MATH 5030 Spring 2009, assignments of weeks 1 – 4

Week 0:

Friday 1/9: first day of class

Week 1:

Due Monday 1/12: Read all the course information on the “Information about and policies of this section of MATH 5030” webpage. Please get a “geometry set” (compass, ruler, protractor) and bring to class. You might also like your own pair of scissors. Read the introduction to chapter 8 and section 8.1. Do (but don’t hand in) practice problems 1 – 3, 7, 8 of section 8.1 and check the answers.

Due Wednesday 1/14: Do (but don’t hand in) the rest of the practice problems of section 8.1.

Due Friday 1/16: Read section 8.2 to page 399. Do but don’t hand in practice problems 1 – 3 of section 8.2 and check the answers. Hand in: (1) Consider all the cross-sections that can be made by slicing a cube with a plane (see practice problem 8 on page 389 again). Explain why there can’t be a cross-section that has 7 or more sides. (2) Problem 11 a, b on page 395. Remember to type your homework and turn in a 2nd (or later) draft. Please see the “Information ...” page for guidance on what we are looking for.

Week 2:

Monday 1/19: MLK holiday

Due Wednesday 1/21: Read section 8.2 to page 401, do (but don’t hand in) practice problems 4, 5 of that section, and check your answers to the practice problems. Hand in: In class we discussed (a) the parallel postulate (b) proofs in mathematics and (c) the theorem that the angles in a triangle add to 180 degrees. Write a few paragraphs in which you discuss these three topics (typed, as usual; any diagrams, equations, etc. may be hand drawn). Write about any questions you have and anything you want to think through some more. Optionally, you may also seek additional information about your questions (e.g., by searching the Internet or in books) and report on what you found, citing appropriately. Use your writing as a way of deepening your thinking about the three topics. This is a low stakes assignment, which will not be graded for mathematical accuracy, but will be graded for engagement with the material. For full credit, your writing must show that you are grappling with the ideas and striving to make sense of them.

Due Friday 1/23: Read the rest of section 8.2, do practice problems 6 – 11 of section 8.2, and check your answers to the practice problems. Hand in: Problem 7 on page 414, but give two explanations, one that uses the parallel postulate explicitly, as in Class Activity 8J, and one that uses “walking and turning” as in Class Activity 8L (which, it turns out, also does rely on the parallel postulate but you don’t have to explain how).

Week 3:

Due Monday 1/26: QUIZ on section 8.1 visualization: cross-sections of solid shapes, rotation of the earth and phases of the moon, and beginning portion of section 8.2 on angles: basics and angles formed by 2 lines.

Due Wednesday 1/28: Read section 8.3. Do but don’t hand in the 7th grade Singapore problems handed out in class 1/23 (problems 8 a – j, 9 a – d, and 10 a – d). Hand in: Problems 2 and 4 from the angle problems handout (from 1/23).

Due Friday 1/30: Do but don’t hand in the practice problems from section 8.3. Also do but don’t hand in parts 1 – 4 of the handout on circle constructions and be prepared to share part 4 in class.

Week 4:

Due Monday 2/2: Read section 8.4 and do (but don’t hand in) practice problems 1 – 4 of that section. Also do but don’t hand in problem 5 from the handout on circle constructions (from 1/28). Hand in: Problem 6 from that same handout on circle constructions and problems 5 a, b, 8 a, b on pages 434, 435.

Honors credit: the first extra assignment is posted and due on 2/16.

Due Wednesday 2/4: Read section 9.3 and do practice problems 1 – 4 of that section. Study for the test on Friday.

This week’s OFFICE HOURS moved to before class on Wednesday from 11 am to noon as well as after class until 2:15 pm. NO OFFICE HOURS FRIDAY morning since I will be at a conference then.

Friday 2/6: TEST on sections 8.1, 8.2 (including the additional Singapore angle problems and the angle problem handout), 8.3 (and the circle constructions handout), 8.4 (focusing for now only on constructions), and 9.3 (not including practice problems 5, 6).