MAT135H1: Calculus 1

University of Toronto Fall 2020

The calculus was the first achievement of modern mathematics and it is difficult to
overestimate its importance. I think it defines more unequivocally than anything else the
inception of modern mathematics. – John von Neumann
In the 17th century, two mathematicians – German Gottfried Leibniz and Englishman Isaac New-
ton – simultaneously discovered an intimate connection between two seemingly unrelated problems:
measuring changing quantities and finding areas of curved shapes. This discovery formed the basis of
calculus, a subject which stands as one of the most important fields of mathematics today.

Calculus has earned its reputation because it provides us with tools that can be applied to solve
problems in every branch of science that would be impossible to answer without it. For example,
calculus allows us to easily find the greatest possible profit or land size under given conditions, to

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accurately model how a population grows or a disease spreads, and to compute quantities like work
and centre of mass with ease. Calculus is not only important for its applications: it is significant
because it allows us to come to grips with the infinite.
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In this class, we will study differential calculus, the branch of calculus that is motivated by the problem
of measuring how quantities change. We will focus on understanding why the tools of calculus make
sense and how to apply them to the social, biological, and physical sciences.

Contents
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General Course Information 2

What you will learn in MAT135H1 3

Is MAT135H1 the right calculus course for you? 4

Course Activities 5

Assessment 8

Text & Technology 12

Course Community 14

How to Succeed in MAT135 17

Additional Questions & Answers 20

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General Course Information
As long as you’re alive, you can always have a new start. I’m not really different from
anyone else except for my willingness to keep trying. – Carla Cotwright-Williams

First, we want to acknowledge that this is a very difficult time for students and that nothing about
this semester is normal. As course coordinators, we (Prof. Galvão-Sousa and Prof. Mayes-Tang)
have had to completely redesign MAT135 to adapt to the online environment. As instructors and
TAs, we (the teaching team) are building new ways of teaching online and connecting with students.
As the entire MAT135 community, we (students and the teaching team) are learning, teaching, and
connecting online while going through an unprecedented time of global crisis.

The teaching team will aim to provide leadership, a regular rhythm to the course, and some normalcy
this semester because we believe that this creates a healthy learning environment. The fact that we
are online this semester makes reading the policies in this syllabus all the more important. It is long
because we include a lot of learning tips and spell out university ‘lingo’ that might be unfamiliar to

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you. Please read it early and often throughout this semester.
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Key Dates

Last day to add or make section changes September 23

Thanksgiving (no classes) October 12
Last day to cancel courses without academic penalty or
November 9
change credit / no credit option
Fall Reading Week (No classes) November 9–13
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Last Day of Classes December 9

The ACT Due Dates are listed later the syllabus. Other important dates, such as quiz dates, will be
posted on the course website and announced during the course.

Website and Email

The course website is located on Quercus, at q.utoronto.ca. It will contain information and course
resources, including office hours, tutorial information, homework, assessments, test review packages,
and important announcements.1 You are responsible for checking it daily. We will also send
important announcements via Quercus, and recommend that you update your notification settings so
that all announcements are emailed to you.

The University has a policy requiring that students have a UofT email address and that you check it
regularly. Instructors and TAs will only respond to emails sent from your official UofT email address,
so be sure to use it when communicating with them.
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Quercus is the UofT name for Canvas; if you need help with a topic related to Quercus, you should do a search for
Canvas.

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Your Schedule

There is only one synchronous lecture per section per week. They will be approximately the same
across all lecture sections, but you need to attend your own section so that: (1) the class fits within
the limits of our technology; (2) you can meet your breakout groups; and (3) any credit you earn
from TeamUp! ‘counts’. The following chart shows the synchronous lecture time of each section of
MAT135.

section 101 201 301 401 501 601 701

lecture time W9-10 T11-12 T1-2 T3-4 W1-2 W3-4 T8-9

We expect that the other two hours of lecture time will remain open in your schedule for MAT135
activities such as writing quizzes and attending office hours through to the end of the semester.

In addition, you will have 1 hour of tutorial on Thursday or Friday. The tutorial will take place

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synchronously. You are expected to attend it.
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What you will learn in MAT135H1
There is a difference between not knowing and not knowing yet. – Sheila Tobias

Overall Learning Goals

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By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• understand, use, and translate between multiple representations of functions, limits, and deriva-
tives

• solve complex and novel problems using tools from calculus

• build a mental framework of calculus that serves as a foundation for future learning

• see yourself as a confident and capable user and communicator of mathematics

• possess skills and habits for effectively learning math

More specific Learning Objectives are included on each homework set and tutorial assignment.

Essential Questions

In this course we will address the following questions.

• Why should we represent a single relationship in different ways?

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 • What is infinity? What is an infinitesimal?
• How do we model the real-world with mathematics?
• What is speed, and how do you measure it? What are rates, and how do you measure them?
• How can you solve novel problems that are unlike any you’ve encountered before?
• What do good readers and writers of math do?

