Course Syllabus

Site: Johns Hopkins - Center for Talented Youth Printed by: SIN FAY CYNTHIA LEUNG
Course: High School Competitive Mathematics Prep 22I.CPM.CDE.3 Date: Wednesday, 27 April 2022, 9:09 AM
Book: Course Syllabus
 Table of contents

1. Welcome!

2. Goals and Outcomes

3. Requirements

4. Schedule

5. Grading

6. CTY Code of Conduct

7. Assistance

8. Copyright and Disclaimer

9. Making the Most of this Course

10. What's Next?

 1. Welcome!

As you begin this course, please read and review this syllabus — more than once if needed. The information that follows will provide an
outline that will help you know what to expect. It will also help you manage your study time more efficiently.

Once you've made your way through this syllabus, you'll be able to see the remaining introductory course activities on the main course
page.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the course or the syllabus, please contact your instructor.

Navigation
To return to a specific page in the syllabus, use the table of contents in the collapsed menu on the right side of the page. To open the
collapsed menu, click on the pink semicircle on the right.

Print the syllabus

You can save or print this syllabus as a PDF. Click on the gear button in the top right and select Print book to print the entire syllabus or
select Print this chapter to print a single page.
 2. Goals and Outcomes

About the Course

This is an online and individually-paced course designed to extend skills in problem solving taught in our Middle School Competitive Math
courses (MS1-3), to foster mathematical creativity, and to prepare students for competitions similar to the American Mathematics
Competition (AMC 8, 10). Students explore a variety of math topics and problem-solving strategies in-depth, and practice problem-solving
with challenging, contest-style, problems.

Students explore a variety of math topics including advanced concepts from number theory, probability, algebra, and geometry. Each topic
covered includes interactive lessons with exercises, sample problems, and assessments hand-crafted by CTY instructors and staff, and
supplemented by videos provided by the Art of Problem Solving. These activities allow students to learn and review both the material and
problem-solving strategies. As students progress through the course, they will also complete written assessments and timed assessments
to help them build experience using strategies that will be useful for real competitions. Given that the use of calculators is not permitted on
the AMC 8 and 10, their use is not permitted in this course either.

Each student is assigned to a CTY instructor to support them and give them feedback during their course. Students can contact their
instructor via email or phone with questions or concerns at any time. Live one-on-one online sessions can also be scheduled to prepare for
graded assessments. In addition, there are weekly strategy sessions, run by a CTY staff member, where students will learn about various
strategies together.

Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

Identify types of competition-style problems at the AMC 8 and AMC 10 level and brainstorm strategies that can be used to solve
them.
Solve competition-style problems at the AMC 8 and AMC 10 level covering algebra, number theory, counting and probability, and
geometry topics.
Solve competition-style problems at the AMC 8 and AMC 10 level quickly in a timed environment.
Clearly articulate their thought-process for solving competition-style problems at the AMC 8 and AMC 10 level in writing.

Prerequisites
Eligibility: CTY-level or Advanced CTY-level math score required.

Successful completion of either Algebra 1 or Geometry; prior participation in mathematics competitions recommended
 3. Requirements

You will need the following items to participate in this course:

Hardware
Computer with a current web browser: You may choose Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari for accessing Moodle LMS and other
applications. Be sure to keep your browser up to date for internet security.
Broadband internet access
Headphones with microphone: for audio communications and collaboration

Software
Email: You will need to be able to communicate individually with the instructor using email in addition to the whole class
communications in Moodle.
Zoom: Zoom is online conferencing software. We will use Zoom for live class meetings. Before the first class meeting, please make
sure your computer is ready. View Zoom system requirements .
This course includes virtual class meetings where students will meet both in a group and individually with instructors. These
meetings may be audio and/or video recorded including complementary files such as transcripts and chat logs, and projects.
This information may be released and viewed by other students in the class or instructors. In meetings where participation is
not required for instructional purposes, you may opt-out of identification in the recordings by muting your audio, disabling
your video, and not contributing in the chat window. You are prohibited from further disseminating the recording or from
taking screenshots or recordings of the recording.
This course includes the option to view Zoom’s auto-generated closed captions. These captions may at times be inaccurate and
should be viewed in that light. To use this feature, select on the caret “^” located next to the CC/Live Transcript icon at the
bottom of the Zoom window and select Show Subtitles (captions appear at bottom of the Zoom screen) or View Full Transcript
(captions appear in window to the side and can be saved)

