Class Information

Course Title Math 1316: Plane Trigonometry

Instructor Kameryn Williams

Website http://kamerynjw.net/teaching/2022/math1316/

Email kameryn.j.w [ at ] shsu ( period ) edu

Class Hours and Room Tuesday/Thursday

  • (Section 06) 8:00–9:15am, LDB 209

  • (Section 07) 12:30–1:45pm, LDB 402

  • (Section 08) 2:00–3:15pm, LDB 218

Office Hours

  • Tuesday/Thursday 9:30–10:30am

  • Wednesday 2:00–3:00pm

  • Other times, by appointment

Office LDB 413

Graduate Assistant Catalino Quintero

GA Office Hours Wednesday 12:00–1:30pm, LDB 332E

Textbook See below.

Course Description Topics include coordinate systems, circular functions, solutions of triangles, identities, trigonometric equations, and inverse functions.

Prerequisite Passing score on MATH TSI Assessment, or equivalent.

Course Learning Objectives Through this class you should improve on the following skills.

  • Analyze trigonemetric functions and equations.

  • Use trigonemetry to find quantitative information about triangles.

  • Interpret trigonemetric graphs.

  • Apply this knowledge to solve real-world problems.

Grading Policy

The break-down for your grade is as follows:

  • 25% Homework

  • 25% Quizes

  • 25% Midterm

  • 25% Final Exam

Grades will be assigned based upon the standard F to A scale. I do not anticipate this happening, but I reserve the right to later move the intervals downward if I decide a curve is necessary.

  • [90,100] A;

  • [80,90) B;

  • [70,80) C;

  • [60,70) D;

  • [0,60) F.

Textbook Information

The official textbook for this class is Trigonometry, 8th ed., McKeague and Turner. Texas state law requires official textbooks to be chosen well in advance of the semester, and it was chosen by others before I knew I would be teaching this class. This textbook is optional. No homework will be assigned from it, nor will I ever require you to have access to it. Homework will be done through the free online system MyOpenMath. And if you want a textbook to reference, I suggest the free online OpenStax book Algebra and Trigonemetry, rather than pay money for the official textbook.

In sum, the cost of required books, materials, etc. for this class is $0. I suggest you look into what your books for other classes cost and, if it would save you money overall, opt out of the bookstore’s Bearkat Bundle program. This program charges you a flat fee based on your total credits taken each semester to provide you with required textbooks, etc. If you have other classes which, like this one, cost significantly less than the Bearkat Bundle credit fee (approx. $27 per credit), you could save money by opting out of the program and buying your books yourself.

Class Structure

The semester is organized into seven two-week modules. Each class period will be split into two parts. The first part will be lecture, and the second part will be used for an in-class activity. For most days, this will be some variety of in-class group work, except for the final day of the module, where it will be used for the quiz for the module.

Attendance Policy

No portion of your grade is directly based on attendance. That said, I strongly advise you to attend every class. Like most math classes, the material in this class builds upon itself, so that if you fall behind early it is very difficult to get back on track.

Additionally, quizes and exams will be held in-class.

Homework Policy

Homework will be assigned through the online MyOpenMath system, a free and open source system for math homework. There will be three homework assignments per module, each due the night before the next class meeting. (Except for module 0, which is one day shorter because the semester starts on a Wednesday.)

I will send you access info for the MyOpenMath site via the class discord and on blackboard.

Quiz Policy

Each module will conclude with a quiz, to give you a chance to assess your mastery of the module’s material.

For each quiz, you are allowed up to two retakes, and I will use your highest grade among them as your grade for the quiz. You can schedule retakes either during office hours or during the quiz time for a later module.

Exam Policy

There is one in-class midterm and one in-class final exam.

The schedule for the exams is:

  • Thursday, March 10th: Midterm

  • Final Exam date/time varies by section:

    • Section 06 (8:00): Tuesday, May 10, 8:00–10:00

    • Section 07 (12:30): Monday, May 9, 3:00–5:00

    • Section 08 (2:00): Friday, May 6, 12:45–2:45

Communication Policy and Office Hours

Announcements will be posted to the public course website and class discord. I will use blackboard only to provide links to the class discord and homework site, and to show you your final grades at the end of the semester.

There is a discord server for this course, which is a place to contact me, ask questions, and discuss course material with your classmates. You can also email me, but that is less likely to be seen as quickly. If you do email me, please mention the class number (Math 1316) in the subject of the message.

Office hours are held three times a week, to give you an opportunity to ask questions and receive help in-person outside of class time. If you prefer to meet virtually via zoom, or to meet at a different time, please contact me to arrange that.

Covid Policy

Per the governor’s orders, the university is not allowed to require you to vaccinate nor institute a mask mandate. That aside, I encourage you to get vaccinated, if you have not yet already done so. You can get vaccinated through the Student Health Center, who also offer covid testing. Both vaccines and testing through the SHC are free of cost.

The CDC recommends indoor masking in areas with significant or high transmission rates.

If you have a positive covid test, or have strong reason to think you may have covid pending a test, you should self-isolate. Contact me so I know you will miss class and we can work out how you can continue to follow class progress during your quarantine.

Academic Honesty

Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty are not tolerated.

Accessibility

Students with disabilities are legally entitled to reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to education. Any student who feels they may need accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Students with Disabilities office. I am committed to providing students with equal access to this class, and am happy to work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations. Because the accommodations offered are usually forward-looking modifications rather than mitigating poor grades you may have already received due to your disability, it is important to get in touch with the office as soon as you can. Further information and contact details can be found on their website.

The ADA defines a disability as a medical condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities—including things like walking sleeping, taking care of yourself, learning, and regulating your emotions—or major bodily functions. If you have a medical condition—including mental health conditions—that significantly interferes with your schoolwork, you probably qualify. You do not need to disclose your condition to your instructors to receive accommodations.

Other Campus Resources

Additional Information

Further information about campus-wide policies for all classes, can be found at this site.