Course Topics

We will work through the following topics in MAT135, corresponding to the textbook sections below.

1. Modelling with Functions: How do we use mathematics to describe related quantities? §1.1–1.6
2. Limits: How do we work with the infinitely small and the infinitely large? §2.1; §1.7–1.9

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3. The Derivative: In what different ways can rates of change be represented? How are rates of
change described and used? §2.2–2.6
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4. Computing Derivatives: How are derivatives efficiently computed? §3.1–3.7
5. Using the Derivative: How can we use the derivative to solve complex problems from the sciences?
§3.9; §4.1–4.4; §4.6–4.7
6. The Area Problem: How is the rate of change problem related to the area problem? §5.1–5.3
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Is MAT135H1 the right calculus course for you?

Math is a human activity that every sort of people, at one time or another in history,
has engaged in. – Fern Hunt

Are you prepared for MAT135H1?

Research has shown that students who come into a calculus course with strong knowledge of algebra
and functions perform far better than students who have weaker skills. Further, students who work to
improve their pre-calculus and mathematics study skills attain greater mastery of calculus.2 Recent
research shows that “success in calculus... comes from having a strong foundation.”3 Algebra and
functions are two important tools that you will use every day in calculus, and being able to work with
them accurately and efficiently will make it much easier to tackle calculus.

The prerequisite for MAT135H1 is high school level Calculus. This prerequisite is intended to ensure
that you have a strong knowledge of algebra and functions prior to the course. You do not need to
know calculus topics (such as limits, derivatives, and integrals) prior to the course. To determine if
you are ready to take MAT135, it is important for you to review algebra and functions.
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For example, see Algebra and Precalculus Skills and Performance in First-Semester Calculus by Agustin and Agustin
and Teaching Calculus Students How to Study by Boelkins and Pfaff.
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https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/07/masters-of-calculus-come-prepared-harvard-study-shows/

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Alternative Calculus Courses

MAT135H1 is the first in the sequence of calculus courses for students intending to major in science,
and is the prerequisite for MAT136H1. Other calculus courses offered by the Faculty of Arts & Sciences
include MAT133Y1, MAT137Y1, and MAT157Y1.

To determine it another calculus course might be the right fit for you, see our Guide to Calculus
Courses at UofT.

Course Activities
You have to spend some energy and effort to see the beauty of math. – Maryam Mirza-
khani

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The following diagram shows the activities each week of the semester. Most weeks you will study 3
sections from the text; the following week you will move on to the next 3 sections of the text.
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Synchronous versus asynchronous components

When we say that a course component is synchronous we mean that it is at a specific time and place
(that place may be virtual!). For the synchronous components of this course – 50 minutes of class
per week and 50 minutes of tutorial per week – you will need to be present at a specific time and at
the assigned place. All of the synchronous lectures are virtual, so the place will be a Zoom meeting
room. If you registered for an in-person tutorial your tutorial place will be a classroom on-campus; if
you registered for a virtual tutorial your tutorial place will be a Zoom meeting room. When we say
that a course component is asynchronous we mean that you can engage in it at any time during the
specified window. Just because something is asynchronous does not mean that you can do it whenever
you would like during the term; there will still be deadlines for each component! For example, see the
explanation of the quiz windows below.

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Learn

Your initial learning will occur asynchronously.

First, you will watch an introductory video that previews what you will be studying. It will focus on
connecting the ideas in the previous week to ideas in the upcoming week.

The first part of your homework each week is to actively read your textbook. Two types of videos
will supplement the reading: videos embedded in your online textbook explaining the reading and
videos produced by the MAT135 teaching team connecting the reading to applications and the UofT
context. We use videos to supplement your reading rather than as your primary source of learning
because learning to learn through reading is an important goal of this course.

The second part of your homework is to complete problems. You cannot learn math without doing
math! You will enter your answers to each problem online on the WileyPlus platform which gives you
instant feedback on your answer and solutions to the problems. You will have several attempts at

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each question.

Class
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Because of the current pandemic, lectures will be fully online. You will attend one hour of online
lecture each week of the course. Each lecture is taught by a course instructor.

The lectures of this course will support your learning of calculus in a number of ways. During lectures,
we will motivate new material, clarify difficult concepts, and give you the opportunity to meet with
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fellow students. You should come prepared to not only hear about math during lectures, but to think
and engage with math. While your instructor will use some of the lecture time to explain the material,
you will also be expected to actively engage in learning by working on problems, discussing ideas with
your fellow students, and sharing your thinking with the class.

The more you prepare for and engage in class, the more you will get out of it. The following are basic
guidelines for ensuring that you and your classmates get the most out of class.

• During whole class discussion, keep your computer on mute. While it might seem that no one
will notice your background noise, it is a significant distraction for the entire class, and will make
it impossible for others to listen.

