"Discrete mathematics and computer science,"
	Let's Get Logical. A Lesson in Symbolic Logic - Dolores Mora, Santa Ana High School
	Symbolic logic is a topic that is not addressed in the curriculum of most high schools. It is a very interesting and challenging topic that I feel should be developed in high school as an introduction to proofs in mathematics. I teach AP Calculus and find that after the AP test I have extra time to explore new branches of mathematics. I have put together a 6 day excursion into the field of symbolic logic. The key concepts of the unit include logic operators, translation of sentences into logical notation, propositions, truth table, syntax of evaluation of compound propositions, tautologies, premise and conclusion, conditional proof, and proof by contradiction. The unit is set up so that the teacher is a facilitator of the questions that are fielded to the students. I have provided both a teacher version and a student version. The teacher version has teacher notes and answers in bold, while the student version is in a ready-to-copy format. It is extremely important that the student teams are not left alone in their excursion. The teacher-guide must be very aware of when the class is lost. If you ever find that the entire class does not understand a concept, stop the class and give them enough hints to lead them on the correct path. Students are asked to keep a "toolkit" of definitions. The toolkit and any other worksheets are provided at the beginning of the unit. I hope this will entice the calculus student into studying mathematics further. I am sure you will have fun with this unit&emdash;I had a lot of fun putting it together. If there are any suggestions on how to improve the unit, please e-mail me at doloresmora@earthlink.net