MATH EXPRESS

                                                                         MA 097

 

 

Catalogue Description

 

            This course is designed for students who received a grade of “R” in MATH 095 but almost passed.  Instructor recommendation is required.  This course can also be taken by other students who almost passed the placement exam.  Recommendation from the Testing Office and the Math Academic Foundations Coordinator is required.  This is an intensive, one-week course which is usually offered during an intersession.

 

            1 non-college credit

 

Goals

 

            A.   To target and correct the major deficiencies of students who already took Basic College Mathematics (Ma 095).

            B.   To introduce the students to number sets.

            C.   To introduce the students to signed numbers.

            D.   To improve the students' ability to perform operations with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.

            E.   To introduce the students to solving basic linear equations.

            F.   To increase the students' knowledge and manipulation of ratios, proportions, and percents.

            G.   To improve the students' ability to solve word problems involving perimeters and areas, and to convert one measure system to another one.

 

Procedures

 

            This course is taught for 3 days from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. according to the following format:

 

            A.   Lecture/Discussion

            B.   Computer assisted drill/tutoring

 

Course Content

 

            A.   Whole Numbers

                        1.   Place value and names for whole numbers

                        2.   Rounding whole numbers

                        3.   Operations

                              a.   Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division

                              b.   Properties of Operations

                              c.   Exponents and Order of Operations

                        4.   Applications

                              a.   Solving equations with whole numbers

                              b.   Solving word problems involving whole numbers

                             

 

            B.   Integers

                        1.   Positive and Negative Integers

                        2.   Operations

                              a.   Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division

                              b.   Properties of Operations

                              c.   Exponents and Order of Operations

                        3.   Applications

                              a.   Solving equations with integers

                              b.   Solving word problems involving integers

 

            C.   Rational Numbers

                        1.   Definition of Rational Numbers

                              a.   Meaning of Fractions

                              b.   Properties

                        2.   Operations

                              a.   Multiplication and Division

                              b.   Addition and Subtraction

                        3.   Mixed Numbers

                              a.   Notation

                              b.   Multiplication/Division

                              c.   Addition/Subtraction

                              d.   Combination of Proper Fractions and Mixed Numbers

                        4.   Applications

                              a.   Solving equations with rational numbers

                              b.   Solving word problems with rational numbers

 

            D.   Decimals, Ratios and Proportions

                        1.   Definition of Decimals

                        2.   Operations with Decimals

                              a.   Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division and Square Roots

                        3.   Ratios and Proportions

                              a.   Definition

                              b.   Properties

                        4.   Applications

                              a.   Solving equations with decimals, ratios and proportions

                              b.   Solving word problems involving decimals, ratios and proportions

 

            E.   Percent

                        1.   Definition

                              a.   Percents, decimals and ratios

                        2.   Basic Percent Problems

                              a.   Percent of a number

                              b.   Find a number given a percent of it

                              c.   Find a number that is a given percent of another

                        3.   General Applications of Percent

                              a.   Sales tax and commissions

                              b.   Percent of increase, decrease and discount

                              c.   Interest

                        4.   Applications

                              a.   Solving word problems involving percents

 

            F.   Fractions, Decimals and Percents

                        1.   Conversion from one representation to another

                        2.   Ordering from smallest to largest

                        3.   Applications

                              a.   Solving word problems involving fractions, decimals and/or percent

 

            G.   Applications to Measurement and Metric System

                        1.   Perimeter, area, volume and weight

                        2.   Converting from one system to the other

 

            Evaluation methods at the discretion of the Instructor

                        1.   Exams.  There will be several exams that will include one or two chapters.

                        2.   In order to obtain a passing grade, the students must attain a passing average on the exams and obtain at least a score of 19 on the NJCU Math Department Post-Test.

 

Bibliography

 

Required Text:       Mathematics - Primis Series, Aikey, Bennett, Guillen, Putman; McGraw-Hill, 1994.

 

Software   

 

                                 Interactive Tutorial Software, McGraw-Hill - (Electronic Learning Lab)

                                 Numberland Software, Dr. Neal Goldberg