• Please be on time to class. Coming in late means that you may miss important information and
since we will be using breakout rooms for group discussion, you might not be able to join your
group.

• Often, you will enter breakout rooms to talk about ideas with your classmates in smaller groups
of 3 to 8 students. During the breakout rooms you should turn on your microphone on so you
can talk to your group mates. If possible, you should also turn on your video.

• Bring pencils, paper, the textbook, and a scientific calculator to every class. Treat a lecture as
if you’re attending it in person.

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 • During class, do not engage in other activities. Do not keep private chat rooms, do not text, etc.
While it may seem harmless to check your email, facebook or a game update, you are sabotaging
your own and your teammates’ learning.

• At a minimum you should complete all of the reading for the week and have completed some of
the problems for each section prior to class

Depending on your section, you will attend a synchronous hour of class each week on Tuesday or
Wednesday. During this class section the class an instructor will guide activities that will challenge
you to confront common misconceptions about the material and make connections. You will not be
sitting watching a video. Your contributions will help form the class. For example, you may contribute
sketches that end up on a virtual whiteboard, vote on what your instructor discusses, or contribute to
a board of idea generation. In order to contribute to the class and to get the most out of it yourself
you need to be prepared for the class.

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Explore

• Discussions: One of the best ways to firm up understanding of mathematics is to discuss it

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with others. There will be guided discussions connected with your tutorials centred around
communication and applications. We also recommend that you connect with other students in
the course (e.g. through your tutorials, through class breakout groups) and talk about math
with them.

• More Resources: We will post additional videos and resources for you to explore the content in
each section further, whether you need to see the material from another perspective to understand
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the ideas or you simply want to explore the ideas more.

• Extra Problems: The problems that we assign for homework on WileyPlus will be enough
to expose you to the specific subject learning goals. If you struggled with the problems we
recommend that you complete more of them. The best feature of our text is that it includes lots
of practice problems.

• Applied Communication Tasks: These projects are one of the signature features of MAT135/136.
They will give you the opportunity to see authentic applications of mathematics and to build
your quantitative communication skills.

Tutorial

Your synchronous tutorial is scheduled for either Thursday or Friday, and will be led by your own
Teaching Assistant (TA stands for “Teaching Assistant”: a TA is an upper-year undergraduate or
graduate student member of the teaching team who teaches tutorials, grades your work, holds Question
& Answer workshops outside of class time, and does other important tasks to move the course forward).

The tutorials will be focused on building your ability to communicate quantitative information, one of
the key outcomes of an undergraduate education. There will be three groups of three tutorials; each
group will focus on 1 communication skill: writing, reading, and speaking.

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Each tutorial is 50 minutes, starting at 10 minutes past the hour and ending on the hour. Tutorials
will begin on Thursday, September 24. Be aware that tutorials take priority over other tests, so
you should not skip your tutorial to attend a test in another course. If you need to miss a tutorial
due to illness or another emergency, you do not need to notify your Teaching Assistant.

Quiz

There will be one quiz per week. It will be open for a window of approximately 24 hours on Monday and
Tuesday each week. This window will include scheduled class time (where there isn’t a synchronous
class held), so you should have time in your schedule available for you to write the quiz.

Assessment

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While grades are (one) measure of progress, they are not a measure of promise. –
Francis Su
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Grading

3% 15% 5% 20% 57%

Start Here Tutorials 12 Quizzes

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Homework Applied Comm. Tasks

For information about how the percentage grade translates into letter grades and grade point values,
see the Faculty of Arts and Sciences grading scale.

Start Here Module

During the first week of class you will have a number of exercises to complete to ensure that you
can use the tools for the class and that you have read this syllabus. A checklist of what you need to
complete will be posted on the course website.

Homework (on WileyPlus)

In order to learn math, you must do math. Each week you will have homework on WileyPlus to
complete after you have done the reading. It will provide you with instant feedback on how well you
have met pre-class learning goals. Here is some information about using the system:

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 • You will have 10 attempts for each problem.

• The homework set will be due at the end of each week (on Sunday at noon).

• To account for sickness, late course additions, technical problems, or other circumstances that
may prevent you from completing the homework, 10% will be added to your homework grade at
the end of the term to all students who complete the Chapters 1 through 4 Adaptive Practice
on WileyPlus, to a maximum of 100%.

• To account for sickness, late course additions, technical problems, or other circumstances that
may prevent you from completing the homework, 10% will be added to your homework grade at
the end of the term to all students who complete the Adaptive Practice on WileyPlus.

Applied Communication Tasks

Applied Communication Tasks will give you the opportunity to develop and demonstrate that you

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have achieved course learning objectives related to communication and application of calculus. They
will help you to develop skill sets that you can use to apply your knowledge of calculus in other
situations, and learn additional quantitative material on your own.
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There will be three Applied Communication Tasks introduced in tutorials throughout the term. You
will work on them both in tutorials and at home. Your grade in this component of the course will be
calculated according to the number of learning objectives that you demonstrate through the completion
of the tasks throughout the term.

