Mathematics 171, Winter, 2004
Geometry for Elementary Teachers

Syllabus

Course description

This course is designed to help future elementary teachers improve their spatial relations and geometric communication skills while learning about such basic geometric concepts as angle, reflection, symmetry, measurement and tesselations.

Grading Policy

The giving of exams is not consistent with my interpretation of what's important about this course, so I do not plan to give any. Grading will instead be based on day-to-day assignments (plan on having between two and three hours' worth per class), class follow-up reports, described below, and a set of major projects (probably five of them, of which details will follow.) To receive credit for the course you must have credit for at least 80% of the assignments, for at least 80% of the follow-up reports, and for all of the projects. If you do not receive credit for a project the first time you turn it in, I will tell you what to fix, and you will be able to turn it in again.

NOTE: As you may have observed, if getting credit requires turning in follow-up reports for at least 80% of the classes, then it also involves attending at least 80% of the classes. This is not by chance. A tremendous amount of the benefit of this course stems from activities and discussions that go on in class, and no one can give you that benefit by simply describing the class after it is over. If you are violently sick or have a family crisis or something equally serious, tell me about it and I will work with you if need be, but otherwise try very hard not to miss class.


where z is.

Required Readings

Mathematics for Elementary Teachers, volume 2, by Sybilla Beckman, both the text book and the Class Activities.

Please bring the Class Activities to class with you, starting Wednesday. Please also bring scotch tape and scissors with you. The scissors need not be big and heavy — basic children's school scissors will do fine.

Follow-Up Reports

Follow-up Reports

These are designed to help you learn about learning (a necessity for learning about teaching) by making you spend a little time focussing on your own learning process. Think of one moment in class when
a) something confused you and you figured it out
b) you suddenly realized that something that had seemed clear might have unexpected complications
c) your curiosity was piqued and you thought of questions you would like to pursue
Then describe that moment and what went into it – what connections in your head or comments from your classmates or … made it happen.

      The Follow-up Report is not the usual mechanical field trip report ("...then the teacher told us to sit down and eat lunch. After lunch the teacher said...").
The Follow-up Report should be 300 words or fewer.

Send the Follow-up Report by e-mail to warfield@math and jlind@math The subject line must read 171 FUR 1/5/04 (the date of the class in question, not the date mailed)
We must have received it the evening before the following class at the latest.

Example Follow-up Reports:

About last Tuesday. I found the excercise to be helpful, I had a hard time recognizing glide reflection until we demonstrated the ribbon patterns. Once I saw it on the ribbons I was able to see where I had missed it the other tessallations. I was thrown off by the gap in the ribbon pattern with the triangle much like others in the class and that is how I missed it.
* * *
This use of the 2 dimensional 3 dimensional system became confusing again when dealing with the classwork. I can easily understand that there is a shadow of the line that lies in the xy plane, but I really can't see how the line in the xyz system could meet the xy plane anywhere but where it meets its shadow. It's not readily possible to tell where z is 0 just by looking at the picture, because the x and y positions affect what you see as well. We never really resolved whether z is 0 where the line meets its shadow. However, it's the only way I have been able to understand it, so if that's wrong, please please please explain to me