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Course Syllabus

MATH 0850 Math Literacy

  • Division: Natural Science and Math
  • Department: Mathematics
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 4; Lecture: 5; Lab: 0
  • Prerequisites: A minimum ACT of 15 or successful completion of Math 0700 with a C or better, or appropriate placement test score. Prerequisite score or class must have been completed within the last two years or you must (re)take the placement test.
  • Corequisites: None
  • Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
  • Semester Approved: Spring 2021
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2025
  • End Semester: Fall 2026
  • Optimum Class Size: 24
  • Maximum Class Size: 32

Course Description

Math 0850 prepares a student to go directly to the non-STEM GE courses Math 1030 or Math 1040. A graphing calculator and internet access are required.

This course is designed with the student in mind. Students are taught to use technology and other mathematical tools (such as algebra, geometry, and statistics) that will help them understand and analyze real-world data with more confidence. They will develop implement and analyze mathematical models to understand a variety of authentic--and personally relevant-- situations relating to basic personal finance, investment, and business management just to name a few.

Math 850 may also be used in place of Math 0800 as a prerequisite for Math 1010 for students intending to advance to Math 1050.

Justification

This course is designed to lead students to better numeracy and quantitative literacy in preparation for a non-algebra GE level course such as Math 1030 or Math 1040. These courses generally lead to non-STEM careers. While this course provides some algebra, it also focuses on geometry and statistics which is what better prepares students for the recommended GE courses (Math 1030 and Math 1040). Students in this course are also introduced to tools such as graphing calculators, and spreadsheets for analyzing and understanding mathematical information.

This course may also be used as a pre-requisite for Math 1010 which leads to Math 1050.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will be familiar with several types of graphs and charts commonly used to represent data and will be able to intrepret them and create an appropriate graph or chart for a given data set.
  2. Students will be able to make connections and distinctions among linear, quadratic and exponential equations, their graphs and the uses for each as models in our world.
  3. Students will learn to correctly use common Metric and US/Imperial units of measure for length, area, and volume then make sense of the world of numbers by applying dimensional analysis to convert those results to equivalent forms with different units of measurement.


Course Content

Algebra: • arithmetic operations on real numbers; • estimation; • order of operations; • comparing/using linear, quadratic and exponential functions; • unit conversions; • rates of change; • percentages; • applied problems; • equations and inequalities; • graphing; • variation; • scientific notation; • factoring and function notation; • maximums and minimums.Geometry: • scaling; • dimensional analysis; • graphing; • rectangles, triangles and pythagorean theorem.Statistics: • Pie and bar graphs; • measures of average; • basic probability; line of best fit; • standard deviation.Math 0850 strives to make the content applicable to students through projects and in the choice of the textbook. The textbook is written in a workbook format and the content is presented in a way that doesn’t feel like a “normal math class” Projects that students are asked to complete involve some of the following concepts; restaurant meal analysis for a restaurant of their choice, landscape planning using HOA guidelines and a budget, developing a simple blueprint for a themed water park they invented, or exploring the costs associated with purchasing a car including monthly payments, insurance, and upkeep. In class activities include currency exchange, investment comparison, and simple analysis of data that they collect or research.