ext. 7551
campus box 8340
http://www.stetson.edu/~mhale/
Mon 3:00 - 4:00
Tue 10:00 - 10:50
Wed 2:30 - 3:20
Thu 1:30 - 2:30
or by appt.
| 214-5 Elizabeth Hall
ext. 7551 campus box 8340
http://www.stetson.edu/~mhale/ |
Office Hours:
Mon 3:00 - 4:00 Tue 10:00 - 10:50 Wed 2:30 - 3:20 Thu 1:30 - 2:30 or by appt. |
This course satisfies the general education mathematics requirement for students working on a BA. Other students are also welcome. The course does not prepare you for calculus. There is no prerequisite, but some of the mathematics you had in high school will be useful.
The main text for the course is Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick. Our classroom is equipped with computers, and many of our activities will depend on several easy to use programs. No prior computer experience is expected.
There are two main components to this course. The first and primary component is the mathematics of chaos and fractals. You will need to acquire a combination of skills and concepts on this topic. This means you will be spending some of your homework time practicing and studying for tests. Other time will be spent reading, experimenting, synthesizing, and writing about ideas.
The second component is that of the University Experience. All of you are freshmen in your first semester at Stetson. This class will help you to acquire a set of college survival skills. We will talk about effective writing, doing library and internet research, studying for tests, and otherwise directing your own program of learning. We will also discuss finding help with all sorts of unexpected events. My co-teacher this semester is Katie Spence, a junior mathematics major. She will help during and after class. Katie's email address is kspence@stetson.edu.
Class activities, homework, and tests are all designed to meet important goals. These are
Your grade will be based on the following:
| 3 Tests | 300 pts |
| 6 Quizzes | 90 pts |
| Make a Fractal | 50 pts |
| Scavenger Hunt | 50 pts |
| 23 Homeworks | 230 pts |
| 11 Classworks | 110 pts |
| 6 Visitor Reports | 60 pts |
| Final Exam | 150 pts _____ |
| 1040 pts |
An A is 900+, B is 800-899, etc. Plus and minus grades are top and bottom 20 pts. The extra 40 points built in allow you to miss a day or two of class and still receive an A+.
You may not make up a test unless you have a valid excuse cleared with me ahead of time. No other work will be accepted late for any reason. If you have to miss class, send homework early or with a friend and try to get notes, classwork, and assignments from a classmate.
Attendance is crucial. The Tuesday-Thursday schedule make each class 50% more important than in a Monday-Wednesday-Friday course. Two absences during the semester, for illness or personal emergencies, seem reasonable. Beyond that your grade will start to suffer. If you have planned absences in excess of two, this may not be the course for you. You need not provide excuses for absences, except for a missed test.
Collaboration on homework and classwork is encouraged. It is sometimes easier to learn in a group, and making connections with classmates is important. The finished assignments must be in your own words. The scavenger hunt is a contest, so helping someone else is a disadvantage to you. Tests, quizzes, and the final exam are to be exclusively your own work. Any deviation from this latter policy is a breach of academic honesty, and an insult to yourself, your classmates, and Stetson. Cheating will not be tolerated.
Feel free to ask questions in class, and use my office hours to ask additional questions, make comments, or just converse. I'm also responsive to the telephone (ext. 7551) and email: I'm looking forward to getting to know you.
study tips
fall 2001 syllabus
Instructions for Mathplay
course evaluation form
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