MATH-104 Recitation Policy

Spring 2012

Administrative Logistics

Recitation Instructor: Jared Waxman

Email: jwaxman@sas.upenn.edu

Office Hours: MW 4:00-5:00 PM @ DRLB 3C11

Lectures: TR 1:30-3:00 PM @ DRLB A1

Recitations

  1. 225 W 8:00-9:00 AM @ DRLB 4E9

  2. 226 W 9:00-10:00 AM @ DRLB 4E9

  3. 227 F 9:00-10:00 AM @ DRLB 4E9

  4. 228 F 10:00-11:00 AM @ DRLB 4E9

Required Textbook: Calculus: Early Transcendentals by Thomas, Weir, and Hass, 12th edition

Recommended Textbook: Calculus, by James Stewart, 6th or 7th edition

Grading Weights

  1. Midterms – 40% (15% each for your best two, 10% for the lowest one)

  2. Final – 30%

  3. Homework and Quizzes – 25%

  4. “Floating 5%” – 5% of your grade will be assigned to your best exam of the entire semester, including the final exam.

Exam Dates

  1. Midterm I – Tuesday, February 14, in class

  2. Midterm II – Tuesday, March 27, in class

  3. Midterm III – Thursday, April 19, in class

  4. Final – Friday, May 4, 12:00-2:00 PM, Location TBD


What Recitations Are/How Recitations Will Run

  1. Recitations ARE NOT a rehash of lectures. Recitations are small, discussion-based classes, designed to review general concepts from lecture and to solve problems.

  2. At the beginning of recitation, I will hand back quizzes. I will address the general issues most of the class had on homework problems and on the quizzes (common mistakes made, use of terminology, etc.) as well as give tips and tricks to make certain problems easier and quicker to solve.

  3. As recitations are small, I expect you to come prepared with specific aspects of the lecture that you do not understand, so that we as a group can collectively assist you. This means that you should come ready with problems. If I cannot answer your questions on the fly, I will be happy to meet with you during office hours and will email the class the solutions to the problems we discuss.

  4. If no one has any questions about the lecture material for the week, I will take this as a sign that you are familiar with the material and therefore understand it. Consequently, I will feel free to proceed where Professor Jauregui leaves off and move on to the upcoming topics.

  5. Attendance and participation are expected. If you are to miss recitation for a religious reason or any other reason, please tell me ahead of time.

  6. You are responsible for checking that I have correctly entered your grades in Blackboard. If you believe I have made an error in grading, please email me or see me after class to discuss the error.


Homework – 15% of your grade (10% online, 5% written)

  1. Homework will be assigned weekly and will consist of an online portion (My Math Lab) and a written portion. Make sure that your name and recitation section is written on your assignment. I reserve the right to not grade your assignment if it is illegible, as such you will receive a lower grade or a 0.

  2. No late homework will be accepted for any reason whatsoever. With this policy in mind, I will drop your one lowest homework grade on each of the online and written assignments at the end of the semester. I understand that everyone has a stressful week or two, so if you do not complete an assignment, do not fret! However, you are responsible for the material on the assignment that you do not complete, as it will be tested on midterm and final examinations.

  3. Cheating will not be tolerated. You are expected to abide by Penn’s Code of Academic Integrity. You are encouraged to work in groups to complete homework assignments. However, do not simply copy someone else’s solution. If you work in groups, make a note at the top of your assignment, stating who you worked with and on which problems. If you are caught cheating, you will receive a 0 for the assignment and may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct for disciplinary action. Protect yourself and your friends by giving your classmates credit! There is never a penalty for being honest!


Quizzes – 10% of your grade

  1. Short quizzes will be given in the last 10-15 minutes of recitation. Quizzes are designed to test your knowledge of the material presented in lecture from the previous week and are solvable in the allotted time.

  2. Quizzes will be worth 10 points each and will generally be 2 or 3 problems similar to those on the homework. Full credit will only be awarded for a fully correct solution. Partial credit will be awarded in a number of instances, if the work shown is on the way to a correct solution, for example.

  3. Quizzes will be closed-book and closed-notes. No calculators or other electronic devices are allowed.

  4. There will be no make-up quizzes for any reason whatsoever. As with homework, I will drop your two lowest quiz grades at the end of the semester.

  5. NB: No quizzes will be given during the weeks of midterm exams!


General Advice

  1. It is assumed that you are familiar with and have mastered the material in MATH-103. If you struggle with limits or differentiation, this is NOT the course for you.

  2. As with anything, practice makes perfect! The only way to “get good” at mathematics is to do lots of problems. There are plenty of practice problems to try on old final exams posted on the math department website. If you are struggling with the course, do not hesitate to see me or Professor Jauregui during our office hours and we will assist you! The Tutoring Center is also a wonderful resource if you are struggling: see http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/tutoring/index.php.

  3. I am an extremely flexible person, so if you cannot meet with me during office hours, please send me an email and we can work out a separate time. I check my email multiple times every day, so you will generally receive a reply from me within 24 hours. Please put MATH-104 in the subject line! I get lots of emails every day and your email is likely to get higher preference if I know what it will be about! You should always feel free to email me with any course-related questions and concerns, but as email is an inefficient medium for mathematical communication, I cannot promise to resolve specific math questions via email. Instead I would be happy to go over them during recitation, especially if you request so in advance.

  4. I’m a student at Penn as well, so I understand the pangs of the workload that goes along with this education. Please feel free to talk to me about any problems you may have, MATH-104 related or otherwise. I have been known to give very good course advice (people tell me that I’m a walking Penn Course Review!). It is likely you will see me around campus, so say hello!

  5. If you are thinking about declaring a math major, email Robin Toney at rtoney@math.upenn.edu and she will assign you a math major advisor. Feel free to ask me questions about the major as well!