Computer and digital literacy skills

Students need to have basic skills in computer and internet use to be successful in an online course. Key basic skills for all CTY Online
students
Use Moodle to complete assigned learning activities
Download and upload files
Create, save and submit files in Word or similar word processing application
Control speaker volume and use a microphone to speak, manage webcam access if needed
Possible optional skills depending on the course:
Create digital content in various forms of media
Use web search tools to find academic information
Use web conference tool such as Zoom

Time commitment and requirements for learner interaction

We recommend working on this course for shorter amounts of time regularly throughout the week, as opposed to longer amounts of time
less frequently. On average, you can expect to work on the course for about 5 hours per week, which works out well to about an hour a day
on each weekday. However, given that this is an individually-paced course, the only deadline is your end of enrollment date, so the days
and times that you choose to work are ultimately up to you. You should use the Course Timeline found in the Introduction section to help
pace yourself.
 4. Schedule

You will complete the activities in this course at your own pace during your enrollment period.

If you can't work on this course because of a vacation, illness, camp, or other reason for seven days or longer, you can pause your
enrollment. If you don't complete the course before your end date, you can pay to re-enroll for an additional time period to complete it.

Tracking your progress

There are a few ways you can keep track of your progress in this course. First, there is a progress bar on the course home page that shows
the assignments you've completed. Second, there are checkboxes to the right of each activity. Activities are automatically checked off
once they are complete. Third, you can use the CPM Timeline to get a customized timeline with due dates to help you pace yourself.

This page includes a final way to stay on top of your coursework. Below is a complete list of the course assignments. You may find it helpful
to print a copy of this page and use the old fashioned "pen and paper" method of checking off completed assignments.

Course outline and assignment list

Problem Solving Strategies
Lesson: Problem Solving Strategies - Part 1
Lesson: Problem Solving Strategies - Part 2

Unit 1: Algebra
Practice Exam: AMC 8 2014
1.1 Skill Check: Exponents, Sequences and Series
1.2 Skill Check: Equations
1.3 Skill Check: Ratios, Rates and Proportions
Unit 1 Problem Identification and Strategy - Timed Assignment
Unit 1 Problem Identification and Strategy - Untimed Assignment
Unit 1 Key Takeaways Assignment
Unit 1 Key Takeaways Forum
Unit 1 Competition

Unit 2: Number Theory

Practice Exam: AMC 8 2015
2.1 Skill Check: Number Theory
2.2 Skill Check: Modular Arithmetic and Diophantine Equations
Unit 2 Problem Identification and Strategy - Timed Assignment
Unit 2 Problem Identification and Strategy - Untimed Assignment
Unit 2 Key Takeaways Assignment
Unit 2 Key Takeaways Forum
Unit 2 Competition

Midterm Competition
Mid-Course Survey
Midterm Competition

Unit 3: Counting and Probability

Practice Exam: AMC 8 2013
3.1 Skill Check: Sets
3.2 Skill Check: Combinatorics
3.3 Skill Check: Probability
Unit 3 Problem Identification and Strategy - Timed Assignment
Unit 3 Problem Identification and Strategy - Untimed Assignment
 Unit 3 Key Takeaways Assignment
Unit 3 Key Takeaways Forum
Unit 3 Competition

