Mat 210 Mathematics for Elementary
Teachers - Fall 2008
Assignments:
August 28 Discussed the syllabus and began discussion of Section 1-1 in the text. Students should know Polyas 4 step problem-solving process, list several strategies that can be used to solve problems, identify some traits of good problem solvers, and work with patterns. Journal entry and homework problems should be completed when the student enters the next class. Homework problems are the TIMSS problems on page 21. Journal prompt: I like/dislike mathematics because. . .
September 2
Discussed Polyas 4-step process, strategies, arithmetic sequences including
nth term and the sum of an arithmetic sequence.
Strategies illustrated included Look for a Pattern, Make a lists/table,
Guess and Test, Work a Simpler Problem, etc.
Homework: Section 1-1 (P. 19)
- problems 1, 2, 3, 8, 15, and 16; Section 1-2 (p. 36-37) 1, 6, and 12. Complete
the problem that we began in class:
You have four coins lying on your desk.
The dime is heads up, the nickel is heads down, one quarter had heads
turned up, and the other quarter has tails side up. What one coin should you pick up so that 
of the remaining money
shows heads? Journal Prompt: If math were
an animal it would be a(n) _____________ because. . .
September 4 Discussed: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Process Standards, Mississippi Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), Fibonacci Sequence, Geometric sequences, and requirements for projects due this semester. Began the discussion of sets in Chapter 2. Homework: Section 1-1 problems 9, 11, 13, 17, 22; Section 1-2 1, 2, 4, 5, 12. Journal Prompt: Talk about a symbol, topics, manipulation in mathematics that has always been confusing for you or for a friend.
September 9 Discussed: triangular numbers, square numbers, properties of equality, infinite sets, finite sets, cardinality of sets, defined the set of Natural numbers, three ways of defining a set ( listing, defining in words, set-builder notation). Pairs of students worked on a problem together to be turned in. Homework: page 31 work the Now try this a e; Section 1-2, #7, TIMSS problems; Section 1-3 1 b, c, d, e, f, h, 7 a, c, TIMSS Problems; and Section 2-1 1, 2, 7 . READ SECTION 2-1. Journal Prompt: #28 on page 37.
September 11 Discussed section 2 1 and most of the vocabulary about Sets. Discussed set intersection and union from section 2-2. Homework: Section 2-1 2, 3, 4 a, b, 6, 7, 9, 10, Section 2-2 1, 2. Journal Prompt: Describe three places where you observed or used sets and subsets over the weekend.
September 16
Before class began some homework problems were discussed. Class discussion included (from sections 2-2
and 2-3) : Venn diagrams; the symbols 
; determination of the number of subsets any set has; one of
the models of addition (set model); and the commutative property of
addition. Homework: Section 2-2 3
a-f, 4 a, c, d, and e, 6, 7, 10 b and d, 15, and 16. READ section
2-2. Journal: page 94 # 37.
September 18 Dr. Gann substituted. Discussed complement of a relative to B, Cartesian sets, models of addition, and properties of addition. Homework: Section 2-2 2, 3, 4b, f, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 18, 28, 31, 34, 44-47. Journal Prompt: #31 on page 109. Test is on October 2
September 23 Discussed Venn diagrams to solve word problems. Discussed properties of subtraction & mult.. Homework: Section 2-2, 20-22, Section 2-3 2, 5, 11 and 18, Section 2-4 3-6, 11 and 14. Journal: Why do you want to become a teacher? Test on October 1.
September 25 Discussed division and ways that elementary students will study functions. Homework: Journal: What have you learned this semester that was new to you?
September 30 Discussed numeration systems. No homework, no journal. Test on Thursday
October 2 Test on Chapters 1 & 2 - Homework: Section 3-1 1 a, b, d, 2 a, b, c, e, 3, 4, 5 (only Hindu-Arabic, Egyptian and Roman) , 6, 7, 8. Journal: What did you study too much or not enough???
October 7 Tests were returned and homework was collected. Discussed reflexive, symmetric and transitive properties of relationships. Counting in base 5 and addition in base 5 were discussed. Algorithms for addition of whole numbers were discussed, including intermediate algorithms, expanded notation and lattice addition. Homework : Everyone is to number the lines on one sheet of paper, then in a second column write the base 5 numeral that means the same thing as the base 10 numeral on that line. Then each student was assigned their own base to create a third column of numerals written in that base Section 2-5 - 29a c, 30 a, c, e. Section 3-2 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 14, 19, 20, and 17 a, c, 24 , NAEP. Journal is #10 from section 3-2.
