Integrated I

Students must be committed to keeping up in the class. Homework must be done on time and in a setting that allows concentration. (Not while you are watching TV, talking online with your friends, etc.) Feel free to work together, but be sure that you understand the work that you are doing!

Students in Algebra 2 must manage their time well on tests and quizzes. You will be given enough time to do the test or quiz, but you must learn to manage that time to best demonstrate what you understand. For example, do the problems that are easy for you first, then move on to the harder ones. (This is excellent practice for taking the ACT and SAT tests, which also have time limits!)

Classroom Expectations

Students are expected to:

· Be in your assigned seat when the bell rings. (If you are not in your assigned seat, you will be marked tardy.)

· Have your textbook, paper, notebook, pencil/pen, planner and any extra supplies ready when the bell rings.

· Contribute positively to the learning environment in the classroom.

· Ask questions and seek out help when confused.

· Show respect toward yourself, other students, teachers and all personal or school property. (Do your own work, keep your eyes on your own paper, keep your hands and pens off of others, etc.)

· Keep all 3-hole punched handouts in your 3-ring binder.

· Be in compliance with school rules and the dress code at all times in class. (If in doubt, check your handbook!)

Planners

· Students are expected to have their planner in class every day to record homework assignments and to use as a pass to the bathroom, your locker, etc.

· No student will be allowed use another student’s planner to leave the room.

Grading

Marking period grades will include Homework (approx 30% of grade), Tests and quizzes (approx 50%) and projects/writing/other assignments (approx 20%). Your effort and participation can have a positive impact your grade if you have a positive impact on the learning environment in the classroom.

Homework

· Homework will be assigned most days. I will do my best to keep assignments at a reasonable length, while still covering the skills in the lesson.

· Homework problems must be legible and spaced out for ease of reading.

· Homework will be checked at the beginning of class, then collected for credit at the end of class.

· Assignments will be worth 5, 3 or 0 points, depending on level of completion.

· Late assignments will be accepted for partial credit up to one week after the due date.

· Any homework done in class while the assignment is being reviewed or while teaching is going on will get a 0.

· Some homework assignments may be project-based.

Missed homework because of an absence

· Students are responsible for making up all missed work.

· If a student is absent, it is the responsibility of the student to talk to me at the end of the class on the day you return to get the missed assignments and the new due date.

· It is the responsibility of the student to get a pass for Advisory, come for help after school or go to after school tutoring to learn the material covered during an absence.

· If the absence is pre-arranged, please get the assignments on the day you return.

My philosophy about tests and quizzes:

The purpose of a test or quiz is to let me (the teacher) and you (the student) know how well you understand the material that you have been studying. Cramming for a test is never a good practice because it does not develop long-term understanding, which is vital for success in mathematics. If you keep up with the work as we go along and get your questions answered in class or after school, tests and quizzes should not be difficult for you.

Tests

· Most chapters will have two or possibly three tests/quizzes. All tests will be announced ahead of time, so you are expected to take the test on the scheduled day (even if you are out of school on the day before the test).

· I will not be available to help you on the morning of a test, so it is your responsibility to get the help you need before the day of the test.

· Graphing calculator memory will be cleared before all tests. I will show you how to do this. If cheating with graphing calculators becomes an issue, then there is the possibility that they will not be allowed on tests.

· Unless announced otherwise, you will have the class period (and no extra time) to complete tests and quizzes.

· Make up tests are generally not offered in Algebra 2. In the rare circumstance that a make up is offered, the student’s grade will be the make up grade. Students may be required to do extra work or show skill proficiency before becoming eligible to take a make up test.

Quizzes

· Quizzes on concepts or vocabulary will be given periodically during each chapter. They will be significantly shorter and more focused than tests. Some quizzes may be unannounced.

· For grading purposes, quiz grades will be combined and counted as a one test.

Missed Tests or Quizzes

· If you are absent on the day of a test or quiz, it is your responsibility to meet with me on the day that you return to reschedule the test or quiz. If you do not set up a time, you will get a 0 on the test or quiz.

· As outlined in the Student Handbook, tests or quizzes missed due to an unexcused absence can not be made up.

Extra Credit:

· Extra credit problems will be included occasionally on tests, quizzes or homework assignments. All students are encouraged to try them.

· I DO NOT create extra credit assignments at the end of the marking period or semester to help students bring up their grades. You must earn your grade by your work throughout the marking period or semester.

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Algebra II

Course Syllabus for ’07-’08 School Year

Instructor: Mr. Tom LeRoux

Book: McDougal Littell by Larson, Boswell, & Kanold

Supplies: Graphing calculator, graph paper

Expectations: Be prepared to work when class begins.

Contribute positively to the learning environment in the classroom.

Originate mathematics to everyday life.

Course Specifics: There will be a math assignment everyday.

I will collect every math assignment you complete.

Any missing assignments will result in a zero (0).

There will be a quiz or a test once a week.

Make up work: Students are responsible for making up all missed work. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out the assignment missed and turn them in on the new due date. (You have one day for each day missed) If the absence is pre-arranged, the student is responsible to get the assignments before the absence and turn them in the day they return.

Grading: Homework: between 5-20 points per assignment

Quizzes: between 10-20 points per assignment

Tests: 100 points per test

Take the total number of points earned by the student and divide by the

total number of points accumulated to receive percentage.

Grading Scale: As per the student handbook

It is your responsibility to do the homework. If you cannot, seek help—from me, an upperclassman, a friend, or ask in class. The “Great Goddess of Mathematics” helps those who seek help—so ask for help and I will see what she can do for you. You learn mathematics by doing, not by watching. Just do it!

Scripture by numbers: Every new school day a student will present to the class a scripture passage that deals with numbers, digits, or ciphers. The Old Testament equals odd calendar days and the New Testament equals even calendar days.

“Where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.”

Matthew 18:20

Topics to be covered:

First Semester

· Linear Equations and Functions

· Equations of lines

· Piecewise Functions

· Absolute Value Functions

· Three systems-three unknowns

· Matrices

· Graphing Quadratic Functions

· Complex Numbers

Second Semester

· Polynomial and Polynomial Functions

· Factoring and Solving Polynomial Equations

· Finding Rational Zeros

· Powers, Roots, and Radicals

· Solving Radical Equations

· Exponential Growth/Decay

· Logarithmic Functions

· Sequences and Series