Joshua Tokle

E-mail: jtokle@math.washington.edu

Office: Padelford C-18

Office hours: Tuesdays 11 - 1

Wednesdays and Fridays, 1:30 - 3:00

MEB 234

For Friday, January 5:

NOTE: Both of the assignments for Friday should be sent to us on e-mail. Remember to start the subject line with "171". Send them to me (warfield@math) with a cc to Joshua (jtokle@math).


A) In the textbook, read the "Message to Prospective and Practicing Teachers" on pages 1 – 6. Think about it, then read it again and then write a brief (1/2 to 1 page) response. If you did not take Math 170 last quarter, then the response should basically center around 1) what that you just read do you look forward to with pleasure and/or excitement and 2) what makes you feel either anxious or skeptical?
If you did take 170 last quarter, you may opt instead to relate what you see there to what we did in 170 — what seems the same or different? What says the same thing as before but doesn't match what actually happened?

B) Also please send us a mathematical mini-autobiography. Basically, I am interested in how much mathematics you have had (especially how much of a geometrical nature) and how long ago you had it, and in your response to it all — i.e., how you feel about mathematics.
Please include with that your reason for taking this course. Are you planning on going into elementary education? Wondering about doing so? Just curious? Whatever! I have had excellent 171 students in all three of those categories — I'm asking because it helps me shape the course.

For Wednesday, January 9

A) Make polyhedral shapes: use the figures printed on card stock that you got with your book, and the instructions on p. 11 entitled "Preliminary Homework Activity for Section 16.2: Fold them up". This may be the only homework all quarter that you can do while watching TV or chatting about the Huskies game (but don't try to do it at a Huskies game.) You will definitely need the shapes in class on Wednesday.
B) Read Section 16.1. Turn in Learning Exercises 1 – 4 and 6.
NOTE: This is a slight change from the assignment attached to the syllabus (for which the Learning Exercises were 1-5)

Read 16.2

Hand in 1,2,4,5,7,9.

Bonus problem (required only if the previous six bored you):

Today we observed (though we didn't prove it) Euler's Formula: For any polyhedron, the number of faces minus the number of edges plus the number of vertices is 2.

Given that a soccer ball is always made up of pentagons and hexagons, use Euler's formula to determine how many pentagons there must be.

For Wednesday, January 17

Read 16.3

Hand in # 1 - 11

For Friday, January 19


From the Learning Exercises for 16.3, hand in #14 (note that a and b do not have the same answer), 15,18

Read 16.4 and 16.5
Hand in 16.4 # 1 and 5; 16.5 #1 and 4

Read 17.1. As you read, write on an index card (or two if your handwriting is large) a list of the (many!) definitions in the section. You must turn the card in, but you will get it back to use in studying.

Also hand in #2, 4, 5a-c, 9 - 14 and 16

Read 17.2
Hand in 17.2 # 2, 3, 4, 5

PROJECT PREPARATION: For those not doing the Math Fair: Check out Chapter 22 (Transformation Geometry) and the first section of Chapter 26 (the Pythagorean Theorem) You will be working with a group on one or the other of those (possibly with added problems, certanily with added requirements). On Jan 30 you will need to choose which.

For Wednesday, Jsn. 30 Read 17.3
Hand in 17.3 #2 – 6, 8, 9
Review for mini-test 2   (17.5 gives a pretty good list of things to review)
For Friday, February 2: Read 18.1 Turn in #1-8

For Wednesday, Feb. 7 In 18.1, turn in Learning Exercises 10 - 15 Read 18.2 and turn in #2,3,8 and 9 For Friday, Feb. 9: Read pp 89 and 90 Using your Tesselation Tracer, check which of the polygons on it (other than the triangle and the pentagon) can be used to tesselate the plane. If they can, make sure you include enough of a pattern be convincing. If they can't, show why not. Do the activity "Stranger Cover-ups" on p. 90. As above, justify your decisions.

For Wednesday, Feb. 14

1) Finish checking which of the vertices that are numerically possible as part of a semi-regular tesselation can actually be used for one.

2) Read the rest of 19.1 [NOTE -- PREVIOUS TYPO SAID 19.2!!] Do # 3 & 8 . Have fun with #3 but don't get carried away on the decorational aspects – coloring patterns can soak up an inordinate amount of time!

Mini-test #3 will be this Wednesday

For Wednesday, Feb. 21

Read 20.1

Turn in # 2, 4-6, 9, 17, 23, 25, 29

Concerning Mini-test #3: If your score was 35/50 or lower, then you should write out the solution to all problems for which you got 5/10 or ower and hand them in with the original test attached by Friday, Feb. 23.

Concerning the final session of the course: since we now have only two groups doing Transformation Geometry, we no longer need to have the extra class session on March 12 (exam day). The course will finish on Friday, March 9.

NOTE: Attendance is mandatory on both days of the last week. If you miss, there will be Consequences.

For Fri, Feb 23 Read 20.2 and 20.3 Turn in 20.2 # 4 and 20.3 # 4 & 9

For Wednesday, Feb. 27

There is no new assignment for Wednesday. Originally I planned to give one, but after a few days too busy to do so, I decided not to. Instead I want you to work on your projects. Remember, those of you doing presentations next week, that I need to have a pretty detailed lesson plan by Friday -- what you plan to present and how you plan to present it.

There will be assignments due Friday and Wednesday.

Read 23.1

Hand in #9, 10, 12 a-e, 19, 21

Admire #24