Unit 4: Geometry
Practice Exam: AMC 10A 2003
4.1 Skill Check: Triangles and Circles
4.2 Skill Check: Areas
4.3 Skill Check: Coordinate Geometry
4.4 Skill Check: 3D Geometry
Unit 4 Problem Identification and Strategy - Timed Assignment
Unit 4 Problem Identification and Strategy - Untimed Assignment
Unit 4 Key Takeaways Assignment
Unit 4 Key Takeaways Forum
Unit 4 Competition

Final Competition
Practice Exam: AMC 10A 2004
End-of-Course Survey
Final Competition
 5. Grading

Retake policy
Second attempts are allowed on Skill Checks, Key Takeaways, and the untimed portion of Problem Identification & Strategy assignments.
For all other assignments, only one attempt is allowed. Second attempts on hand-graded assignments must be submitted within one week
of the first attempt being graded.

Response time for grading assignments

Feedback on Moodle-graded assignments is given immediately, with weekly progress reports sent by the instructor. Students can expect a
grade and feedback on assignments hand-graded by their instructor within two business days of submission.

Grade Breakdown

Activity Percentage

Skills Checks
15%
(12 total in the course)

Problem Identification & Strategy

20%
(4 total in the course)

Key Takeaways
5%
(4 total in the course)

Practice AMC Exams

5%
(5 total in the course)

Unit Competitions
20%
(4 total in the course)

Midterm Competition 15%

Final Competition 20%

Grading Scale
Percentage grade Letter grade

98-100% A+

93-97% A

90-92% A-

87-89% B+

83-86% B

80-82% B-

77-79% C+

73-76% C

70-72% C-
<70% No grade issued

Assignment Overviews
Skill Checks
Skill check exercises will prepare students to tackle competition problems and should be used to gauge mastery of the topics in that
chapter. Each skill check consists of 12 questions and is not timed.

Problem Identification & Strategy (Prob IDs)

Students will be assigned four Prob IDs in the course, each consisting of two parts. The first part will be taken in Moodle and consists of a
list of problems for which a viable strategy for solving must be written out (note that part one is timed, and the problems do not need to be
solved). Part two of the assignment is untimed, and consists of solving a selection of problems from part one using the strategies selected.
Part two assignments can be typed, handwritten or a combination of both, and should be uploaded to the course as a single PDF file. In
addition to providing an answer, students are expected to show their work and explain their thought-process in words, when applicable.
Points will be awarded for all of these requirements, as is specifically indicated in the directions for each problem. The instructor will grade
and return each assignment with individualized feedback.

Students will have two attempts on part two of these assignments. The second attempt must be turned in within one week of the first
attempt being graded. If a second attempt is not turned in by then, the student forfeits the opportunity to resubmit that assignment. Note
that no work will be counted for a grade after the Final Competition is completed.

Key Takeaways
There are four key takeaway assignments in the course. These assignments are untimed, and are meant to be a reflective activity where
students draw connections between content knowledge, strategies, and competition format. For these assignments, grading is based on
completion of the assignment as noted in the directions.

Practice AMC Exams

There are five practice competitions in this course. Each of these is an actual AMC 8 or AMC 10 from a previous year, and are meant to give
students an accurate self-assessment of their current readiness and opportunity to gauge their growth over the course.

Unit Competitions
After completing each of the four content units, students will take a unit competition. These competitions are timed, and consist of 15
questions of varying difficulty.

Midterm Competition
After Unit 2, students will take the midterm competition, which covers material from the first half of the course. This competition consists
of 20 questions which must be completed in 2 hours.

Final Competition
After completing all other assignments, students will be ready to take the final competition, which has the same format as the midterm.
The final competition draws on materials and skills from the entire course. The final competition is due before the enrollment ends, so
please plan accordingly.

The final competition represents the end of this course. Aside from the final competition itself, work done after the final has begun will not
count towards the course grade.

Grading Scales
All computer-graded assignments use a modified grading scale. Information regarding the grading scale for each assignment can be found
in the first question of the assignment.
 6. CTY Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct
CTY provides a unique opportunity for intellectually curious people from diverse backgrounds to come together in pursuit of academic
challenge and growth, within a supportive environment built on respect, responsibility, and trust.