The ACT due dates and times are as follows; we recommend that you upload your assignment in
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advance of the due time as the systems will become overloaded if all students attempt to upload at
the same time.

ACT A Draft October 8 at noon

ACT A Final October 15 at noon
ACT B Draft November 5 at noon
ACT B Final November 12 at noon
ACT C Draft December 3 at noon
ACT C Final December 10 at noon

Tutorial Contributions

Your attendance and participation in tutorials not only impacts your own learning: it also contributes
to your classmates’ learning and the overall atmosphere of your tutorial. This portion of your grade
will be dedicated to the contributions that you make to your tutorial.

Quizzes

At the beginning of each week, you will write a cumulative 50-minute quiz. The weight of each quiz
is represented below.

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 2% 3% 4% 4% 4% 5% 5% 5% 5% 6% 7% 7%

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10 Q11 Q12

Reflection Quiz Multiple Choice Quiz Written Quiz

The quizzes will change in content from week to week, and will range from computational problems,
conceptual problems, or reflection questions. While MAT135 is focused primarily on solving problems
and understanding ideas it is also important that you develop computational fluency.

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• Written Quizzes: The Written Quizzes will focus on problem solving. Your solutions to these
problems will be graded for both correctness and clarity. For many problems, it will not be
enough to simply produce a correct final answer: you will need to show how you arrived at your
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answer by providing a complete solution. Likewise, you may still receive partial marks even if
you do not arrive at a correct final answer but demonstrate an understanding of the key ideas
or progress towards the correct answer. Not all questions will be of equal difficulty or be worth
the same number of points.
• Multiple Choice Quizzes: Multiple Choice Quizzes will focus on calculus concepts. On these
quizzes, only your selected final answer will count. Your answers do not require an explanation.
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• Reflection Quizzes: The Reflection Quizzes will include questions that require you to summa-
rize your learning and write about it. They may ask about overall key concepts, a collection of
problems that you solved, an activity that you worked on in tutorial or during a class, or some
other learning experience that you had. Your answer will be communicated in paragraph-form,
by writing one to three complete paragraphs for your grader.

The questions on each quiz will be based on the Learning Goals and Objectives given on each homework
set. In this course, you will be assessed based on your mastery of these learning objectives, not against
other students in the class. Therefore your grades will not be ‘curved’ up or down: as instructors, we
would be delighted if the average was “high” and a large portion of our students displayed mastery
of the content! Since we are measuring your performance against these set criteria, we will not be
releasing average grades or other information about how the class as a whole performs. According to
Dr. Jay Parkes, an renowned expert in college assessment “releasing class-level performance data is not
only irrelevant but it draws students’ focus away from their individual mastery of learning objectives
to how their mastery compares to others.”

In-Class Responses (TeamUp!)

Peer Instruction is one of the activities that we will be doing during synchronous lectures. You will
be presented with a conceptual problem – often one that is known to be an area of common confusion

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or misunderstanding – and asked to vote on your answer to the question individually. After voting,
the class will either discuss (if a clear majority of students gets the correct answer) or will take a few
minutes to discuss the answer with a small group of students until you arrive at a consensus.

Research has demonstrated that this technique increases students’ conceptual understanding in calcu-
lus, supports better retention of knowledge, increases course satisfaction, makes students more likely
to complete a course, and increases student engagement.

Your participation and responses to questions will be recorded using the classroom response system
TeamUp!. Some weeks (subject to the format of the class and technology working as expected!), your
TeamUp! grade may provide a bonus on your homework grade. You must attend the section you are
enrolled in for your participation and responses to count.

Academic Integrity

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Academic integrity is fundamental to learning and scholarship at the University of Toronto and be-
yond. Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in this academic community ensures
that the UofT degree that you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic
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achievement, and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves. Violating standards
of academic integrity will prevent you from learning material, refining your problem-solving skills, and
developing self-sufficiency and self-esteem.

The MAT135 instructors and TAs are strongly committed to assigning grades based on our students’
honest efforts to demonstrate learning in this course. Academic dishonesty in any form will thus not
be tolerated in this course.
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Students are expected to know what constitutes academic integrity: familiarize yourself with the
information available at (http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/osai/students). It is the rule book for
academic behaviour at the UofT. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:

• Having another student write a homework assignment, quiz, or impersonating someone else in
writing one of these assessments

• Posting course materials (including quizzes, announcements, homework, etc) online

• Submitting questions to homework assignments, quizzes, or applied communication tasks online,

or obtaining answers online

• Allowing someone else to complete your WileyPlus homework problems, or completing it for
someone else

• Falsifying Applied Communication Task records or taking unattributed text from somewhere
else

• Communicating with another person during a quiz

• Talking to others about the content of a quiz before it has finished for all sections, including
posting the content online

• Submitting fraudulent medical notes

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 • Misrepresenting reasons for being late or absent for a quiz

• Submitting an altered quiz or assignment for re-grading

• Violating quiz procedures

The following actions are not offences in this class.

