Precalculus 12 is an academic course intended to prepare students for post-secondary studies. It is a prerequisite for admission into university science programs and therefore requires a very high degree of motivation and interest. Good attendance, completed homework, and positive class participation are all essential to success. Students who enter this course are expected to have strong math skills from Precalculus 11, and may carry on to take Calclulus.
We will be using a bound set of notes with exercises as a textbook. If you lose it, there may not be extra copies available, although you will have access to an electronic copy (available on this website and through the Google classroom). I will be collecting this back at the end of the semester. If you would like to keep the book, you will need to pay $15 for a personal copy.
The intention of the notes is that you will be able to access information that you may miss out on if you are absent from a class. While this book does not represent everything that happens in class, you should be able to find what you’re looking for in order to support the work we do in class.
You will need a notebook to use for your learning log, and this should be with you each class.
You may wish to have a scientific calculator. If you are able to download apps for a smart phone or iPod, there are free graphing calculators available which can be very useful. We will make use of technology to help us with graphing in class, however, electronic devices are not allowed during quizzes or exams.
Desmos (online graphing calculator)
Geogebra (graphing program online or downloadable)
CEMC (Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computer Science) Courseware
My goal is to keep the focus of this course on learning mathematics, rather than the attainment of a grade. Marks will be determined for the midterm and final reports, but students will be informed of their progress through written and verbal feedback, during conversations and through reflections. The goal is for students to get to know their strengths, understand what they need to work on, and set personal goals.
Assessment will be based on:
Students will be involved in the assessment process throughout the semester.
It is possible to attempt a quiz again in order to show progress in your understanding. In order for this to happen, it is up to the student to set up a time for the re-quiz to be written, and demonstrate that adequate preparation has been undertaken before writing. This includes: quiz corrections, practice problems and an up-to-date learning log.
You should be doing some math at home every day, in order to become comfortable with the ideas and concepts looked at in class. The goal is to gain fluency in the material. Your math homework will be a combination of writing in your learning log, working through practice questions, or finishing assignments. You will need to decide how much homework is the right amount for you, but it is important to develop a routine to deal with the out-of-class work. Practice will help you gain a better understanding of the ideas we are learning in class.
It is important to ask questions when you are curious or when you don’t understand, and to search out answers. The beginning of class is a great time to ask questions, as your question may be one that inspires the curiosity of other, or one that other people are wondering about.
You should be asking each other questions as well. Working together outside of class time will allow you to help one another. You will find the act of discussing what problems and questions you have with your peers, will help you gain a better understanding.
Read through the feedback on your quiz.
If any of the question numbers have been circled, corrections are needed. Once the corrections have been completed and submitted, there will be a discussion about whether a re-quiz is needed.
Complete the corrections on a separate piece of paper and attach it to your quiz, or do the correction on a sticky note. It should be obvious what is being corrected, and separate from the original quiz. You have two full school days to complete the quiz. For example, if the quiz is returned on a Tuesday, you have until the end of the day on Thursday to hand it in.
If you would like to have a second attempt to demonstrate that your understanding has progressed, you need to set up a time/date to do this with Ms Robinson (in a flex block) and demonstrate that you have completed some work to help with your understanding (practice questions, up-to-date learning log, corrections).