CTY expects the highest standards of behavior both in deportment and in dedication to academic pursuits. For purposes of this CTY
Student Code of Conduct, a “student” is defined as any individual registered in one or more activities, programs, or courses offered by
CTY. Students are expected to:

Adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty as set forth in CTY’s Academic Integrity Policy.
Strive to do the best work possible.
Respect individuals of all races, cultures, religions, genders, gender identities or expressions, ages, sexual orientations, abilities, and
national origins.
Respect the ideas and property of others and ensure that those around them do the same.
Behave in a friendly, cooperative, safe, and responsible manner to all people in the CTY community and to people in host institutions
and local communities facilitating CTY programs.
Attend all class sessions and any scheduled in-person or virtual events, including meals, social activities, and meetings.
Adhere to CTY’s Netiquette Rules.
Take responsibility for their own work and actions.
Cooperate with CTY staff supervision.

All members of the CTY community are expected to report suspected violations of the CTY Student Code of Conduct, Academic Integrity
Policy, or Netiquette Rules to their instructor or the appropriate CTY staff member. CTY prohibits any retaliatory action for the good faith
reporting of alleged misconduct under this Code, assisting another in making such a report, or participating in an investigation or
resolution of such matters.

CTY may amend this Code from time to time. Nothing in this Code shall affect the inherent authority of CTY to take such actions as it
deems appropriate to further the educational mission of CTY or to protect the safety and security of the CTY community.

Netiquette Rules
Netiquette Definition
Netiquette refers to rules for respectful online behavior and communication. Below, find CTY’s Netiquette guidelines and
expectations. Students are expected to report violations of Netiquette rules to their instructor or the appropriate CTY staff member.

Netiquette for Digital Citizenship

Be respectful. Read and listen to your classmates’ posts and respond thoughtfully. Treat everyone in the CTY community with
respect. Be on time to class meetings and actively participate.
Communicate clearly. Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation for best readability by others. Do not use all caps, texting, or instant
messaging shortcuts.
Be kind. Be positive and kind in your discussion posts and other communications. Be careful with the tone of your speaking and
writing; it’s harder for others to recognize your emotions when they can’t see and hear you. Reread your posts before sending to
make sure they clearly communicate your ideas in a scholarly way.
Support a safe space. Your online classroom is a place of learning and growing. Stay on topic in discussions, use course information
to support your arguments. Don’t judge others; you can disagree respectfully. Tell your instructor if you feel bullied or unsafe in this
course. Do not send or forward inappropriate messages, photographs, or images.
Protect privacy. Protect your privacy and the privacy of your instructor and classmates. Do not share classmates’ posts or links to
workspaces (such as Zoom) with others. Do not share personal information about you or your family with others.

Reasons for Dismissal

We cannot accommodate students who are unwilling or unable to meet stated expectations in CTY’s Code of Student Conduct, Academic
Integrity Policy, and Netiquette Rules. A non-exhaustive list of possible reasons for dismissal is provided below.

Students may be dismissed from a CTY program for any of the following reasons:
 Not attending to or participating in their academic work in a satisfactory manner.
Cheating, plagiarizing, or committing other acts of academic dishonesty.
Possessing or using tobacco, e-cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, or related paraphernalia.
Engaging in bullying, hazing, or harassing behavior, including stalking, threatening, or defaming others.
Sending inappropriate or pornographic messages or images to members of the CTY community.
Making, attempting to make, sharing, or distributing an audio or visual recording or photograph of any person(s) without the
knowledge and consent of all such person(s).
Not cooperating with adult supervision.
Undermining the safety or well-being of self or others.
Engaging in any illegal conduct.

