Algebra I (Online)

Syllabus for ALGEBRA I (ONLINE) UNIT: Linear Relationships

FACILITATOR INFORMATION:

J. Michael Dillon

Postville Community Schools P.O. Box 717 (314 West Post Street) Postville, Iowa 52162 Central Standard Time

[email protected] (Postville Community Schools) [email protected] (Walden University) [email protected] (Personal)

SKYPE and Yahoo IM: mikedillon1977

Work: 563-864-7651 Ext. 400 Home: 563-864-3148 Cell: 563-419-5057

FACILITATOR AVAILABILITY:

I am usually available at various times throughout the day. I try to check my email frequently and will respond to you within 24 hours, but typically much sooner.

During the regular school day, I am available during my prep hour from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This time is available for online, phone, and face-to-face meetings.

Outside of the regular school day, I am available from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. CST during most weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. CST on weekends. These times are subject to variability; however, I will do my best to keep you apprised of significant changes or exceptions.

If these times are not convenient for you or if there is a specific time that you would like to get a hold of me, please let me know via personal contact, email, instant message, or phone. I will be happy to accommodate your schedule when possible. I am providing you with these times to make it easier to communicate with me, not to limit our contact. If you need to contact me outside these time frames, please do not hesitate to do so. I am available to schedule appointments, if necessary. I am here to help you succeed in any way I can.

For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Classroom Management System (CMS), please send a message to my personal email address. In the event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information listed under "facilitator information." No third party should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom.

FACILITATOR ROLE AND COMMITMENTS:

My role in this unit is that of a facilitator and coach. Much of the responsibility is place on you (as the student) to complete assignments, meet deadlines, collaborate in your groups and in the discussions, and manage your time. However, I am here to support your efforts, to answer your questions, to help with conflict resolution, and to provide additional instruction as needed. I will never be absent from the course nor will I ignore any requests for help.

My goal is to be a partner as we develop our understanding of this material. Although I come to this course with prior content expertise, I continue to be a life-long learner and look forward to learning from the insights that you have to share.

UNIT INFORMATION:

This unit is part of the course: The title of this unit is: Algebra I (Online) Linear Relationships

The course is accessed via the following website:

http://postvillealgebra1online.pbworks.com.

The required text for this unit is: Brown, R. G., Dolciani, M. P., Sorgenfrey, R. H., & Cole, W. L. (2000). Algebra: Structure and method book one. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell.

UNIT DESCRIPTION:

The focus of this unit is the exploration of linear equations, with an emphasis on: identifying the key characteristics of linear relationships; developing the connections between algebraic, empirical, and graphical representations of linear relationships; and the application of linear relationships in real world settings.

The main topics that will be addressed include the coordinate plane and basic graphing skills, slope and intercepts, multiple representations of linear relationships, generating equations and graphing lines, and applying linear concepts to real-world situations.

The culminating activity for the unit will require students to utilize algebraic skills associated with linear relationships to compare and make relevant decisions about various cellular phone plan options (this will be described in more detail later on). This unit is one module among the other algebra units that have been addressed in this course. Prerequisites for this unit include the previous modules in the course.

UNIT OUTCOMES:

The following general learning outcomes will guide this unit. The students will:

 Effectively communicate (verbally, visually, and so on) the nature of linear relationships using correct mathematical terminology.  Identify the key characteristics of a linear relationship and the connections of those characteristics to the various representations of a linear relationship.  Generate graphs, tables, and equations given various pieces of information about a linear relationship.  Utilize multiple representations of linear relationships (including graphs, charts, and equations) to analyze data and apply mathematical reasoning to real-world situations.

UNIT SCHEDULE:

This unit is two weeks in length. Each week begins on Monday (Day 1) and ends on Sunday (Day 7). Week 1 will consist primarily of discussions and individual work. The primary (but NOT only) activity during Week 2 will be the group project. See the assignment outline below for more specific details about the assignments.

COPYRIGHT and PLAGIARISM:

In the academic world copyright and plagiarism are important issues that all everyone must address and respect. The work and intellectual property of others must be respected. You may NOT steal the ideas of others and present them as your own. This includes published scholars, the instructor, your students, and so forth. If you use information from other sources, you must properly cite the material and provide credit where credit is due. APA will be the expected format for all citations and references.

Plagiarism and copyright infringement are serious issues that will be taken not be taken lightly. See the student handbook and school policies for information on consequences for violations of copyright and plagiarism.

