Department of Mathematical Sciences,
Northern Illinois University

MATH 229 Fall 2007

| Catalogue description | Prerequisite | Course Objectives | Syllabus | Withdrawal | Grading | Sections and instructors | Q & A sessions | Sample Exams | Thanksgiving Break | Final Exam | Calculators | Text | Handouts | Special Handouts | Resources on the web | Academic Conduct | CAAR Statement | Some advice |

CALCULUS I (4 semester hours)

PREREQUISITE: Math 155 or Satisfactory performance on the Placement Exam

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

SYLLABUS: The course will cover most of Chapters 1-5 of the text.

WITHDRAWAL: The last day for undergraduates to withdraw from a full-session course is Friday, October 19.

GRADING: Grades will be assigned on the basis of 650 points, as follows:

3 hour exams worth 100 points each
Quizzes and/or homework, 150 points total
Final exam, 200 points
Your instructor will provide more specific information about grading policies in your section.

SECTIONS AND INSTRUCTORS:

Q & A SESSIONS: Any question-and-answer or review sessions before the hour exams will be handled by your own instructor. A review session for the final exam, open to all 229 students, is planned for the end of the semester.

SAMPLE EXAMS: Typical Math 229 exams involve non-routine calculations. You may wish to look at some first exams from previous semesters to see the level of analysis we expect students to be able to carry out.
NOTE: If you are looking for the sample exam, it is in PDF format, so you will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader which is a free and useful download. Click on the above link to get the latest version of the Acrobat Reader.
Exam 1 (Fall 1999)
Exam 2 (Fall 1999)
Exam 3 (Fall 1999)
Final Exam Please note that different instructors assign different exams, so that a certain raw score on one test might be comparable to a very different score on another.
Caution: These exams are from a different semester. The subject matter was comparable, but the text, the audience, the instructor, and the testing environment may have been different from what you will face. The testing points in the syllabus also vary from semester to semester. Please remember in addition that tests cannot be comprehensive; therefore, there are topics not on this test for which the students were - and you will be - responsible for studying in prepartion for the your own test.

THANKSGIVING BREAK: Thanksgiving Break is from Wednesday, November 21 through Sunday November 25. All classes are cancelled on Wednesday. Note that the third exam is scheduled for Thanksgiving Week, so do not make plans to leave town early.

FINAL EXAM: The Final Exam is scheduled for 8:00 - 9:50 a.m., Friday, December 14, 2007. The final exam will be a comprehensive, departmental examination. All sections of this course will take the same final exam at the same time. Please note that the exam will likely NOT be in your regular classroom. Room assignments from the university are usually made one to two weeks before the final exam week. We will post them as soon as they are available. >

Previous final exams (in Acrobat Reader format):
   Sample final, Fall 05
   Sample final, Fall 03 (1 page)
   Sample final, Spring 99
   Two page Sample final
   Sample final, Fall 2000

Note: The course changes and the exams change. Our goal is to help you learn the material in Calculus, not specifically to prepare you for the final exam. We may choose to assess your command of these ideas rather differently this semester, should the opportunity arise.

CALCULATORS: Students are asked to have a graphing calculator with roughly the capabilities of the TI-83. You will find this useful for investigating the concepts of the class, so you can experiment with additional examples. You may also want to verify parts of your homework calculations.

However, the purpose of this course is to teach you ideas, not button-pushing, and in particular, we need our exams to test your mastery of the concepts, not Texas Instruments Corporation's. Hence, graphing calculators will not be allowed on the departmental final exam. Your instructor may further regulate the use of calculators on the hour exams.

TEXT: University Calculus (alt. ed.), by Hass, Weir, and Thomas (publ. by Pearson Addison-Wesley)
This is not the same book currently in use for Calculus II and III.

Some additional references:
    Stuart, Calculus.
    Thomas and Finney, Calculus and Analytic Geometry.
    Edwards and Penney, Calculus and Analytic Geometry.
    Swokowski, Calculus with Analytic Geometry.
    Leithold, The Calculus with Analytic Geometry.

STUDENT HANDOUTS: Please note that any information provided by your instructor supersedes these data.

Syllabus
Homework
Student Information Sheet

SPECIAL HANDOUTS Fall 2007:

Differentiation Problems
Solutions to Differentiation Problems
Easy Anti-Differentiation Problems
Integration Problems
Solutions to Integration Problems
Summation and Limit Problems
Solutions to Summation and Limit Problems

RESOURCES ON THE WEB:

Understanding Mathematics: a study guide, from the University of Utah
How to Ace Calculus: the Streetwise Guide, from UC Davis
COW: Calculus on the Web, from Temple University -- problems with hints and answers available on-line.
Calculus resource list from the Math Archives, from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Calculus resource list from the Math Forum, from Swarthmore College
"Symbolic calculators" on-line which will compute derivatives and integrals. (Here's an alternative site for integrals)

ACADEMIC CONDUCT: Academic honesty and mutual respect (student with student and instructor with student) are expected in this course. Mutual respect means being on time for class and not leaving early, being prepared to give full attention to class work, not reading newspapers or other material in class, not using cell phones or pagers during class time, and not looking at another student's work during exams. Academic misconduct, as defined by the Student Judicial Code, will not be treated lightly.

CAAR STATEMENT: If you have specific physical, psychiatirc, or learning disabilities and require accomodations, please let your instructor know early in the semester so thatyour learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the CAAR (Center for Access Ability Resources) Office located in the Health Services Building, 4th floor.

ADVICE: Perhaps the single most important factor in your success in this course is your study habits . Think of learning math as "working out" in the gym. Study at least 3 times per week; do not wait until the day before the exam. Learn mathematics like you would learn a language. Work on the concepts until they make sense. Don't just memorize facts and then forget them a few weeks later. You will need to know this stuff for Calc III and other courses. Master each homework problem - beyond just getting a correct answer. Be on the lookout for mistakes in algebra and trig. Always come to class! While you're there, listen, think, and ask questions.

Last update: Aug 22, 2007