College of the Holy Cross
Math 110 Environmental Math
Syllabus for Spring 2008

Course
This course is an introduction to several important environmental issues, such as pollution and global warming. We will examine how mathematical models are a natural approach to understanding the quantitative aspects of these issues.
It is part of the Environmental Studies program at Holy Cross and counts as a MATH common requirement. ENVS students can do an extra project to have the course count as an upper-level course.

The course meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 - 12:20 in Stein 132.

Information about the Instructor
Professor: Catherine A. Roberts
Office: Swords 336
Office Phone: (508) 793-2456
Email: croberts@holycross.edu
Course homepage: http://mathcs.holycross.edu/~croberts/110/


Text
Quantitative Reasoning and the Environment: Mathematical Modeling in Context by Greg Langkamp and Joseph Hull
(Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007, ISBN 0-13-148527-X)

When Smoke Ran Like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and the Battle Against Pollution by Devra Lee Davis (Basic Books, 2002) ISBN 0-465-01521-1

A Graphing Calculator (TI-83/84) is strongly recommended. For some projects, you will need a connectivity cable that will connect your computer to your graphing calculator.
If you have to purchase a connectivity cable, make sure it matches both your calculator and your computer. See www.enviromath.com, click on Chapter Projects, then click on the help link next to Chapter 4.

Grading Policy
100 points - test on Essential Numeracy (Chapters 1 - 3)
125 points - test on Function Modeling (Chapters 4 - 6)
175 points - test on Difference Equation Modeling (Chapter 7 - 10)
100 points - paper on D. Davis book
200 points - chapter projects (25 points each)
200 points - problem sets
100 points - activity points

Your final grade will be based on how many points you earn over the course of the semester out of a total possible 1000 points.

Exam Calendar: 40% of your grade is based on exams, which consist of three in-class tests. There is no final exam. The format will be a combination of problem solving and essay questions.

Paper: 10% of your grade is based on a paper you write after reading the assigned book by Devra Davis.

Chapter Projects: 20% of your grade is based upon projects. There are 10 projects, one for each chapter. You may work alone or in teams of two, although your instructor reserves the right to require that you work alone if she believes that this would be in your best interest. Each project is worth 25 points They require a substantial time commitment and you will need to get started well ahead of the due dates. I will expect the projects to improve in sophistication and detail as the semester progresses, which means that the earlier projects will be graded more generously than the later ones. Note that your points will accumulate over the semester, so once you reach the 200 points allocated for projects, you could choose to skip any remaining projects without penalty. I will never accept a Chapter Project late, so if you are sick, just skip that week's project and make sure to do another one to ensure that you can earn your maximum number of points.

Problem Sets: 20% of your grade is based upon problem sets, which are exercises from each chapter. Each homework is worth 25 points, and there are ten assignments. The tests will be based substantially on the homework problem sets. Note that your points will accumulate over the semester, so once you reach the 200 points, you could choose to skip any remaining assignments without penalty. I will never accept a Problem Set late, so if you are sick, just skip that week's project and make sure to do another one to ensure that you can earn your maximum number of points.

Activity Points: 10% of your grade is based on activity points. Throughout the semester, you will be offered opportunities to earn activity points. You may select from this broad list of assignments to accumulate activity points throughout the semester. You may earn up to 100 activity points. Each opportunity has a strict deadline, so plan out your semester so you don't have to do everything in the last couple of weeks (there may not be many options left by then).

Determining your Course Grade: While there may be some scaling of the final course grades, to place yourself in the A-range, you'll want to earn at least 900 points. A point total in the 800's will place you in the B-range, and so forth. Considerations in scaling final grades include things such as attendance, class participation, and if you earned any additional project, homework, or activity points. The actual cut-off values for the different grades will be determined at the end of the semester by your professor. Your professor will make the final determination as to what grade you have earned in this course.

Attendance & Academic Honesty
Attendance is important to me. Please make the effort to come to class. It is your responsibility to make sure that you understand the material that you missed.

Academic integrity is something I value and admire. Because I allow (indeed, encourage!) students to study and work together on problem sets, it is of critical importance that every student clearly understand the difference between collaboration and plagiarism. I support the College policy on academic honesty (see this link) and also the Department of Mathematics and Statistics policy.

I quote from the College policy statement: "Plagiarism is the deliberate act of taking the words, work or statements of someone else, without full and proper acknowledgement, and presenting them as one's own." So, while you are welcome to collaborate and work together on assignments, the work you turn in must represent your own thoughts and be in your own words. This is true for mathematics as much as it is true for any other subject. Please do not allow others to copy your homework answers and do not be tempted to copy answers from others.

I won't hesitate to write-up students who are found to have cheated in my course. More will be said in class about academic honesty. Please communicate with me directly if any aspects of my policies are unclear.