Skills Being Assessed

Productivity (Organization)

Overview

Organization is a foundation for productivity as well as for solving math problems. In MAT110, applying organizational skills is two-fold. First, it is essential to being productive, for example, when you organize your workspace and manage your time, which allows you to be a successful student. Second, organizational skills are also essential when solving math problems since you must plan how to solve a problem, organize the steps in a logical order, and work efficiently through those steps. Each time you solve a math problem, you are strengthening your organizational skills, which are valued by employers and will help you lead a more productive life.

Each of these problems will assess your ability to explain how you would apply organizational skills to math problems in real-world situations. This skill is valuable in the workplace and in everyday activities where math is necessary.

Instructions

Answer each prompt in the assignment submission text box below the assignment instructions. Be sure to organize your responses by number.

*Note: After you review the rubric collapse it by using the down arrow beside "View Rubric." This will allow you to view the instructions and answer the input areas more easily.

1. You are shopping at a store and need to determine if you have enough money to purchase an item that you want. Since the total cost will include a 5% sales tax, you will need to calculate the tax plus the purchase price of the item to find the total amount needed. (15 points)

1. Complete an accurate calculation that includes the purchase price of the item, sales tax (5%), and total cost.
2. Explain how you would organize your mental math to calculate the total cost without a calculator.
   • Answer in the text box below the assignment and don't submit until all prompts for the entire assignment are answered. Number each answer (e.g., 1.a, 1.b…)

2. The bar graph below represents the education levels of business owners in 2019. Review the details in the bar graph and interpret the data to answer the prompt below. (10 points)

[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

• An aspiring business owner is planning their college course of study and would like to know whether they should pursue a doctoral degree before they open their own business. Explain what you would recommend to them using two specific examples from the bar graph to support your response. (Hint: You will need to review the number of business owners for each education level in the graph.)

3. Explain how you would organize your step-by-step calculations in evaluating the order of operations problem below. (Note: Remember PEMDAS! – P, E, M/D left to right, A/S left to right)

There should be five steps in this calculation. For full credit, you must fill in the blanks below with your step-by-step explanation as well as computation for the correct answer. (15 points)

30 ÷ 2(4-2) + 32
Note: If there is no math expression above, please contact your instructor.

Steps to organize the calculation: (copy and paste the information below into the text entry box and replace the lines with the explanation for each step):
First, I would ___________________________________________________
Next, I would ___________________________________________________
Then, I would ___________________________________________________
Then, I would ___________________________________________________
Finally, I would __________________________________________________

Note: This assignment does not require research, but if you choose to use information from a source, be sure to cite it. This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Resources

U.S. Census Bureau Annual Business Survey. 2020. Data year 2019. Graph. https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/comm/most-business-owners-have-a-bachelors-degree.html

Course Outcome:

The specific course outcome associated with this assignment is:

• Explain organizational strategies that can be applied to the field of mathematics.

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