust the value of your own intellect.

• Demonstrate your own achievement and abilities.

• Ask for help from the instructor, or for more time if you need it!

West Valley College nondiscrimination statement

The District, and each individual who represents the District, shall provide access to its services, classes and programs without regard to national origin, religion, age, sex or gender, race, color, medical condition, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, or because he/she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

Emergency information

Be prepared! Please review the college’s Emergency Preparedness information. It is recommended that you:

• Download the WVC Go App

• Put WVC emergency numbers into your phone (also available at the above website)

• Register for WVM Alert

Course Description:

This is a first course in differential and integral calculus of a single variable: functions; limits and continuity; techniques and applications of differentiation and integration; Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. It is designed primarily for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Majors.

Prerequisite:

A grade of C or better in Math 2 or both Math 1 & Math D - Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry.

Acceptable for credit:

To University of California and California State University systems; 5 semester units.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, each student should be able to find limits, including indeterminate forms, differentiate and integrate elementary functions, sketch curves using limits and derivatives, and apply knowledge of calculus to find the solution of applied problems.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Define, interpret, and evaluate the limit of a function.

2. Define, evaluate, and solve application problems involving the derivative.

3. Define and evaluate definite and indefinite integrals using the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and/or properties of integrals.