AP Calculus

   Course Information.

    Materials: Bring the following to class every day (unless otherwise instructed):

• Note packets

• Paper (spiral notebook)

• Pencils

• Graphing Calculator (TI-84 is highly recommended)

• Bringing the text is optional.

  Outline:  We will cover the following 1st semester:

Semester 1

Limits 

Derivative Rules and Tangent Lines 

Derivatives Applications 

Integration

Slope Fields 

Log / Exponential Derivatives and Anti-derivatives 

Semester 2

Separation of Variables 

Volume of Solid Figures 

Reviewing for AP Test 

Reviewing Calculus / Tutoring other classes / Projects

   Catalog Course Description:  

OPEN TO: 10-12 Full Year Course

PREREQUISITE: Recommend A or B grade in Pre-Calculus.  Requires teacher’s signature to stay in course second semester if passing grade is not earned first semester.  This course gives the student an introduction to the basic concepts of calculus for the purpose of taking the AP test and entering a college calculus course. The student will study polynomial functions, limits, derivatives, logarithmic and exponential functions, trigonometric functions, integration, and their applications. 

Stepping into AP Calculus is like stepping out of high school and into a college course; a course designed to develop the students’ understanding of the concepts of calculus and prepare them for the AP Calculus test in May.  The pace of this course is rapid and it is necessary for you to use tenacity to attack your notes, homework, and tests.  Depending on the college, if the student performs to a certain level on the AP Calculus exam, they may obtain math waivers from their college of choice.  This could mean not taking one college level course and saving hundreds of dollars. 

   Student expectation:

• Students must maintain a notebook and participate in the guided notes during lesson examples, worksheets, homework, quizzes, and tests.

• To obtain a 5 on the AP Test plan on committing at least one hour of work outside the classroom for every hour they are in class, to provide to student an opportunity to succeed.  This course is difficult, yet can be eased by those who make a commitment to working on their course work.  

• Students, as well as parents and the teacher, must recognize the fine line between the requirements of an Advanced Placement class as well as extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, etc when it comes to the workload. 

   Technology expectation:

• Students must have a Texas Instrument graphing calculator (TI-84 is preferred and can be checked-out in Library).  Students must be proficient with the graphing calculator and proficient without the graphing calculator.  When using the calculator, they must be able to demonstrate:

1. Producing the graph of a function within an arbitrary viewing window

2. Finding the zeros of a function

3. Computing the derivative of a function numerically

4. Computing definite integrals numerically

   AP Course Expectations

• The course provides students with the opportunity to work with functions:

1. Graphically – We will work extensively on switching between the graph of a function, its derivative and the second derivative

2. Numerically – We will look at different tables that represent functions and find the rate of change or the distance traveled to help understand the derivative and the integral

3. Analytically – We will work on techniques for finding the derivative and anti-derivative of functions as well as practice methods to remember those techniques, for example when we study the Quotient Rule, we will use a song to memorize the rule 

4. Verbally – We will have activities where you will explain through writing or orally whether the function is increasing or decreasing / whether the function is concave up or down

• The course teaches students how to communicate mathematically and explain solutions to problems both verbally and in written sentences within two different techniques:

1. We will work in our notebooks to write in a journal form.  This will allow us to describe how to solve problems in written form.

2.   We will do presentations where the student will come to the board and explain how to solve a problem we are learning or do a presentation on a homework problem students found difficult

• The course teaches students how to use graphing calculators:

1. We will learn how to solve problems by using the calculator. 

2. We will do experiments using the graphing calculator.

3. We will interpret results from the graphing calculator.

4. We will support our conclusions using the graphing calculator.

• The course teaches students how to work collaboratively:

1. We will do assignments and projects that will require students to work in groups together.   

   Grading:  Your grades are on the following weighted categories.

Daily: Participation & homework 20%

Assessments: Quizzes, Tests & Final Exam 80%

   Work expectations: You will be expected to do quality work at all times.

1. Work is organized and easy to read.

2.)  Answers are thorough and complete.  Assume the person that is checking your work has limited knowledge.  

3.)  Work and answers show that you put forth your best effort.

   Daily Work:

   Homework:  Homework for a chapter will be due the day before the test on that chapter (late work is not accepted).  Homework will be scored based on effort and completeness (does your work show effort, is there work shown for each problem assigned).  If you do your homework promptly there will be plenty of time to get extra help on any difficult problems. 

   Assessments:  

Quizzes: Quizzes will be conducted periodically in each Chapter/Unit.  The purposes of my quizzes are to expose students to what will be assessed on the Chapter/Unit Test and to assess the student’s mastery and progress.  A second purpose of the quiz is to provide quick feedback used to guide remediation as necessary.

Tests: A Test will be conducted at the end of each Chapter/Unit.  The purposes of my tests are to expose students to what will be assessed on the semester Final and to assess the student’s mastery and progress through the course.  There are no retake opportunities on tests.

  Semester Final:  The semester final will be cumulative. The purpose of the final is to assess student mastery of the material covered during the term.  The concepts assessed on the final will correspond with concepts assessed on the tests conducted that semester (study the tests).