You will receive up to 1 extra credit point per week if you ask me a math question at my office.  The question doesn't have to be from the course but should be mathematical.  You can ask either in person, by phone, or by e-mail.

TEXT AND SUPPLIES:  The text is Math 152 Probability: Special Edition for CCP.  If you wish to have access to online tutoring be sure to get a book that is bundled with a student access card.  It may be available in one of the bookstores on campus.  If not try Spring Garden Book Supply at 1537 Spring Garden.  You will also need lined 8.5"x11" paper, graph paper, and writing instruments.

CALCULATORS:  A basic scientific calculator such as the TI-30X is recommended for some of the more cumbersome calculations.  However the first exam and parts of other exams will be without calculator.  Therefore, if you are weak on basic arithmetic skills, you should practice them.

INTERNET AND E-MAIL:  In order to access your final grades over the internet you will need to set up a MYCCP account.  This can be done from the student computers located in room B2-33 and other places on campus or from a home computer.  Through your MYCCP account you will also be able to communicate with your classmates and instructors by e-mail and get information about classes. To set up your MYCCP account go on the internet to http://myccp.ccp.edu  and click on the box "How do I get a user name and password?"  You will then be asked to enter your student J number found on your student ID and also on your schedule/bill.  Your user name and password will then be displayed.  Copy or print it for future reference.

To send an e-mail to students in the class, log onto MYCCP, click "My Courses", click "click here", click "Elementary Algebra", click "E-mail", click "Select All" or the individuals to whom you want to send the e-mail, click "Send e-mail", then write the message and click "Send".
 
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR:  Usually I will show some examples on the chalk board during part of each class.  During this time there should be no side conversations because they may distract other students as well as myself.  During this time you are encouraged to call out answers to questions that I ask and also ask me questions if I say something that you do not understand.  If a student or students are asking many questions I may ask you to raise your hands and wait for me to call on you.

During other parts of each class you will usually be working on assignments at your seats or in groups.  During this time you are encouraged to work with other students on your assignments but you should keep your voices low so as not to disturb other students.

Beepers and cell phones should be turned off or set to vibrate so as not to disturb other students or myself.  For the same reason you should also refrain from eating and drinking during class.
Math 152 Pre-Test

PREREQUISITES:  Math 118 Intermediate algebra is a prerequisite for this course.  You should be able to do basic arithmetic with fractions, decimals, and percents and basic algebra.  If you have difficulty doing these problems without a calculator you should immediately start reviewing basic arithmetic and algebra and get tutoring as soon as possible.

LEARNING STYLES:  Some of you may learn best by watching the teacher do examples on the chalkboard, others of you may learn best by reading the text, and still others of you may learn best by working on examples yourselves.  Some of you may have never been exposed to algebra.  Others of you may need just a quick review.  The first day of class I will be asking questions about your learning styles and math experiences to help me to know how best to teach you.

MATH ANXIETY:  Many people feel nervous or anxious about taking math tests.  If you are one of those people here are some things you can do to reduce your anxiety.  (1) Attend class every day and complete all assignments on time. Do extra problems for practice.  Spend at least 2 hours outside of class for every hour of class.   (2) Ask questions in class if you don't understand something.  (3) Get tutoring outside of class either from your instructor or from the Learning Lab or elsewhere.  Hopefully with practice your math skills will increase and you will become more confident when taking the test.

IF YOU FALL HOPELESSLY BEHIND:  Please contact me before deciding to drop the course.  You may not be as hopelessly behind as you think.

LEARNING LAB:  If you wish to meet with a student tutor, go to the Math Leaning Lab to make an appointment.  The Math Learning Lab is located in room B2-36 on weekdays and in room B1-28 on evenings.  You may receive up to 1 extra credit participation point per week for your tutoring sessions in the Learning Lab if you bring back a statement signed by the tutor.
 
ONLINE HELP:  If you wish to use the online tutoring provided by the publisher then you will need an e-mail address, a student access code from the student access card either bundled with the book or purchased separately, course ID CCP66042, and zip code 19130 and go to website http://www.coursecompass.com.  See page v of the text book for more detailed instructions.
 
HOMEWORK:  To do well in math it is important to not only study examples but also to actually work through problems, the more the better.  With practice the procedures will become familiar to you and you will make fewer mistakes.  Not all problems in the text will be assigned but you are encouraged to do them anyway.  On most days I will assign homework.  Homework should be neatly done.  The problems should be done in the order in which they are given.  The original problem should be written out followed by steps or scratch work and the final answer.  At the end of each homework assignment please indicate at least one problem that you thought was difficult or the most difficult or challenging and also record the number of hours that you spent doing the homework assignment.  In case you miss class, the homework assignment will usually be posted on MYCCP.

The class will move at a fast pace and you are expected to spend time outside of class learning the material.  Generally for college courses students are expected to spend about 2 hours studying outside of class for every hour they spend in class.  Some students may find that they need to spend more than 2 hours.