Students may be dismissed from an in-person CTY program for any of these additional reasons:

Being in restricted areas of campus, or leaving campus, unaccompanied by a staff member

Leaving their halls after lights-out
Stealing or vandalizing property
Keeping prescription or non-prescription medication in their possession (for limited exceptions, see Medical Information)

No tuition refunds will be made to students dismissed from the program. If a student damages property, the cost of repair or replacement
will be added to the student’s account balance.

CTY Academic Integrity Policy

The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (“CTY”) is committed to academic excellence and integrity and responsible academic
conduct. All students must adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity in all programs and services associated with
CTY. These include standards of behavior in students’ academic work as well as their interactions with all CTY staff and other students.

Academic Honesty occurs when a student shares their original work, appropriately acknowledges using the ideas and/or work of others,
and does not engage in any behavior that results in an unfair advantage or disadvantage for one’s self or any member of the CTY academic
community.

Academic Dishonesty occurs when a student represents the work or ideas of another as their own, intentionally or unintentionally uses any
unauthorized materials or devices to complete any academic exercise, or engages in any behavior that results in an unfair advantage or
disadvantage for one’s self or any member of the CTY academic community.

Violations and Definitions

The following acts of Academic Dishonesty are violations of the CTY Academic Integrity Policy (“Policy”). These include acts that may still
be in progress at the time of discovery or brought to our attention after the completion of a course or activity. Any violation of the Policy
may have consequences for grades, course completion status, or an evaluation that a student is receiving or has received, and can affect a
student’s future selection for, or participation in, CTY programs.

Cheating occurs when a student uses books, notes, or other aids not permitted by the instructor, or copies work from another
student. Examples include, but are not limited to, failing to follow rules for online or in-person assignments and assessments (e.g., time-
limits, closed-book, calculator, phone, or other mobile device use, etc.) or asking another student to provide answers on a non-
collaborative assignment or assessment.

Plagiarism occurs when a student intentionally presents another’s work as their own or takes credit for someone else’s ideas. This includes
using another’s words, phrases, code, theories, or ideas verbatim, as well as paraphrasing them, without acknowledging the source.

Fabrication occurs when a student misrepresents or makes up data, quotations, sources, or other information.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty occurs when one student helps, asks, persuades, or pressures another student to cheat, plagiarize,
fabricate, or engage in any form of academic dishonesty.

Procedures
An incident of Academic Dishonesty may be reported by CTY students or staff. Students are expected to report incidents of academic
dishonesty to their instructor or the appropriate CTY staff member. Allegations of Academic Dishonesty are referred by staff to their direct
supervisor.

For in-person and virtual programs, within a reasonable time frame of receiving a report of Academic Dishonesty, the direct supervisor
investigates the reported incident and gathers additional information.
This initial assessment consists of gathering specific details from the CTY staff member who has raised the allegation and, if needed,
discussing the circumstances and any evidence with the student and the student’s parent/guardian. The direct supervisor reports their
findings to the program manager. The program manager makes an initial assessment that will be reviewed by the Academic Integrity
Committee (“AIC”).

AIC Review
The AIC will consist of an ad hoc committee of three people appointed to adjudicate each case of Academic Dishonesty as it requires
review—one academic representative from CTY virtual programs (Senior Program Officer for Teaching and Learning in Online Programs),
one academic representative from CTY in-person programs (Assistant Director for Curriculum in Summer Programs), and one
representative from the Strategic Leadership Group. The AIC considers the incident using the following procedure:

First, the program manager provides all of the information collected to date in the assessment.
Then, AIC reviews this information to determine whether additional evidence or interviews are needed. This determination and the
collection of any additional materials is completed within a reasonable time frame of notification from a program manager.
Finally, AIC determines whether a violation has occurred.

There are two possible outcomes of the AIC’s review:

No violation has occurred. The situation is considered closed, and a letter (via email) is sent to the student and family indicating this
decision.
A violation has occurred. The AIC chair discusses the committee’s findings and recommended consequences with the program
director and provides a letter via email to the student and family detailing the committee’s decision and any sanctions.
Families are given one opportunity to appeal the decision to the Office of the Executive Director and respond within 48 hours of
receiving the letter for in-person programs and within 7 days of receiving the letter for virtual programs.