• Checking your notes or textbook during a quiz

• Discussing questions from homework with classmates, building off of each others’ ideas

• Using online resources to help you understand the content of the course or homework problems

You may be required to submit a course assignment to Turnitin.com for a review of textual similarity
and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their assignments to be included

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as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used solely for the
purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University’s use of the Turnitin.com
service are described on the Turnitin.com web site.
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In accordance with the University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, we will actively in-
vestigate any suspected cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation or other dishonest practices. The
consequences for academic misconduct can be severe, including a failure in the course, a notation on
your transcript, suspension, and expulsion.

If you have any questions about what is or is not permitted in this course, please do not hesitate
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to contact your instructor or TA. Students are usually reluctant to report incidents of academic
dishonesty. As we are working together to preserve the fairness of this course, we encourage you to let
us know (anonymously, if necessary) if you observe behaviour that you feel might be unethical. Your
name will be held in confidence.

Grading Platform

We will be using the platform Gradescope for grading in MAT135. Using this platform helps increase
fairness and efficiency. When an assignment has been graded you can view your original assignment
and the grader’s comments and grades on the Gradescope platform. All grading is done by TAs and
instructors in MAT135; it is not outsourced.

Text & Technology

Textbook

The textbook for the course is Calculus, 7th ed. by Hughes-Hallett et al. It will come packaged
with the Homework system that we are using for the course called WileyPlus. WileyPlus, along with
the textbook, will be available from the bookstore. Do not purchase the textbook or a WileyPlus

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subscription from another source; you need to make sure that they link properly with the course and
we have negotiated special prices with the publisher for MAT135 students.

The ISBN information for the textbook is on the course website; there are both 1- and 2-semester
options available.

Technical Requirements

First, you should see this page from the Office of the Vice Provost, Students for general information
about the technical requirements for online learning and links to: financial aid, information for stu-
dents abroad, and accessibility services contacts. Below is information specific to MAT135/136, with
technical information above and beyond what is given in the minimal technical requirements there.

Speakers, Microphone, and Headphones

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We will have synchronous (live) online classes and tutorials using Zoom. You will need to have a
PC that has working microphone and speakers. The speakers will be used throughout class; the
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microphone will be used during breakout activities in lecture and throughout your tutorial. Many
students find that using headphones with an attached microphone cuts out background noise and
enables them to participate in live classes better.

Video Camera
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A video camera is not required for participation in MAT135 because we recognize that access to
external webcams is extremely limited right now due to increased demand! If possible, however, we
do recommend that you have a PC with a video camera because it can heighten your participation in
MAT135 breakout groups and during office hours (note: office hours are opportunities to ask questions
of the Teaching Team outside of tutorials and lecture times).

Scanner or Camera

You will be required to upload your work on written quizzes to GradeScope, an online grading platform,
by taking pictures of your work. Most students use the cameras on their phones instead of a scanner.
The phone picture is usually clear enough as long as you pay attention to taking the picture clearly;
you want to make the grader’s work as easy as possible!

Software

• Zoom: We will use Zoom for class meetings, tutorial meetings, and office hours. You should
download Zoom and create an account with your UofT email address prior to the first class.

• Graphing Software: Graphing will help you check your answers to homework problems and
prepare your solutions to the Applied Communication Tasks. The open-source software Geogebra

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 is a good free option, and will be used by many instructors for in-class demos. You can download
it from www.geogebra.org/download for free. The desktop application ‘GeoGebra Classic’ is the
most versatile option, but there is also a graphing calculator app for mobile devices available.
You might need to use the app during lectures.

Online Tools

• Peer Scholar: This is a platform that allows for easy peer review and later submission. It
follows many of the best practices for peer review and grading: for example, it is anonymous
(which avoids bias) and it allows for the use of rubrics and focused reflection. It was created by
a UofT professor for teaching large classes.

• TeamUp!: This is a platform that we will use for collaboration and team grading during
synchronous classes. It was also developed at UofT.

• GradeScope: You will be uploading some of your written work on GradeScope. This platform

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allows the Teaching Team to provide feedback directly on your (electronic) paper.
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Recording of Lectures & Course Materials

This course, including your participation, may be recorded on video and may be available to students
in the course for viewing remotely and after each session.

The unauthorized use of any materials provided by any MAT135 Instructor or TA is covered by the
Canadian Copyright Act and is prohibited. Students must obtain prior written consent to any kind
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of use beyond a MAT135 setting.

In this course, you are permitted to download session videos and materials for your own academic use,
but you should not copy, share, or use them for any other purpose without the explicit permission of
the instructor.

