Alaina Wright
(541)969-9286
Consumer Math
[email protected]
Welcome to Consumer Math! In this course you will begin to learn about many important topics that
are relevant to you as you move into the “real” world. These tools will help you understand financing,
health and fitness, and planning for investments which will hopefully help you make wiser choices.
Some quotes to keep in mind—especially when you get frustrated:
●
The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make
complicated things simple. --S. Gudder
●
The human mind has never invented a labor-saving machine equal to algebra. --Author
Unknown
Course Goals:
●
To be able to apply mathematical skills to real world situations to prepare the class for life
under their own roof. This includes the following areas:
○ Understanding fractions and percents
○ Understanding how to find a job (compare benefits, pay, overtime pay, etc)
○ Understand how to manage your personal finance
○ Understand how to manage your food/diet and health/fitness in relation to math
○ Understand taxes and how they will affect your personal finance
○ Understand the costs of using a car versus other forms of transportation
○ Be able to analyze which housing option will fit your needs
○ Be able to create an investment/retirement plan
Methods of Instruction:
I encourage teamwork and collaboration on everything but tests and quizzes unless otherwise
instructed. My class will mostly be comprised of brief lectures, hands on practice, and real world
application assignments. With only 45 minutes of class time, I need everyone to be focused and use
time wisely.
Course Component Specifics:
Math is not always easy to grasp the first time around. What I ask from you is not to get discouraged.
No bad attitudes allowed!
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him… Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working
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for the Lord, not for human masters”—Colossians 3:17, 23
Participation: To succeed in this math class, participation is key. Participation during lectures will
contribute to your participation grade in this class which comprises 10% of your grade. Refer to tardy
policy.
Homework policy: All homework must be turned in for a unit or chapter prior to retaking a test.
When it comes to homework, you can work in groups but make sure you understand what you are
doing. It will do you no good to have all the right work (which is really your friend’s work) and not
know a bit about how to do it yourself. You cannot use your friend on the test! Remember that! If you
do cheat on a test, I reserve the right to reward an F for the test with no retake.
Late work policy: You will be allowed three grace opportunities where you can turn an assignment in
late for full credit. After this grace period, you will receive no credit for late work, but it will count
towards your ability to retake a test.
Attendance & Make-Up Work:
Please refer to the student handbook for the full attendance policy. Some highlights are here:
●
An absence is defined by being more than 10 minutes late at the beginning of a class period
or by missing more than one half of the total minutes in that class period.
●
Maximum Absence : Barring extreme circumstances, a student absent (whether excused or
not) for any class more than ten times during the semester will either lose credit for that
class or make up every minute missed beyond the 10 absences.
●
Excused Absence: Absences due to personal illness, death or serious illness in the
immediate family, appointments at doctor, dentist, etc. are excused.
●
Tardy Policy: A tardy is defined by being less than 10 minutes late to the beginning of a class.
○ Punctuality is a part of proving responsibility. When students are late to class they
interrupt the instruction that is already occurring. They also miss valuable instruction
time that is often impossible to make up.
○ Students will be allowed three tardies per semester. After the third tardy in a class
the teacher will inform the student and the office. The office will send a note home
to the parents. On succeeding tardies the grade of the student will be lowered for
that quarter. In my class you will lose 1% of your grade for each tardy exceeding three
tardies up to a maximum of losing 10% of your grade. This comes out of your
participation score. In being tardy you are not completing warm-ups or participating
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in checking homework which is a learning experience.
Make up work: If you know you will be absent it is your responsibility to check in with me before the
absence! If it is any other situation, it is your responsibility to check in with me when you return to
my class during an appropriate time (not during instruction). In either case, you are responsible for
gathering notes from a classmate. Make up homework will be due when the next homework
assignment is to be turned in.
Grading system:
Grading Scale:
95-100%
92-94%
88-91%
85-87%
82-84%
78-81%
A
AB+
B
BC+
75-77%
72-74%
68-71%
65-67%
62-64%
0-61%
C
CD+
D
DF
Course Components (weighted scale):
Chapter tests
50%
End of semester scale:
Projects
Homework
Participation
First Quarter
Second Quarter
25%
15%
10%
Final
16%
42%
42%
The best time to meet with me is the half hour before and after school, or during student work times
in class. Please feel free to meet with me and set up appointments if these times will not work for
you and we will figure something out.
Please sign and have your parent sign/date that you agree to the rules and grading outlined above or
contact me if you cannot agree to this.
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Student: ________________________________________________________________________
Parent: _________________________________________________________________________
Teacher: ________________________________________________________________________
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