October 9 Took up lists in bases part of homework. Discussed meaning of the algorithms of addition, subtraction, and multiplication including intermediate algorithms for each operation and scratch addition. Absent students should read all of sections 3-2 and 3-3. Homework: Section 3-2 #16, Section 3-3 1, 2, 7, 13, 28, 29. Journal prompt: Discuss something that the alternative methods/manipulatives/class discussion made you understand about a computation algorithm that you did not know before. No class on Tuesday fall break!
October 16 Played Krypto and completed a number sense activity. Topics of discussion were lattice multiplication, meaning of division, intermediate division algorithms, scaffolding, and the standard algorithm. Homework: Section 3-3 2, 9a (use lattice) 15, 16, 41, 42, 43. READ SECTION 3-4. Journal prompt from the prompt list provided in class. TEST on 2.5- 4.2 October 28 or 30. Set dates from 2nd and 3rd project.
October 21- Discussed mental computation, estimation and addition of integers. Test is set for October 30. Homework: Section 3-4 3, 9 12, 17. Read sections 4.1 and 4.2
October 23 Discussed all operations on integers and models for computation. Homework: Section 4-1 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 18, 21, 22, 29, 33 TIMSS. Section 4-2 7 (all but b and d), 11, 15 and 19.
October 28 Discussed divides, divisibility rules, prime numbers, composite numbers, and factor trees. Test next class meeting.
October 30 Test. Homework: Section 4.3 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 16, 18, 19, 23. Section 4-4 1, 3, 7, 8, 10, 16, 18, 43. Journal: # 34 on page 257.
November 4 Returned folders. Answered homework questions. Quiz on homework. Discussed: sieve of Erathosthenes; order of operations; twin primes; perfect, abundant and deficient numbers; and Greatest Common Divisor (GCD). Homework: Sieve of Erathosthenes (form outside my door), Section 4-4 2, 16, 43, Section 4-5 Only the GCD part of #1 and 2, 9. Two opportunities for more points: 1) If you missed more than 10 points on #8 on the test, you may take another test on that material to earn up to 1/3 of the points you lost. 2) If you discover a misuse of number or misleading use of number, copy it, explain what is misleading, and you can earn 1 point added to total points for each of those that I agree with (up to 5 points).
November 6 Took up article summaries and sieve; answered homework questions; discussed LCM; defined the set of rational numbers; uses of fractions; and meaning of fractions. Homework: Section 4-5 - 1 & 2 find the LCM, 13, 17, 20, 23. Section 5-1 - 1-8. Students should read Section 5-1. Journal: Find and describe for me at least 5 places that you see fractions used.
November 11 Took up homework. Discussed equivalent fractions, proper fractions, improper fractions, adding fractions with unlike denominators. Homework: Section 5-1 9, 10-13c., 15-17, 22, 24, 28, 32. Section 5-2 1a, b, and 6.
November 18 Discussed correct use of phrases and vocabulary. Reviewed properties of Whole Number and Rational Numbers. Discussed properties of exponents. Homework: Section 5-2 TIMSS problems; Section 5-3 5, 6, 10, 11, 21; Section 5-4 1 a-d, 2 a-d. Count the numerals (number names) on one page of a newspaper.
November 20
Took up newspaper. Played I have,
discussed proportion problems, discussed writing/reading decimals and
operations of addition/subtraction and
multiplication of decimals. Homework: 5.4 3, 6, 7, 8, 17, 20, 23;
Section 6.1 1-4, 11, 14, 15 Section 6.2 1, 2, 5, 8, 18. Test
is December 4
November 25 Took up the 4th project. Discussed operations on decimals. Discussed changing fractions to decimals and terminating decimals to fractions. Homework: Sheet of problems to practice using decimals in computation. Section 6.1 5, 6, 17 20; Section 6.2 13, 19, 29
Section 6.3 1 (blue parts), 4, 5, 10. Test
covers Sections 4.2 through 6.2.
December 2 Answered questions about place value and expanded notation of decimals. Discussed changing repeating decimals to fractions. Discussed irrational numbers and defined Real Numbers. No journal assigned.
December 4 Test - Homework: Section 6-3 2, 11, 12, 15 Section 6-4 - 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 24, 31, and 32.
December 9 Discussion of percent/review.