As I mentioned briefly in class the first day there are a number of problems that my university students have when dealing with math and graphs. My theory (and great hope) is that if we start teaching students to do the right thing early in their education and we continually force them to do things correctly that these relatively simple actions will become second nature. A guy can dream, can't he!
Units
I am constantly frustrated that students give me answers without any units! I think that much of their failure to use units comes from laziness and carelessness, but some of it might stem from lack of a true understanding of what units mean and why they are important.
The Powerpoint Slideshow linked below attempts to introduce some very basic concepts about properly using units and converting from one unit to another. This presentation is intended to be introductory only. If if is too basic then we will quickly move on, but if we need to spend more time on this topic then we can certainly do that (it will be great to have Brock around to provide the mathematical expertise). As I discussed on the first day, please don't hesitate to provide feedback that will help us to present the most useful information to you as possible.
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/lets-start-with-some-basics
This link from Math.com has some useful info about unit conversion.
http://www.math.com/tables/general/measures.htm
Expected Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to
- choose the appropriate unit for any measurement
- be able to discuss/explain why it is important to use the correct units
- concert from one unit to another
- explain the process of converting units at a level that will be understood by their students
Now it is time for you to become the "unit police"!
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