Welcome to AP Calculus AB. What does the course title mean? AP stands for Advanced Placement, which means that this is college level course. AB represents one semester of college credit for Calculus I, that can be earned if you score well enough, 3 or more, on the Calculus AP exam administered this May 5^th, 2020.

This year-long course is designed to emphasize conceptual understanding of Calculus mathematical themes such as derivatives, integrals, limits, applications/ modeling and approximation, using a multi-representational approach: graphical, numerical, analytical and verbal, and technology. Every concept covered will build upon the previous one. Therefore, it is very important that you do not get behind. Homeworks, on-line assignments, class assignments, projects, quizzes and tests, will be designed to continually reinforce and challenge your ability to explain and apply the learned Calculus concepts.

Students should be able to:

• work with functions represented in a variety of ways: graphical, numerical, analytical, or verbal. They should understand the connections among these representations.

• understand the meaning of the derivative in terms of a rate of change and local linear approximation and they should be able to use derivatives to solve a variety of problems.

• understand the meaning of the definite integral both as a limit of Riemann sums and as the net accumulation of change and should be able to use integrals to solve a variety of problems.

• understand the relationship between the derivative and the definite integral as expressed in both parts of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

• communicate mathematics both orally and in well-written sentences and should be able to explain solutions to problems.

• model a written description of a physical situation with a function, a differential equation, or an integral.

• use technology to help solve problems, experiment, interpret results, and verify conclusions.

• determine the reasonableness of solutions, including sign, size, relative accuracy, and units of measurement.

• develop an appreciation of calculus as a coherent body of knowledge and as a human accomplishment

It is expected that each student take responsibility for his/her own learning. It is expected honesty from each student. Integrity, once lost, cannot be easily regained. The work you submit for credit must be your own work. Students who copy someone else’s work or allow someone else to copy their own work will be given zero credit for that assignment. Group learning and collaboration is encouraged; however, each student is expected to make a genuine personal contribution.

TI-Nspire CX Graphing calculators will be used in this course. You will have assigned a calculator and a textbook (Larson – Hostetler - Edwards: Calculus of a Single Variable 8th Ed) assigned for your personal use. Textbook is also available in electronic format. It is extremely important that you be responsible of the items assigned to you. If one of these items is lost or damaged, the Assistant Principal will determine the responsibility of the student to whom this calculator/textbook was assigned, and the corresponding replacement cost.

All assignments are expected to be completed on time. These are an important part of your grade. Consistent progress in your assignments is imperative to your success in this class. AP Tests are difficult and practicing problems is essential. Following along in class is not the same as doing it yourself. Working with other students is very helpful, but copying will not be accepted.

If by a justified reason you miss a Test, teacher must be notified as soon as possible to program a new extra class test, to get the corresponding grade.

Homeworks are extremely important. Remember, this is a college level class, and at this level, one hour in class demands two or three hours of extra out-of-classroom work (studying and practicing). Your assigned homework is your key to succeed in tests and quizzes. For justified late class work or homework, ask to teacher for a new due date.

On-line Lectures and On-Line Quizzes at www.sophia.org will be assigned regularly, and students must have to take them in the assigned days in order to do not struggle with the related classwork and practice. Also, the grade obtained in the on-line quizzes will be part of the overall grade. These are important assignments that students have to get used to accomplish; in College, students will be required to do on-line assignments regularly.

Final Exams are mandatory, and are an opportunity to improve your final grade. These exams have to include all the subjects covered during the semester, but it could have more emphasis on the last chapters, if these are considered very important. A request for a make-up final exam should be done to teacher and will be programmed extra class.

Alternatively, a Major Project can be given at the end of the every semester, and these projects will be equivalent to a final test grade. The due date for projects is the final test day.

Tutorials initially will be available Mondays to Thursdays from 2:35 to 3:45. Any modification to this schedule will be announced during class. Tutorials in a different day or hour will be available by previous appointment.

On-line tutorials and on-line lectures are always available for students at www.sophia.org. To access these tutorials and lectures, students will have to open an account and enroll in the corresponding group. A special group code will be given by teacher.

Remember that this is a College Level class, and in College there is not make-up work or exam corrections, everything has to be accomplished at the given deadlines. In this class, make-up work has to be authorized by the Assistant Principal coordinating the AP classes. In case of authorized make-up work, students will have five (5) school days to complete it and turn it in. works.