Assignments, Expectations, and Assessments:

The following chart provides a general outline of the assignments, point values, and due dates for this unit: Week Due Date Assignment Points Submit to…

1 Day 2 Discussion Question #1 10 Discussion Forum 1 Day 3 Checkpoint #1 20 E-mail to Instructor 1 Day 4 Discussion Question #2 10 Discussion Forum 1 Day 5 Checkpoint #2 20 E-mail to Instructor 1 Day 7 Checkpoint #3 20 E-mail to Instructor 1 Day 7 Individual Assignment 100 E-mail to Instructor 1 All Days Participation 20 Discussion Forum 2 Day 2 Discussion Question #3 10 Discussion Forum 2 Day 3 Checkpoint #4 20 E-mail to Instructor 2 Day 5 Unit Review 100 E-mail to Instructor 2 Day 7 Group Assignment 200 Group Wiki 2 All Days Participation 20 Discussion Forum

Students are expected to complete the assignments on time. For assignments that are submitted late, there is a 10% point deduction per day for each day that the assignment is late. If the assignment is 5 days late or more, there will be an automatic 50% deduction to the score. Assignments will NOT be accepted after the last day of the unit.

A student may contact me prior to the due date to set up arrangements in the event of a conflict or if the he or she wishes to discuss an alternative due date resulting from a valid excuse for a late posting. Missed participation can NOT be made up.

See the rubrics below for specific details about the expectations for each assignment.

Grading Rubrics:

Discussion Questions: For each discussion question, students should post message that is approximately 150-300 words in length (this is a general guideline…substance is the most important aspect of the DQ response). Every part of the DQ should be answered in order to receive full credit. If you each less than full credit for a DQ response, I will provide feedback as to what was missing. Each DQ response is worth 10 points.

Participation: Students are expected to participate in the group discussion by posting substantive responses to the posts of other students and the instructor. In addition to the initial responses to the discussion questions, students are expected to participate at least four days per week. Students should plan to post at least 6 substantive messages during the week.

Weekly participation is worth 20 points. Students will receive 2 points for each substantive participation response and 2 points for each day (assuming that the posts are substantive) that they participate. For each additional substantive participation post beyond the minimum and for each additional day of participation beyond the minimum, a student will receive 0.5 additional points. As an example, suppose that over the course of 3 days a student posts 7 substantive posts and 1 non- substantive post. The grade would be: 6 substantive × 2 points + 1 substantive × 0.5 points + 1 non- substantive × 0 points + 3 days × 2 points = 12 + 0.5 + 0 + 6 = 18.5 points out of 20 possible points.

A substantive post is defined as a post that adds to the discussion. Posts such as “I agree” or “You are right” or solutions to posted examples problems without work or explanation are NOT substantive. As a general rule, a substantive post is at least 50 words in length (this is a general guideline… substance is the most important aspect of the response). Examples of substantive posts include: solving (with work and/or explanation) a problem posted by another, asking questions, providing new example problems, making real-life connections to the content, answering questions posted by others, etc.

Checkpoints: Checkpoints are mini-assignments designed to help you practice the key concepts and techniques being discussed during the week. In general, each problem on a checkpoint is worth 2 points—one point for effort and showing work and one point for reaching the correct solution. 5 additional points will included in the assignment regarding formatting and the general appearance/presentation of the work. As an example, suppose that a checkpoint has 5 problems, the assignment will be worth 15 points (5 problems × 2 points + 5 formatting points = 15 total points).

Be sure to note that the checkpoint assignments are the only graded problems, but you are encouraged to do additional problems as necessary to ensure that you understand the concept.

The checkpoints should be completed in a Word document and include all necessary work/explanation. The use of Equation Editor, graphing tools and screen shots of images, and so forth are highly encouraged.

