Math Lit

Description

New and updated features of this title

• Active Examples replace the Worked Examples to retain the active learning approach that many users like about the text. With Active Examples, the full solutions of these examples were removed from the printed text so that students in class can be guided by their instructors, working through rather than passively reading them.  
• Icons denoting group, whole class or individual work along with time estimates have been added to the Explore, Discover, Connect, and Reflect parts of a section, visible only to instructors.
• The amount of practice was evaluated and increased if needed by the addition of problems in the section or the addition of Need More Practice? margin notes. 
• A new Cycle 0 has been added to address the review of prealgebra content for students who may be underprepared, or courses where review of prerequisites is necessary. 
• In the News  replaces Getting Ready from the previous edition to appear after the Mid-Cycle Recap. Instead of including a full article in the text, citations for multiple articles are provided to give instructors options. Questions are included for students to answer.  
• A new focus problem is provided for each section. New focus problems include the package with rubric, writing template, and sample solution for instructors. 

Hallmark features of this title

• Activity-based sections include carefully designed tasks, explorations and instruction, all paced for the developmental learner. Rather than covering topics in the same manner students may have seen them in high school, Almy and Foes use an active-learning approach to help students discover the topics in context.
• A Focus Problem presenting a current real-world issue introduces each cycle. They can be solved in groups and enable students to apply knowledge gained throughout the cycle to a larger, more involved problem that does not have just one correct solution.
• A spiraled approach means topics are not intended to be fully mastered when first encountered; instead, they are revisited throughout the cycles, in more depth or from a different perspective.

For Pathways courses (a one-semester alternative to the traditional two-semester developmental algebra sequence for non-STEM students).

An accelerated pathway through developmental math

Math Lit by Almy and Foes emphasizes contextual problem solving; the authors approach each topic with the questions “how does it work?” and “how can I use it?” Students work through activities and explorations to gain a greater conceptual understanding of the four thematic strands: numeracy, proportional reasoning, algebraic reasoning, and functions. Topics from geometry and statistics are also included.

Changes to the 3 rd Edition include all-important updates to contexts and problems to reflect current events. Added support includes a new Cycle 0 to review prealgebra content and refinements within sections to improve the flow while maintaining the active learning approach.

About our authors

Kathleen Almy has been a professor of mathematics at Rock Valley College for over 10 years and has taught high school- and college-level math for 15 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Southern Illinois University and master’s degree in pure mathematics from Northern Illinois University. Her passion is improving developmental math for all students, including the development of courses and content that is appropriate, relevant and meaningful. As her department’s developmental math coordinator, she organized and led a successful comprehensive redesign of the program. As a result of giving talks about the redesign, she has been consulting with colleges throughout Illinois and across the country to improve their developmental math programs. Since 2009, she has been a member of AMATYC’s Quantway project which is affiliated with the Carnegie Foundation. She was AMATYC’s Developmental Math Committee chair and serves on several state committees on developmental education.

Heather Foes is currently a professor of mathematics at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois and has also taught at Illinois State University, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois. Heather has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics and a master’s degree in mathematics from Illinois State University. She has written solution manuals and other supplemental materials over the last ten years, as well as algorithmic questions for test-generator software and conceptual questions for MyLab Statistics for Pearson.

CYCLE ONE: Where Do We Start?
1.1 The BP Oil Spill: Focus Problem
1.2 Getting Started: Reviewing Prealgebra
1.3 Hello, My Name Is: Graphing Points
1.4 A Tale of Two Numbers: Ratios and Proportions
1.5 Chances Are: Probability Basics
1.6 It’s All Relative: Understanding Integers
1.7 Sign and Size: Integer Operations
1.8 An Ounce of Prevention: Means
1.9 Picture This: Making and Interpreting Graphs
1.10 Two by Two: Scatterplots 79
1.11 Multiply vs. Divide: Converting Units
1.12 Up and Down: Percent Change
1.13 The X Factor: Algebraic Terminology
1.14 General Number: Recognizing Patterns
1.15 Social Network: Linear and Exponential Change
1.16 Infinity and Beyond: Perimeter and Area

CYCLE TWO: How Does That Work?
2.1 Predicting a Child’s Height: Focus Problem
2.2 Rule of Thumb: Weighted Means
2.3 Measure Up: Basic Exponent Rules
2.4 Count Up: Adding Polynomials
2.5 A Winning Formula: Applying Order of Operations
2.6 Does Order Matter: Rewriting Expressions
2.7 Fair Share: Distributive Property
2.8 Seat Yourself: Equivalent Expressions
2.9 Parts of Speech: Using Operations Correctly
2.10 A Fine Balance: Verifying Solutions
2.11 Separate but Equal: Solving Simple Equations
2.12 A State of Equality: More Equation Solving
2.13 Quarter Wing Night: Writing and Solving Equations
2.14 Outwit and Outlast: Using Proportions
2.15 Three of a Kind: Pythagorean Theorem
2.16 What Are the Odds?: Theoretical Probability
2.17 Size Up: Volume and Surface Area

CYCLE THREE: When Is It Worth It?
3.1 Deciding to Run: Focus Problem
3.2 What’s Trending: Correlation
3.3 Constant Change: Slope
3.4 Shortest Path: Distance Formula
3.5 More or Less: Linear Relationships
3.6 Get in Line: Slope-Intercept Form
3.7 Chain, Chain, Chain: Writing Linear Equations
3.8 Going Viral: Exponential Functions
3.9 Untangling the Knot: Solving Nonlinear Equations
3.10 Hot and Cold: Rewriting Formulas
3.11 A Common Goal: Greatest Common Factors
3.12 Thinking Outside the Box: Factoring Quadratic Expressions
3.13 A Formula for Success: The Quadratic Formula
3.14 Systematic Thinking: Graphing and Substitution
3.15 Opposites Attract: Elimination
3.16 The Turning Point: Quadratic Functions

CYCLE FOUR: What Else Can We Do?
4.1 Measuring Temperature Variability: Focus Problem
4.2 A Matter of Change: Dimensional Analysis
4.3 Little Giants: Scientific and Engineering Notation
4.4 A Model Approach: Negative Exponents
4.5 Variation on a Theme: Standard Deviation
4.6 An Order of Magnitude: Understanding Logarithmic Scales
4.7 Straight to the Point: Direct Variation
4.8 Gas Up and Go: Inverse Variation
4.9 Ghost in the Machine: Function Notation
4.10 What’s Your Function? Vertical Line Test, Domain, and Range
4.11 An Important Point: Vertex Form of a Quadratic Function
4.12 A Survey of Trig: Trigonometric Functions

For Pathways courses (a one-semester alternative to the traditional two-semester developmental algebra sequence for non-STEM students). 

Critical thinking in context: an alternate path through algebra 

Math Lit by Almy and Foes prepares non-STEM students to move directly into liberal arts math or introductory statistics, while also preparing STEM students for intermediate algebra. Not all students need the same math skills depending on their ultimate course of study. This alternate pathway replaces the traditional developmental algebra sequence to accelerate non-STEM students and provide them with a deep understanding of just the math skills they will need for their subsequent course. 

Emphasizing contextual problem solving, the authors approach each topic with two questions: how does it work and how can I use it? Students work through activities and explorations to gain a greater conceptual understanding of the four thematic strands: numeracy, proportional reasoning, algebraic reasoning, and functions. Topics from geometry and statistics are also included.

Changes to the 3rd Edition include all-important updates to contexts and problems to reflect current events. Added support includes a new Cycle 0 to review prealgebra content and refinements within sections to improve flow while maintaining the active learning approach.