Math 367: Basic Concepts of Geometry
Spring 2018

Instructor: Sarah Witherspoon
Email: sjw AT math.tamu.edu
Office and hours: M 2-3, T 11-12, W 3:30-4:30, R 11- 12 in Blocker 513B, or by appointment

Course web address: /~sjw/math367-2018.html

Class meetings: TR 9:35-10:50 in Blocker 160
Text: Euclidean Geometry: A Guided Inquiry Approach, David M. Clark, MSRI/AMS 2012, ISBN 978-0-8218-8985-5
In addition, for some of the material, there will be supplementary notes made available.



Course requirements and grades
Course prerequisites: Math 366 or equivalent with a grade of C or better.
There will be three exams, each worth 1/5 of your grade. The homework and in-class assignments combined are worth 2/5 of your final grade. Grades are assigned as follows based on your average:
A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%), F (0-59%).

Course description
3.0 credits. Formal development of geometry: finite, Euclidean, non-Euclidean. Designed primarily for elementary mathematics teacher certification. Others must have consent of instructor.

Learning objectives
This course provides mathematical content needed by preservice elementary and middle school teachers for effective classroom instruction related to geometry and mathematical reasoning. Students participating in this course will learn to understand axiomatic systems, specifically in the context of Euclidean geometry. They will learn to construct mathematical proofs, to explain their reasoning, and to evaluate the mathematical reasoning of others.



Weekly Schedule (tentative)
Week 1 (1/18): Mathematical Language and Reasoning (Notes)
Week 2 (1/23, 1/25): Mathematical Language and Reasoning (Notes)
Week 3 (1/30, 2/1): Math Circle Demonstrations
Week 4 (2/6, 2/8): Functions (Notes)
Week 5 (2/13, 2/15): Exam 1 Thursday 2/15
Week 6 (2/20, 2/22): Congruence and Isometries, The Language of Geometry, Construction Problems (Chapter 1)
Week 7 (2/27, 3/1): Axioms, Theorems, and Proofs (Chapter 2)
Week 8 (3/6, 3/8): Chapter 2, continued
Week 9 (3/20, 3/22): Area Measure (Chapter 3)
Week 10 (3/27, 3/29): Exam 2 Thursday 3/29
Week 11 (4/3, 4/5): Chapter 3, continued
Week 12 (4/10, 4/12): Angle Measure (Chapter 4)
Week 13 (4/17, 4/19): Similar Figures (Chapter 5)
Week 14 (4/24, 4/26): Trigonometric Ratios (Chapter 6)
Week 15 (5/3): Exam 3 Thursday 5/3 (12:30-2:30)



Homework will be assigned regularly. It must be turned in on time. For full credit on the homework, you must show all work and justify your answers. Working together on homework is encouraged, but each of you should write up your own solutions.

In-class assignments will be assigned regularly, for a grade. You must be in class to complete each assignment. These will generally be announced in class in advance, however not knowing about such an assignment in advance does not constitute an adequate excuse for not showing up to complete it.

Calculators are not allowed in class, on the homework, nor on exams.

Attendance Regular attendance is expected. Class participation, in the form of in-class assignments, is a large part of your final grade, and these assignments may not be made up. Please let me know by e-mail, phone, or in person if you must miss two or more class days in a row. Likewise if you must arrive late or leave early; this is disruptive and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Make-up policy Make-ups for missed homework/exams and excused absences from in-class assignments will only be allowed if there is a university approved excuse in writing. Wherever possible, you should inform me prior to missing an exam. Consistent with University Student Rules, students are required to notify an instructor by the end of the second working day after an absence. Otherwise, they forfeit their rights to a make-up.


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ADA Statement The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, currently located in the Disability Services building at the Student Services at White Creek complex on west campus or call 979-845-1637. For additional information, visit http://disability.tamu.edu.

Copyright Statement Please note that all written and web materials for this course are protected by copyright laws. You may xerox (or download) one copy for your own use, but multiple copies or the sale of any of these materials is strictly prohibited.