Unit Review: The unit review assignment is designed to provide an overview of the types of problems that were addressed in the unit. The assignment serves as a general assessment of your understanding of the basic concepts of the unit. See the assignment for specific details about point totals. Individual Assignment: The following rubric will be used to assess the individual assignment. See the assignment description in Week 1 for more details about the assignment. Scoring Rubric – Individual Assignment (Exploring the Relationship between Linear Equations and Their Graphs) General Requirements Completed 5 points is awarded if the assignment is completed on time. If the assignment is late, zero points will be awarded and an additional 10% (of the earned score) per day will be deducted 5 on Time (see below). Written 5 points is awarded if the students use correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so forth. Complete sentences and clear communication of ideas are also necessary. Finally, the 5 Communication student also needs to use accurate mathematical language. Neatness/ 5 points is awarded if the student uses the space provided for answering questions, uses 5 Organization Equation Editor as necessary, resizes images appropriately, etc. Questions on Worksheet Full credit (5 points) is awarded if:  screen shot is provided; Question #3  graph reflects the changes described in the directions; 5  at least five graphs (in addition to the y = x line) are sketched;  and equations for the lines can be seen. Full credit (15 points) is awarded if: I  the description accurately addresses how the magnitude of values affects the steepness of T the graph; R Question #4  the description accurately addresses differences between positive and negative values; 15 A

P  and the description utilizes some type of terminology to accurately describe the characteristics (i.e. slope or steepness, direction of slant, location of the graph relative to the origin, and so forth). Full credit (5 points) is awarded if all 5 values are entered into the appropriate boxes and are Question #5 correctly calculated. 5 Full credit (5 points) is awarded if the student identifies that the calculated number is the Question #6 same as the number that is multiplied and the student identifies the value as the slope of line. 5 Full credit (5 points) is awarded if:  screen shot is provided; Question #10  graph reflects the changes described in the directions; 5  at least five graphs (in addition to the y = x line) are sketched;  and equations for the lines can be seen. I I

Full credit (15 points) is awarded if:

T  the description accurately addresses how the magnitude of values affects the location of

R the graph; A Question #11  the description accurately addresses differences between positive and negative values; 15 P  and the description utilizes some type of terminology to accurately describe the characteristics (i.e. slope or steepness, direction of slant, location of the graph relative to the origin, and so forth). Full credit (5 points) is awarded if the student identifies the value as the point where the line Question #12 intersects the y-axis (a.k.a. the y-intercept). 5 Full credit (5 points) is awarded if the student includes a description of the line’s slope (steepness), direction of slant from left to right, and location on the graph relative to the Question #13 origin (where the line crosses the y-axis). The student must also describe how the values in 5 the equation “appear” on the graph. Full credit (5 points) is awarded if the student includes a description of the line’s slope I

I (steepness), direction of slant from left to right, and location on the graph relative to the I Question #14 origin (where the line crosses the y-axis). The student must also describe how the values in 5 T the equation “appear” on the graph. R Full credit (20 points) is awarded if the student includes the following steps: A