Consequences
Consequences for violations of the CTY Academic Integrity Policy and the application of the consequences or sanctions depend upon the
severity of the violation and the characteristics of the course, program, or service in which the student is or was participating. The
following consequences may be imposed with no refund of tuition or academic course fees:

Zero credit on the assignment and/or a failing grade for the course (for courses that are eligible for a grade).
Dismissal from the program.
Ineligibility to enroll in future courses/programs for a specified time window.

Appeal
Families may appeal the decision of the AIC by submitting a written appeal to the Office of the Executive Director within 48 hours of the
notification date for in-person programs and within 7 days of the notification date for virtual programs. After reviewing the AIC’s complete
documentation of the evidence and review process, along with all communications provided to the student and family, the Executive
Director will make the following determinations:

Whether the case received fair treatment given the procedures followed.
Whether the consequences appear fair and appropriate to the severity of the violation.

The Executive Director then renders a final decision, which is provided in a letter to the family. No further appeals are permitted.
 7. Assistance

Course support
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions section at the top of your course page for answers to typical questions.

Contact your instructor with any questions you may have about your course. You can expect a response to your emailed questions from
your instructor within 24 business hours.

Technical support
For 24-7 technical support, visit CTY Help Desk .

Disability services
CTY is committed to providing reasonable, appropriate, and necessary accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. To do so,
open communication between CTY and parents is essential to meeting students’ needs. More information regarding disability services
can be found on the program website.

Accessibility statements for our tools

Moodle
Zoom
 8. Copyright and Disclaimer

Copyright
All course content created by JHU CTY Online is protected by copyright regulation. You may not copy or share any resources with anyone
not currently enrolled in this course at any time.

Problems in this course from past AMC/AIME Exams are copyrighted by the Mathematical Association of America , which organizes the
American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and the American Invitational Mathematics Exams (AIME ) . Videos and solutions provided
for AMC/AIME Exams are used with permission from Art of Problem Solving.

Many of our geometric images are created using GeoGebra.

Graphs are created using Desmos graphing tool.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Johns Hopkins and CTY are committed to protecting the privacy of all members of the community. Visit the CTY Privacy Policy
webpage for the detailed privacy statement.
 9. Making the Most of this Course

We understand that each person has slightly different set of goals and expectations coming in. Our goal, as much as is possible, is to help
you reach those goals and, if we're lucky, teach you a few things you didn't know you wanted to know along the way.

As you start this course, we want you to know that we understand the challenges of online learning—we've been there. We'll do our best to
make sure that the time you spend is worthwhile. To help us help you though, we ask you to consider the following:

Commit completely.
You made the first step—you registered for the course. Now it's time to decide that you really want to do this and set aside the time to
make it happen. Make plans now for when you will work on this course and schedule it into your week.

Participate early and often.

Follow the given timeline for your enrollment and use it as a checklist to help you stay on pace. Attend the weekly Strategy Sessions to
interact with peers and learn effective strategies for competitive math.

Ask questions!
Don't be afraid to ask questions. We like hearing from you!

Give valuable feedback.

If you attend live strategy sessions, give the kind of feedback to your peers that you'd like to receive. When you're replying to a classmate
or reviewing a peer's work, give them the kind of feedback you want from them.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

We want you to experiment with strategies, explore, and try things. Mistakes often lead to a new and deeper understanding. Don't miss out
on the opportunity to learn from your mistakes!
 10. What's Next?

Now you're ready for the other introductory course activities! Click the Done button on the right.

To begin the Introduction section of the course, click on Introduction in the Navigation menu on the left side of the page. Or, click on
Introduction in the center of the page of the course homepage.

If you have any questions, please contact your instructor.

We look forward to learning with you!