Course Syllabus

Welcome to ACP Discrete Math

ACP Discrete Math  - Ms. Pieri  (room 432)

(pierik@wellesleyps.org)

Syllabus, Classroom Expectations, Grading Policy

 

Classroom Policies and Expectations

Be prepared and productive:

Students are expected to arrive to class each day prepared to participate. 

This means you should: 

  • complete all activities assigned during class.  If you are unable to complete all assignment(s) during class it is expected that you will complete the assignment(s) outside of class.  
  • work cooperatively with others on in-class group assignments. 
  • take detailed notes on material presented in class.
  • come to class with the necessary materials:  assignments completed outside of class, pen/pencil, paper and calculator.

 

Be Prompt: 

Try your best to make it to each class on time. I know this may be difficult with connectivity issues and then once we are in the school with mask breaks and such. I will be taking note of tardies and if they become a consistent habit. If you are with a teacher you can ask them to write you a pass to excuse you. 

 

Absences: 

If you miss a class please check in with me or check Canvas to see what you have missed. If you miss any sort of assignment you will be expected to complete that on your own outside of class time.  I am happy to meet with you to discuss the material or activities you need or you can review the class notes on your own and ask me follow up questions if you prefer. 

 

Grading Policy 

 

Community Engagement Expectations:  Students are expected to,

  1. demonstrate appropriate communication and respect with peers and teachers by: 
    1. actively listen to the teachers when new material is being delivered.
    2. actively listen to peers/teachers when they are asking or answering questions.
  2. ask a question when something is unclear.  (This can be in class using the chat feature on Zoom or verbally.  This can also occur during teacher office hours.)  
  3. answer questions both voluntarily and when called upon. (It’s okay if you are not sure, just be willing to engage and try your best.)
  4. use feedback received from teachers and/or peers into future work

How will you be evaluated on your community engagement?  Each Community Engagement Expectation will be evaluated using the following scale:

 

Community Engagement scale:       

4:  Always meets standard       

3:  Often meets standard        

2:  Occasionally meets standard       

1:  Rarely meets standard



Group Problem Sets/ Activities

  • During class you will be assigned a set if problems to work on in a small group
  • These will be collected at the end of class time and graded for effort, understanding, and accuracy
  • We will review the problems as a class to make sure everyone understands the material



Assessments

  • After each unit there will be an assessment covering the material of the unit. 
  • For certain units there may be a project associated with the material
  • If a student scores below an 80% they may do test corrections to earn back some of the points they have lost
    • Students are encouraged to work on test corrections with me during office hours, during the math lab, or during learning center
    • Test corrections should show all of the work for the problem and state what you did wrong the first time ‘

 

Semester 1 Grading Rubric

  • Community Engagement 20%
  • Group Work Assignments 20%
  • Assessments   40%
  • The higher of the Assessment average or Group Work average 20%

 

*Semester 2 Mrs. Knowles will be back and may choose to change something about the grading rubric

** If the grading rubric changes at all, we will discuss it as a class beforehand to make sure everyone understands the changes 



Units Covered: 

  • Critical Paths (modeling projects using graphs)
  • Polling and Sampling
  • Graph Theory
    • Euler Circuits
    • Hamiltonian Circuits
    • Facility Location 
    • Coloring
  • Data and Statistics
  • Counting and Probability
  • Expected Value
  • Cryptology



My Availability: 

I am available for extra help and review by appointment (person or on Zoom) during the following times:

  • Before school at 7:30
  • Green Block (Monday and Tuesday 10:45 - 1:00)
  • Red Block (Thursday and Friday 9:30 - 10:45)
  • Gray Block (Thursday and Friday 1:15 - 2:30)
  • After school
  • Wednesday afternoons (Zoom only)

 

(Students can always feel free to stop by my room during these times to see if I am available but it is better to set up a time in case I have a meeting)