P  using the y-intercept to graph the point where the line crosses the y-axis;  using the number in front of x to determine the slope of the line; Question #15  using the slope to find other points on the line; 20  and using the sign of the number in front of the x to determine the direction that the line slants. SUBTOTAL  100 LATE DEDUCTION  # of days late: × 0.10 = TOTAL  100 Group Assignment: The following rubric will be used to assess the group assignment. See the assignment description in Week 2 for more details about the assignment. Scoring Rubric – Collaborative Assignment (Finding the Best Cell Phone Plan) General Requirements Completed 5 points is awarded if the assignment is completed on time. If the assignment is late, zero points will be awarded and an additional 10% (of the earned score) per day will be deducted 5 on Time (see below). Written 5 points is awarded if the groups use correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so forth. Complete sentences and clear communication of ideas are also necessary. Finally, the groups 5 Communication also need to use accurate mathematical language. 20 points is awarded if:  the Wiki is organized in a coherent fashion and can be navigated easily;  the information is organized into some type of table, graph, written text, or graphic Neatness/ organizer;  the graphs are properly sized and easily read; 20 Organization  images, graphics, text, and so forth are appropriate to the presentation and reflect the content of the Wiki page;  and the Wiki design reflects the criteria for good web design including (but not limited to) font size, contrast, page lay-out, file size, readability, and so forth. Part I – Gathering and Summarizing the Data Number of Full credit (5 points) is awarded if:  at least two companies are included in the description; 5 Companies  and at least three individual plans for each company are described. Full credit (12 points per company) is awarded if: Description of  the description accurately reflects all of the information associated with the plans;  and the description is organized in a logical manner that can be easily interpreted. 30 Plans Full credit (6 points) is awarded if the information has been organized in an effective manner using a format of the group’s choice. Full credit (2.5 points per plan) is awarded if each plan is accompanied by a graph of cost Graphs versus minutes and if each graph is properly formatted, labeled, accurately scaled, etc. 15 Part II – Comparing Cell Phone Plans Criteria for Full credit (5 points) is awarded if the criteria for identifying comparable plans. 5 Comparison Side-by-Side Full credit (20 points) is awarded if:  information about the plans is arranged/described in the logical manner; and 20 Comparison  a format is used to clearly show similarities and differences between the two plans. Full credit (5 points per plan) is awarded if:  the comparison is accompanied by a graph of cost versus minutes with both plans plotted Graphs on the same graph; 5  and if the graph is properly formatted, labeled, accurately scaled, etc. Full credit (10 points) is awarded if the rationale describes why the plan is the best choice, the Rationale primary advantages of that plan, the characteristics of the caller using the plan, the pros and 10 cons of that plan, and so forth. Part III – Hypothetical Situations Rationale for Full credit (10 points per hypothetical situation) is awarded if the rationale describes why the plan is the best choice, the primary advantages of that plan, the characteristics of the caller 30 Hypotheticals using the plan, the pros and cons of that plan, and so forth. SUBTOTAL  150 Group/Self Evaluation Evaluation of Each student will evaluate themselves and their partners (5 points per evaluation) based on 15 Group Effort participation, performance, contributions to the final product, team work, and so forth. SUBTOTAL  165 LATE DEDUCTION  # of days late: × 0.10 = TOTAL  165 IMPORTANT NOTE: The point values listed in the assignment overview are the values that your grade is based on. These values are chosen in order to “weight” the various types of assignments that you are expected to complete. The actual “raw” points for each assignment may vary. For instance, a checkpoint (which is worth 20 points in the grade book) might consist of 6 problems and have a raw total of 17 points. The percentage correct will be used to assign the point value that is entered into the grade book. Suppose that a student earns 13 out of 17 points on the checkpoint described here. The grade that is entered into the grade book is determined as such:

13  0.7647  0.7647  20  15.294  15.3 17

Scores entered into the grade book are always rounded to the nearest tenth of a point. A same procedure is used for all assignment where the “raw” score differs from the “weighted” score.

Grading Scale:

The following grading scale will be used to determine your final grade for this course: Percentage Grade 93% and up A 90% to 92% A– 87% to 79% B+ 83% to 86% B 80% to 82% B– 77% to 79% C+ 73% to 76% C 70% to 72% C– 67% to 69% D+ 63% to 66% D 60% to 62% D– 59% and below F

Student Roles and Expectations:

Your role in this unit is that of the student. Much of the responsibility is placed on you to complete assignments, meet deadlines, collaborate in your groups and in the discussions, and manage your time. However, you are expected to be more than a passive receiver of information. You are expected to contribute the classroom discussions, to actively participate in your group activities, to complete the assignments on time and to the highest quality, and to collaborate with your peers and myself as we go through this unit. Just as this is an opportunity for you to learn new material, it is also an opportunity for your peers and I to learn from you. Although I understand that there will be times where you might not fully understand the material (this is okay), this does not excuse you from taking an active role as a learner and as a source of information and insight in this course. Asking questions, advocating for your own learning, and taking an active role in the learning process is essential and expected.

Never hesitate to ask for help or to ask questions of your peers. Never hesitate to contact me with questions, comments, or concerns. This course is a partnership among all of those involved; so be sure to work with one another throughout the class.

Additional Policy Comments:

I have some final general comments about classroom policies and procedures:

 Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the academic setting. Students should be respectful of their peers, the instructor, the classroom environment, the work of others, and so forth. Inappropriate behavior in the classroom setting will be addressed by the instructor and will be taken very seriously.  Students are expected to complete their own work. Evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism will result in a grade of zero for the assignment and will be handled according the general policies of the school.  Groups will be assigned by instructor. Every member of the group is expected to contribute to the development of the group’s final product.  Students should observe the general rules of good “netiquette.” Read the information at the following website for more details about good netiquette: http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html.  Conflicts that cannot be resolved among students should be directed to the instructor. I will moderate any issues will assist to make decisions to help with conflict resolution.  Policies are subject to change by the instructor and will be made if necessary.

 This course is intended to be a positive learning experience that builds on the knowledge that every individual brings to the class. Collaboration is a key to everyone’s success in this class. Be sure to take advantage of the potential of this course and remember to have fun while learning.