Syllabus for Basic Arithmetic and Algebra

Course Description:
This is a course is a combination of remedial arithmetic skills and elementary algebra. It includes the
arithmetic of integers, fractions, decimals, and percent. In addition, the course covers topics such as
algebraic representation, operations with polynomials , solving linear equations, solving systems of two
linear equations in two variables, exponents and radicals, factoring, graphing linear equations, and the
Pythagorean theorem. This is an accelerated course for students who have scored relatively high on the
placement examination in pre-algebra.

Pre/Co-Requisites:
Pre-Requisite: ESL 062. Students who score 30 up to 36 on the COMPASS Pre-algebra exam and less
than 38 on the COMPASS algebra exam are eligible to take MAT 012. Students who have not yet
obtained a score of 30 or more on the COMPASS pre-algebra exam will be required to do so before
exiting the course. The COMPASS pre-algebra exam will be scheduled during the 8th week of classes.

Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment:

• Writing, rounding, adding, subtracting , multiplying, and dividing whole numbers.
• Estimating the sum , difference, products and quotients of whole numbers.
• Problems involving exponents, simple averages , and order of operations.
• Prime factorizations of whole numbers.
• Applied problems and word problems.

• Forming, reducing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and comparing fractions .
• Converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions.
• Solving applied problems and word problems.

• Writing, rounding, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and comparing decimals .
• Converting between decimals and fractions .
• Solve applied problems and word problems.

• Writing and simplifying ratios and rates as fractions.
• Finding units rates and best buys.
• Setting up and solving proportion problems.
• Solving applied problems and word problems.
• Converting between decimals, percent and fractions.
• Setting up and solving percent problems, including application problems involving percent.

• Finding the mean median, mode, and range of a given set of numbers.
• Reading and interpreting tables, line graphs, bar graphs and pie charts.
• Solving applied problems and word problems involving basic statistics and bar graphs.

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and comparing signed numbers.
• Determining absolute value.
• Completing word problems involving signed numbers.

• Evaluating algebraic expressions via substitution.
• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and simplifying algebraic expressions.
• Using algebraic expressions to solve applied problems.

• Solving linear and literal equations .
• Defining a linear equation in x and y using given information.
• Solving applied problems using linear equations in one variable.

Week 7: Departmental Midterm Exam: Whole umbers, Fractions, Decimals, Percent, Algebraic
Expressions and Exponents, and Solving Linear Equations/Inequalities

• Graphing the solution set of a linear inequality.
• Ploting points in the x-y plane.
• Graphing linear equations.
• Finding the slope of a line from given information.
• Graphing linear inequalities in 2 variables .

• Solving systems of linear equations in 2 variables using graphical, substitution and elimination
methods.
• Solving applied problems involving systems of equations.

• Multiplying, dividing and simplifying expressions involving exponents.
• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and evaluating polynomials.
• Converting numbers between standard form and scientific notation.
• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers in scientific notation.

• Factoring polynomials using the greatest common factor and grouping.
• Factoring trinomials and difference of squares.
• Solving quadratic equations in one variable by factoring.
• Solving applied problems involving factoring.

• Simplifying, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing rational expressions.
• Simplifying complex fractions.
• Solving rational equations.

• Simplifying, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing radical expressions.
• Rationalizing the denominator of a radical expression.

Week 14: Review for Final Exam; Department Final Exam

Week 15: COMPASS Algebra Exam; Second Try for Department Final Exam