Course Information

Geometry B

2008/2009 School Year

Course Information

Instructor: Elizabeth Doschek

Cell phone: 301-580-8014

Website: http://faculty.ssfs.org/~doschel

Textbook: Geometry by Jurgensen, Brown, and Jurgensen

Course description: Students will learn about the following topics: perpendicular and parallel lines and planes, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, geometric solids and coordinate geometry. Students will study finding area, surface area, volume, the Pythagorean Theorem, and right triangle trigonometry. The relationships of congruence and similarity will be studied extensively. Students will be required to write formal deductive proofs of geometric theorems. Algebra will be integrated throughout the course.

Expectations

Supplies: You are expected to bring your textbook and homework with you each day. You may find a ruler (with both centimeters and inches) and a protractor helpful for homework, but you do not need to bring them to class with you.

Assigned work:

Homework: Homework will consist of two types of assignments:

1. You are expected to complete homework problems from the textbook. Once a week I will collect the previous night’s homework assignment. Assignments to be collected are indicated in bold on the syllabus. I will check assignments for both completeness and accuracy. You must show all your work in order to receive full credit. Each collected assignment will be graded out of 10 points. Each day I will also check to see if you have completed the previous night’s assignment. You will receive one point for each completed assignment. In order to receive one point you do not need to have every problem correct, but you do need to show some work for each problem. Homework problems are meant to cement concepts and techniques learned in class and to give you an opportunity to practice your newly acquired skills.

2. Approximately four times a semester, I will assign a chapter project. Projects will be graded out of 20 points. Projects will be due the day after the chapter test. Projects vary greatly in content; however, they are all meant to allow you to explore geometric concepts in real-world situations.

Quizzes: Approximately once a chapter you will complete a quiz on specific sections of the textbook. Quizzes will be graded out of 50 points. Quiz questions will only cover material from the indicated sections. Quiz dates and the sections the quiz will cover are indicated on the syllabus.

Tests: After each chapter, you will take a test on the material from that chapter. Tests will be graded out of 100 points. Test questions will cover material from the preceding chapter. However, math skills are by nature cumulative, so you may, for example, need skills learned in chapter two to solve chapter three problems. Test dates are indicated on the syllabus.

Exams: You will take an exam at the end of each semester. Exams will be graded out of 150 points. These exams are cumulative for each semester. The final exam for the second semester will not cover material from the first semester (but see my comment under “Tests” above).

Work missed due to absence: Homework or projects not handed in because of an excused absence are due within two days of your return to school. Quizzes or tests missed because of an excused absence must be made up within two days of your return to school. I may make exceptions to this policy in the case of extenuating circumstances.

Late work: Homework and projects are due at the beginning of the class period on the due date. Five percentage points will be deducted from homework or projects handed in on the due date but after the beginning of class. Ten percentage points will be deducted for each full day an assignment is late. Assignments more than three days late will not be accepted. I may make exceptions to this policy in the case of extenuating circumstances.

Test corrections: You may make up missed points on one test and one quiz per semester by doing test corrections. The maximum grade that you may obtain on a quiz or test you do corrections for is a 75%. No points can be made up on homework or projects. You must get prior approval from me before doing test corrections, and corrections are due within one week of receiving your graded quiz or test. No corrections will be accepted after one week.

Grading Policy

I determine grades by percentage average computed by dividing the number of points earned by the number of points possible. Assignments are worth the following number of points:

Homework: 10 points

Projects: 20 points

Quizzes: 50 points

Tests: 100 points

Exams: 150 points

Homework makes up approximately 15% of the grade, projects 5%, quizzes 30%, and tests 50%. The exams are worth approximately 10% of the semester grade. In addition, I factor class participation into the grade. If your percentage is on the border between two grades, I will give you the better grade if you have been a helpful participant.

Helpful Hints

My goal is for each and every one of you to succeed in this class. It is my belief that the best way for us to achieve this goal is for you to be sure to keep up with reading and assignments and to speak up when you do not understand a concept or are struggling with an assignment. My motto is that it is much easier to keep up than to catch up. To that end, please know that I am available to you via e-mail and phone, and I am happy to meet with you when you need extra help.

Academic Honesty Statement

Any student found cheating on any assignment (homework, project, quiz, test, or exam) will receive a zero on that assignment. In addition, I will notify the student’s advisor, parents or guardians, and the Dean of Students.