CLASSWORK:  You will generally be doing work at your seats for part of the period while I circulate around the room.  Please use this time as an opportunity to ask questions on points that you don't understand.  You may ask me or other students.  I will usually ask you to turn in the last exercise at the end of class.  Again please use this as an opportunity to ask questions on points that you don't understand.  If you must miss class, you will receive partial credit for classwork if you call or e-mail me to discuss your situation.

PARTICIPATION GRADE:  Most weeks in class you may receive up to 12 points for participating in class and also up to 12 points for completing a homework assignment.  If you attempt the homework assignment but do not finish it you may still turn it in for partial credit.  At the end of the semester I will drop your 12 lowest participation points.

EXTRA CREDIT:  You will receive up to one point per week of extra credit if you go to the Learning Lab and bring me a slip showing that you went to the Learning Lab for tutoring in math.  You will also receive up to 1 extra credit point per week if you ask me a math question at my office.  The question doesn't have to be from the course but should be mathematical.  You can ask either in person, by phone, or by e-mail.

OVERALL GRADE:  Each assignment, quiz, and exam will be assigned a point value.  Quizzes may be unannounced.  The final exam will be worth either 200 points or 1200 points whichever is to your advantage.  If, for example, there are 422 points not counting the final exam, then the final exam will be worth either 200 points out of 622 points for the course or 1200 points out of 1622 points for the course, whichever is to your advantage.  At the end of the semester I will total your points and convert the total to a percent and grade as follows:
 
 90-100% A,  80-89% B,  70-79% C,  60-69% D, 0-59% F
 
TOPICS COVERED:
Sets, counting, basic probability, conditional probability, independent events, Bayes' formula, binomial probability, probability distributions, expected value, frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, measures of variation, normal distribution, normal approximation to binomial.  These terms will be explained in greater detail as the course progresses.  Here are some examples of the type of problems with which we will be working.

1.  If you pick 5 cards at random from a deck of 52 playing cards with 4 suits, what is the
     probability of getting a royal flush?
2.  How many different ways are there to arrange the letters in the word MATH ?
3.  Suppose that 1% of the population has a certain type of cancer and that a cancer test correctly
     identifies a person with this cancer 90% of the time and correctly identifies a healthy person
     80% of the time.  If the test identifies some one as having this cancer, then what is the
     probability that the person actually has the cancer?
4.  If you flip a coin, it either turns up heads or tails.  List all of the possible outcomes if you flip a
     coin twice.
5.  What formula could you use to find the probabilities of getting 0, 1, 2, or 3 heads if you flip a
     coin 3 times?
6.  Draw a graph showing the probabilities of getting 0, 1, 2, or 3 heads if you flip a coin 3 times.
7.  List all of the possible outcomes if you roll a die with sides numbered 1 through 6.
8. Suppose that during a flu epidemic each child has a 40% chance of getting the flu and that in
    25% of two-child families both children get the flu.  In what percent of two-child families does
    neither child get the flu?
9.  What formulas could you use to find the mean and standard deviation of the test scores
      80, 90,  and 70 ?
10. Draw a Venn diagram representing the intersection of sets A and B.
 
IMPORTANT DATES:
Tuesday   May 20 Exam 1
Tuesday   June   3 Exam 2
Tuesday   June 17 Exam 3
Thursday June  26 Final Exam

MAKE-UPS:  Classwork, quizzes, and extra credit assignments cannot be made up but I will drop your 12 lowest points.  If you call in to tell me the reason that you must miss class then I will give you 1 point for classwork.  Homework can be turned in late but 1 point will be deducted for each day that it is late.  Exams cannot be made up if for any reason you are not in class but I will drop your lowest exam grade excluding the final exam.

EARLY WORK: You may submit homework assignments but not classwork or quizzes in advance for days when you expect to be absent from class but I will drop your 12 lowest points.  Exams cannot be taken early if you know in advance that you will be unable to attend class on a day when an exam is scheduled but I will drop your lowest exam grade excluding the final exam.

ATTENDANCE AND PROMPTNESS:  Attendance and punctuality are very important in college math classes.  Typically a new topic is covered every day and sometimes it is hard to understand a new topic in math if you missed the topic that came before.  Therefore try to avoid missing class unnecessarily.  If you must miss class you can get partial credit for classwork if you contact me to discuss your situation.  Usually you can find out the homework assignment from MYCCP.

Attendance will be taken daily as required by the college.  Three latenesses count as one absence.  If you are absent more than once through June 17 you should discuss your situation with me.  Otherwise you may be dropped from the course.

INCLEMENT WEATHER:  In the event of inclement weather there are several ways of determining whether CCP is open.  You may listen for CCP's school closing number 238 on KYW radio at 1060 on the AM dial or check KYW's school closing web page at http://www2.kyw1060.com/schools/ or for a price you may call KYW's school closing phone number at 1-900-737-1060.  Usually if SEPTA is running close to normal then CCP will remain open.

GIFTS:  To avoid any appearance of impropriety no gifts of any kind will be accepted.