Course Community
Instead of looking around and worrying about how many students are ‘better’ than you,
why not look around for someone you can help pull up? – Karen E. Smith

Piazza Discussion Board

We will be using Piazza for asynchronous class discussion. You can access it through the course
website. The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates, the
TAs, and the instructors.

To endure that everyone has a good experience, when posting on Piazza make sure that:

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 • you do not post repeated questions – make a quick search first to make sure no one posted a
similar question before

• the language of the course is English

• this is a professional setting and your writing should reflect that – it’s not a text message: don’t
use emojis and abbreviations

• you are respectful of others (see more about that below on Community Standards)

• the reader has all the information to understand the question – don’t just quote the problem
number from the textbook

• you don’t post an image from the textbook – they are not searchable and often hard to read

Questions about the syllabus should be posted on Piazza and the course should be posted on Piazza.

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If you have any problems or feedback for the developers, email [email protected].

Community Standards
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One of the cornerstones of MAT135 and MAT136 is a respectful environment. You can expect that
the instructors and TAs will treat you with full respect: we will respect you as a person, as a student,
and as a mathematician. Making mistakes and getting things wrong is not an indication that you lack
potential but is a sign of learning!
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In turn, you should treat your peers with the same respect. Learning in MAT135 and MAT136 should
feel safe to all members of our community. This is an expectation that we treat very seriously in the
course, but it is also an expectation of the University of Toronto and something that is especially
important to remember in the online course environment.

As outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, the University of Toronto does not condone discrimination
or harassment against any persons or communities especially when based on grounds protected under
the Ontario Human Rights Code. The University of Toronto recognizes its commitment to human
rights, equity and inclusion and acknowledges the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on various
parts of our community. COVID-19 is not isolated to people of any particular ethnic origin, place
of origin or race. Equity, diversity and respect must remain integral as we continue to transition
during these challenging times. The institution will monitor and address discriminatory comments or
behaviour including on UofT’s online platforms and classrooms.

In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, no person shall engage in a course of vexatious
conduct that is directed at one or more specific individuals, and that is based on the race, ancestry,
place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
age, marital status, family status or disability. This includes:

• Racial slurs or “jokes”

• Insults due to racial identity

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 • Online posts of cartoons or pictures, in a workplace or school that degrade persons of a particular
racial group
• Name-calling due to race, colour, citizenship, place of origin, ancestry, ethnic background, creed,
or disability
• Pseudonyms or handles that are inappropriate about ancestry, colour, citizenship, ethnicity,
place of origin, race, or religion.

The University of Toronto’s Equity Offices remain available to students to provide support on equity
issues that arise.

Students are encouraged to support one another and the University’s commitment to human rights and
our values of diversity, inclusion, and respect in managing any inappropriate comments or disruptive
behaviours.

If you experience or witness inappropriate comments or behaviours in this class, you are encouraged

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to contact [email protected]. If you can, take and share a screenshot of the inappropriate
content with us so we can follow-up with you and address the conduct.
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Instructors

The instructors for MAT135 are shown below. Before emailing us, be sure to check the guidelines for
asking questions at the end of this syllabus. In particular, note that instructors and TAs will not
answer questions about course content or questions that can be answered by reading the syllabus via
email; such inquiries will be deleted without response.
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You are expected to treat all members of the instructional team with respect. Examples of disrespectful
behaviour are speaking over someone, using inappropriate language, leaving a tutorial early, or arriving
late.

Instructor Email
Dr. Galvão-Sousa [email protected]
Dr. Kawach [email protected]
Dr. LeBlanc [email protected]
Dr. Limonchenko [email protected]
Dr. Mayes-Tang [email protected]
Dr. Scherich [email protected]
Dr. Su [email protected]
Dr. Patil [email protected]
Dr. Zhu [email protected]

Teaching Assistants

Teaching Assistants (‘TAs’ for short) are an important part of the teaching team for MAT135H1.
TAs are advanced undergraduate or graduate students who are experienced in calculus. They play a
number of roles, including:

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 • leading tutorials

• grading assessments

• answering questions during office hours

How to Succeed in MAT135

In math we have to look at a problem from all directions. If one approach isn’t working,
then we try another. If the problem is too hard, we find a simpler problem and then come
back to the more difficult one after we’ve solved the first. Every mathematician hits a wall
at some point. You have to learn how to get around it, how to keep working on challenging
things. Those are all skills that transfer to real life. – Rebekah Yates

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Additional tips for learning, such as how to read a math textbook, are posted on the course website.

Top 10 Tips for Success in MAT135

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1. Work with other students and talk about calculus with them

2. Do many problems, and focus on why a solution works rather than the final answer

3. After every class, video, or tutorial, take 30 seconds to summarize what you have learned
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4. Read the assigned textbook reading before coming to class and keep up on the assigned problems

5. Instead of re-reading, test yourself on the material by solving additional problems and by ex-
plaining it to someone else

6. Use examples as a road map: rather than focusing on the individual steps, think about how they
are connected to the overall goal of the problem

7. ‘Interleave’ your practice: mix up the types of problems, solutions, and approaches as you review
rather than only reviewing one section at a time.

