MAT 515: Geometry for Teachers
Stony Brook,  Fall 2014

Text: Kiselev's Geometry, Book I. Planimetry, Adapted from Russian by A. Givental.

Image text

About this course: This is a course covering the basics of planar Euclidean geometry, intended for future and practicing teachers. This is not a course in how to teach geometry; rather, it is to help you understand the subject and issues in the subject well enough that you can teach the course.

Reading: There is a lot of material in the text that can not be covered in class, and reading the relevant sections (as well as other treatments of the material) will greatly increase your comprehension, and enable you to ask intelligent questions in class. If you are having trouble reading the text, please discuss this with me! Being able to read a mathematics book is an absolutely necessary skill for a teacher.

Classwork: While I will not take attendance or require you to make it to every class, much of the value of the class will be in what we do in class. If class participation didn't add value, then we could all save a lot of time!

Examinations and grading: There will be two midterm exams, weekly homeworks, and a final exam. Mathematics is not a spectator sport; you must work problems in order to fully understand1the material. Don't fool yourself into thinking you understand just because it makes sense when you see the problems done by someone else.

What When % of Final Grade
Exam 1 early October in class 25%
Exam 2 mid November in class 25%
Final Exam Thursday, December 11 8:30-11pm 25%
Homeworks, Participation, etc. 25%

Make sure that you can attend the exams at the scheduled times; make-ups will not be given. If one midterm exam is missed because of a serious (documented) illness or emergency, the semester grade will be determined based on the balance of the work in the course.

Webpage: http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~scott/mat515.fall14/

Homework and Schedule: The list of homework assignments and the most current schedule of topics can be found on the class web page. It will change, so check it regularly.

Homeworks will be due in class on the thursday following the week they are assigned. There will be a mix of problems you should prepare for class discussion and those you should write up carefully to be handed in.

Instructor: Prof. S. Sutherland     / Math 5-112 / 632-7306 / scott at math.sunysb.edu
Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 4-5:30 in Math 5-112, still TBA in Math P-143, and by appointment. (I may have to change the monday hours). Note that I can often be found around the department most days. Send me an email or phone first if you want to be sure I'm around, or just come by and take your chances. I'm around a lot, though sometimes you'll have to wait a bit.

Disabilities: If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services at http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/dss/ or (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go to the following website:http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities.shtml.

Academic Integrity: Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong, whether this is another student's work or taken uncredited from websites or solution manuals. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/.

Critical Incident Management: Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn.



Footnotes

... understand1
``One learns by doing a thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try.'' (Sophocles)
Scott Sutherland
2014-08-29