Math 444: Evidence of your work

In Math 444 quite a variety of your work that will be recorded. This will be used in determining your grade, but some of it may also serve as a geometry portfolio that you can keep and use in your future career. Notice that for the very important in-class group work, the lab work, and the in-class assessments, your attendance is essential.

In-class group work and reports

Many class meetings in Math 444 will include group activities or investigations. Most reporting and presentation will be done on the spot during class; sometimes there will be a written report due later. In either event your participation and engagement will be recorded and will be an important part of your grade.

Construction Portfolio

Doing geometrical constructions is an important tool for understanding geometry. Each student will complete an individual Construction Portfolio for the quarter, with several constructions due each week based on pages distributed online or at the Copy Center. Typically, a page of the portfolio with start with a given geometrical object, such as a triangle; and the student will construct a figure based on the given object, such as a circle tangent to each side. For the purposes of assessment in the course, this ensures that each student does each construction. From the point of view of the student, this produces an organized set of constructions that can be used for study or for later reference.

Reading Assignments

As we learn geometry, there will be frequent reading assignments on the material at hand. Sometimes this reading will consist of definitions, proofs of theorems, examples, etc. At other times the reading will be articles of a reflective or expository nature.

Individual Written Assignments (and unwritten assignments)

We learn math by doing. These assignments will typically include some problem-solving and some proving of theorems. The purpose to to help students master new ideas and to get practice and feedback on problem-solving and reasoning. The assignments also give practice on mathematical writing and understanding the relationships of the big ideas of the course.

The written assignments typically involve some degree of challenge. There will also be some practice exercises assigned of a more routine nature. These will typically not be written assignments that will be graded. If they are written assignments, they will be checked by inspection or perhaps by a little quiz question; if they are unwritten, they will be checked by quizzes, questioning, etc.

Model-building

One important thread in the course will be a series of studies of shapes in three-dimensional space. For these topics, the construction of actual physical models will be important and required.

Lab reports

The geometry that you learn in the Math 487 labs is a very important part of the Math 444 course. It is important to have some kind of report bringing together what you learned in the lab. To keep this as effective as possible and also as small a burden as possible, the labs will be organized as formal group work with group reports this fall.

When is all of this due and how is it assessed?

There is a lot of learning and work that needs to go on, but we will try to keep the actual demands on homework within bounds by assigning as in-class work an important portion of the writing.

• In-class group work and reports will mostly be done in class as a group effort.
• Installments on the Construction Portfolio will be due at approximately two-week intervals, with timing determined in part by test dates, etc.
• Reading Assignments are daily or semi-weekly. Some are due in advance of class, with a short check at the start of class to confirm your preparation.
• Individual Written Assignments will be due weekly. They will be graded and returned within a few days.
• Models will be due from time to time, as the topics arise. They will be inspected and admired for quality and sometimes photographed.
• Lab Reports will either be due at the end of lab or on Friday after lab.

Turning in Individual Assignments: Nuts and bolts

• Writing and Presentation Quality Counts! Assignments should be clearly written or word-processed. Write in good English with complete sentences and paragraphs (except for lists and tables). Do not turn in your first draft with stuff crossed out. There should be adequate white space. Typically no more than one problem answer should be written on a side of paper. Presentation can definitely be part of the grade (plus or minus). Work that is illegible or unpleasant to decipher may be returned for rewriting before grading.
• Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date.
• Students may discuss problems outside of class, so long as each student writes up her/his work independently.
• No further writing on individual assignments is allowed once you walk into the classroom. This last-minute work will not have the required quality, and it easily can cross the line from collaboration to copying.
• Late Assignments cause problems for grading and timely discussion of the problems, so they will generally not be accepted or, if accepted, will be marked down. Exceptions will be made for genuine emergencies, medical excuses, etc. Other rare exceptions may be made, but don't stretch your luck or make a habit of it. It is better to turn in a partial set of solutions on time than a complete one late.

Class participation, informal assessments and short quizzes

Math 444 includes reports from group in-class investigations. Also any class may include a short quiz or assessment of some kind. This may be mostly to help the instructor understand better how the class understands the material, the better to teach it or it may be for the students to check on their own understanding. But it also may serve to check on reading assignments, routine problems, etc. None of these individually will have a signficant impact on grades, but they will be recorded as class participation. They do add up for a student who is frequently absent, so for this class regular attendance is really necessary.