8. Do not ‘cram’: complete reading and homework when they are assigned

9. Think in class and when watching videos: don’t be a passive listener

10. Use the free resources available to you as a student of University of Toronto (see the Resources
section of this syllabus)

How to improve your problem-solving skills

The key to improving your problem solving skills is to work through many problems. When faced
with a new problem, resist the temptation to immediately search the textbook or the web for a similar
problem. Instead, start by asking yourself what you know and identifying what the goal of solving

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the problem is. Problem-solving is all about finding a path between what you know and what you
want to know, and developing strategies to build this path is a key to success. You will be discussing
specific problem solving strategies during many tutorials.

Working with your classmates can be very valuable in getting past roadblocks and improving your
problem-solving skills. Simply discussing a problem with someone else can help you better understand
the problem and a solution. Remember that the process of solving the problem is more important
than the answer.

How to use assessments for learning

The quizzes will help to accomplish the Learning Goals of this course in several ways. For example,
they will:

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• Encourage you to push yourself to understand difficult concepts and to complete many challeng-
ing problems

• Help you identify areas where your knowledge and problem solving skills are already strong, and
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where you still have room to grow

• Work with others to deepen your understanding

• Ensure that you have the necessary foundation for building on your knowledge in MAT135,
MAT136, and in courses that require calculus as a prerequisite

• Help you reflect on how the topics are related to the real world
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There are 3 important phases of the test-learning cycle. They apply to any assessment.

1. Preparation: All learning activities that you engage in prior to the assessment fall into
this category, including reading, completing problems, preparing for and attending lectures and
tutorials, working with other students, and reviewing past assessments. It also includes ways
of preparing yourself to take a test, such as getting a good night’s sleep, scheduling meals and
snacks so that you aren’t hungry during the test, and exercising so that you have the energy
that you need.

2. Performance: This is what comes to mind when we think of ‘taking a test’ or ‘completing an
assignment’. Make sure that you think about what the test-taking environment will be like and
incorporate that into your practice. For example, if you usually study while lying down or with
music in the background try to do some practice in a silent environment in a chair similar to
that you will be in during the test.

3. Reflection: An assessment isn’t over when you hand it in! Write some quick notes to yourself
about what went well, what didn’t go well, and what topics you need to review. Once you receive
your test back, review your solutions along with the feedback you received and sample solutions
and develop a strategy for better learning the material. There is always room for improvement.

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Where to find support

There are several free sources of support available to help you learn calculus.

Working with Peers

One of the best ways to learn math is to work with other students. This will give you the opportunity
to explain and talk about mathematical concepts, check your own understanding and avoid overcon-
fidence, and get different perspectives on the course material. To make group study sessions effective,
be sure that you discuss how problems are solved or why a solution makes sense, rather than just
trading final answers.

It is useful to develop a network of different students to work with: don’t be afraid to introduce
yourself to others in your class or tutorial sessions and ask if you can trade contact information. It
might take several tries to find a study group that works for you, and you might find a variety of study

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groups successful.
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Recognized Study Groups

The Recognized Study Groups Program can help you join or start a study group. It provides a regular
study time, gives you the opportunity to meet people from across the University, and you can even
receive a co-curricular credit for participating.
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Office Hours

An ‘office hour’ refers to a period of time (usually 50 minutes or one hour) that an instructor or TA
is available to discuss course content and answer questions. In MAT135, these may be ‘drop-in hours’
or more structured workshops.

You may attend the office hours of any instructor in the course. If they are speaking with another
student, feel free to come in and listen. Please come to office hours prepared with questions, your
notes, textbook, and any other materials you might need.

See the course website for office hour locations and times, and information about making appointments.

Academic Success Centre

The Academic Success Centre offers a wide variety of services and programming to help students meet
their academic and personal goals at the University. Individualized learning skills consultations are
available by appointment virtually. You can attend virtual workshops and lectures related to academic
success, or consult their library of helpful publications about best learning practices. More information
can be found on their website, https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/asc.

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Additional Support Services

Other free support services, such as English Language Learning programs and College-Specific Re-
sources can be found at uoft.me/freeresources. All of these services have ‘gone online’ and are
ready to serve students not physically on campus in the 2020-21 academic year.

Additional Questions & Answers

If you want to know, you ask the question. There’s no such thing as a dumb question.
It’s dumb if you don’t ask it. – Katherine Johnson

What should I do if I require an academic accommodation?

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Students with diverse learning needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a disability
or health consideration that may require accommodations, please email [email protected]
and contact the Accessibility Services Office (http://www.accessibility.utoronto.ca/Home.htm)
as soon as possible. The Accessibility Services staff are available by appointment to assess specific
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needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations. The sooner you let them and me
know your needs, the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course.

What if I am unable to write a quiz?

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You will need to submit documentation that you were unable to write the quiz for the entire window
that it was open.

Your grade will be re-weighted to future quizzes of the same type. For quizzes late in the term the
coordinators will decide the re-weighting on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, you may be required to
complete a written or oral assessment as a make-up either during the term or in the final exam period.

What if I’m trying to upload an assignment or quiz and the system is too slow to
upload it by the deadline or I lose my internet connection?

We are allowing generous windows for completing assignments in this course to allow you plenty of
time to finish. Do NOT wait until the last minute. We strongly advise you to allow yourself plenty of
time to upload files. We are professors, not a tech help desk, and if you are shut out of a system due
to a last-minute submission we will not be able to help you.

What if I enter MAT135 after the start of the term?

You can still complete the ‘Start Here’ set. If you miss the first or both first and second quizzes,
then your grade will be re-weighted to future quizzes of the same type. You will need to submit
documentation that you were unable to write the quiz including the date you entered the course.

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If I have a question about the course, who should I ask?

First, make sure that your question has not been answered in this syllabus, on the course website, or
in class. You should start by asking your classmates to ensure that your question has not yet been
answered. Instructors and TAs will not answer questions about the content of the course
(‘math questions’) via email. If you have a math question for an instructor or TA, you should
attend an office hour, or take advantage of other resources for learning on campus.

If you send an email about the course, you must use your UofT email address, as your instructors will
not communicate information about the course to other addresses.

• Questions related to MAT135 as a whole (including tutorials and assessments) may be directed
to [email protected]. This address will be checked 2-3 times a week, and inquiries
directed to it will be forwarded to the appropriate contact. Note that:

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– Inquiries about registration in lecture sections or tutorial sections cannot be answered by the
MAT135 instructional team (registration is done centrally through the Registrar’s Office).
– Initial regrading requests must be submitted through the process announced following the
quiz.
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– We will not answer questions addressed in the Syllabus or on the course website.

You do not need to email your TA or instructor if you miss a tutorial or lecture.

Remember that you should always be respectful in your speaking and actions. When in doubt about
how you should speak, write, or act, always err on the side of formality. You will never offend or
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annoy someone by being overly formal or polite. The University is a professional environment, and
that when you send emails you must be professional. For example, you must be polite and use proper
grammar and should begin an email with “Dear Professor ” rather than “Hi”.

This is not the end or the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning. –
Winston Churchill

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 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3
September 2020
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Sections
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Tutorial
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Important Dates
30 31
Quiz / Due Date

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

30 31 1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Initial Module Quiz
No Tutorials
First Day
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13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Initial Module Quiz
1.1, 1.2, 1.3
First Synchronous Lectures No Tutorials
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20 21 22 23 24 25 26
1.4, 1.5, 1.6
Reflection Quiz
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Change Deadline

27 28 29 30 1 2 3
2.1, 1.7, 1.8
Multiple Choice Quiz Tutorial 2

Page 1/4
 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
October 2020
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Sections
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Tutorial
27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30
Important Dates
Quiz / Due Date

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

27 28 29 30 1 2 3
2.1, 1.7, 1.8
Multiple Choice Quiz Tutorial 2

4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1.9. 2.2, 2.3
Written Quiz Tutorial 3: ACT A Peer Review

12:00 PM ACT A Draft Due

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11 12 13 14 15 16 17
2.4, 2.5
Reflection Quiz 12:00 PM ACT A (Final) Due
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18 19 20 21 22 23 24
2.6, 3.1, 3.2
Multiple Choice Quiz
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25 26 27 28 29 30 31
3.3, 3.4, 3.5
Written Quiz Tutorial 5

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 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5
November 2020
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Sections
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Tutorial
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 27 28 29 30 31
Important Dates
Quiz / Due Date

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
3.6, 3.7, 3.9
Reflection Quiz Tutorial 6: Peer Review of ACT B

12:00 PM ACT B Draft Due

8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Fall Reading Week
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15 16 17 18 19 20 21
4.1, 4.2, 4.3
Multiple Choice Quiz Tutorial 7

12:00 PM ACT B (Final) Due

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22 23 24 25 26 27 28
4.4, 4.6
Written Quiz
T Tutorial 8

29 30 1 2 3 4 5
5.1, 5.2, 5.3
Reflection Quiz Tutorial 9: Peer Review of ACT C

12:00 PM ACT C Draft Due

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 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2
December 2020
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Sections
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Tutorial
29 30 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Important Dates
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Quiz / Due Date

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

29 30 1 2 3 4 5
5.1, 5.2, 5.3
Reflection Quiz Tutorial 9: Peer Review of ACT C

12:00 PM ACT C Draft Due

6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Multiple Choice Quiz Last Day of Classes 12:00 PM ACT C (Final) Due
Written Quiz
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13 14 15 16 17 18 19
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20 21 22 23 24 25 26
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27 28 29 30 31 1 2

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