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About Calculus:
About Calculus:
Calculus is the mathematical study of change. Algebra studies patterns of solving equations that are static - unchanging. Calculus looks at motion!
Calculus concepts have appeared in many locations - ancient Greece, China, the Middle East, India. Many of the formal concepts were developed and catalogued independently in the 17th century by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and more formal definitions within the field of real analysis were polished and credited with other mathematicians, starting with Bernard Bolzano in 1817, Augustin-Louis Cauchy in 1821, and Karl Weierstrass.
Calculus has a reputation of being difficult because the concepts are very abstract. However, we will work together to solidify our collective conceptual understanding.
You will be challenged, but challenge and struggle are VITAL to learning. You must struggle with the concepts to learn and understand them. I will be facilitating this struggle through active learning and group activities. Your voice and perspective are vital to the entire class.
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS:
MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS:
We are surrounded by movement. Rates of change exist in many aspects of our lives - miles per hour, degrees per minute, etc.
This course is the first course in a series to prepare you for more advanced mathematics and science classes.
Formal proofs are the foundation of mathematics; we will see some in this class.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon Completion of Math 1, a student should be able to:
find the volume of a solid of revolution using washers or shells
evaluate and interpret a definite integral
integrate a function involving a u-substitution
construct an optimization model and use it to find the desired quantity
find the roots of a function using Newton's Method.
All the section numbers in the calendar are based on the OER textbook Calculus (OpenStax)
The Calendar is a TENTATIVE schedule of the lessons and exams for the course during Spring 2024 semester.
The calendar is always subject to change, including the dates for exams (though I try to avoid moving exam dates).
You can change the format of the calendar to weekly, monthly, or by agenda (list) with the upper right options.
You can also add this calendar to YOUR Google calendar! Click the blue plus at the bottom right if you want this course calendar showing up in your personal Google Calendar.
Why Take the Class?
Motivation
Is It Difficult?
Course Layout
What is Expected of Me?
Material, Content & Grades
Any Help?
Assistance Outside or Beyond Class
Why Take the Class?
Why Take the Class?
Calculus is packed full of multiple concepts that permeate all of the science fields. We'll look at examples from chemistry, physics, and biology, as well as business and social sciences.
The first three videos are specific to studying algebra or math in general. Other videos are specific to the usefulness of calculus.
Importance of Studying Math
Importance of Studying Math
2.5 minute video with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye regarding math and science.
10 Reasons to Study Math
10 Reasons to Study Math
6 minute video discussing why math - a more generic video for all types of math, but still relevant
Calculus, What Is It Good For?
Calculus, What Is It Good For?
Explains how calculus is used to develop physics concepts
10 Reasons to Study Math
10 Reasons to Study Math
6 minute video discussing why math - a more generic video for all types of math, but still relevant
What Is Calculus?
What Is Calculus?
A good overview of concepts we will study this semester.
History Of Calculus
History Of Calculus
A humorous take on the history of calculus.
(I only disagree with the way the narrator says "Leibniz"!)
If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be. ~ Maya Angelou
Is it Difficult?
Is it Difficult?
All things are difficult before they are easy. ~Thomas Fuller
All things are difficult before they are easy. ~Thomas Fuller
CALCULUS is the study of motion. One of the difficult parts of calculus is understanding the WHY while also learning the HOW. Many students tend to memorize the HOW without understanding the WHY. Without both, learning is lost.
How Much Reading? Every week, zero-cost readings via Canvas and lessons in class are carefully selected to ensure your learning is nurtured. The readings may be challenging, yet effective time management is part of the college experience.
How Much Weekly Work? Assignments accompany the lessons each week: Collaborations and Practice.
Collaborations are assignments that you work together in small groups to complete. Many will be completed in class and presented, and then collected at the end of class or beginning of next class.
Practice is exactly what it is: Practice calculus. These are "homework" assignments.
How Many Tests? In this class, we refer to tests as assessments. There are 2 types of Assessments:
A Formative Assessment is a small and simple assessment designed to measure the process of your understanding of the course content. Feedback provides you guidance toward your summative assessments. Formative assessments are in-class work and homework.
A Summative Assessment measures your application of the unit course content. There are six summative assessments: four exams and one comprehensive final exam.
What is a Mathematician Presentation? To help us all learn about the history of mathematics and meet some interesting mathematicians, you will choose a mathematician from a provided list (or you can ask to get one not on the list approved) and create a short biography on that mathematician's life and work. You will only do one of these during the semester, but due dates will be staggered so we have about two posts on Canvas per week. Those of you who don't have a post due that week should view others and provide comments on the discussion board.
Strict Grading? I grade on process, not correct answer. I need to see how you arrived at your solution, not just the solution (computers can give me a solution; I want to see your thinking!) I grade test problems based on showing your work and arriving at the answer. It is important to show all your steps!
Any Extra Credit? One opportunity for extra points on the final exam, you can attend three virtual Smart Shops for three points added to your final exam grade. You will need to make sure you complete the survey at the end of the Smart Shop to receive credit, and include my name as the only instructor. You won't be allowed to "double-count" a Smart Shop for two or more classes.
What is Expected of Me?
What is Expected of Me?
This is a 17-week in-person course.
You will learn in a community with your peers. This is not a self-paced course.
This class meets regularly on campus in room 2490 from 11:00 am - 1:15 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays.
You are expected to ENGAGE in the class to learn the content, and interact with your peers and me. Do your best!
Textbook, Software and Other Materials
Textbook, Software and Other Materials
Education should NOT be expensive. However, too often it is. I am striving to make your course with me as inexpensive as I possibly can. I am using FREE textbooks and free online resources. I allow free calculator apps for phones, even on exams.
If you encounter a problem with the course or with required resources, please let me know. I may be able to help.
Access to the internet will be necessary, due to the online homework and weekly readings that accompany the lessons.
Textbook: Calculus (OpenStax) (chapters 1-6.3), a free online textbook. Sections will be linked on Canvas for you to annotate (part of your pre-lesson homework). If you want a hardcopy for reference, I would suggest an older edition of Stewart's Calculus or Thomas' Calculus - NOT THE NEW EDITIONS!
Online Homework System: MyOpenMath through Canvas is an online homework system similar to MyMathLab, ConnectMath, and WebAssign, but FREE to you! There could be some coding errors with some homework problems, so bear with us as we fix them!
Canvas Student App
A scientific calculator is required (Example, but other brands and types are acceptable). Your computer or phone's calculator is also sufficient for most of our calculations by hand (turn phone to landscape). We may use a graphing calculator in class, and graphing calculator apps will work fine for this purpose. You can also borrow a TI-84 graphing calculator from the library, but get one quickly!
Desmos Test Mode App is a FREE alternative to a scientific calculator and is allowed for the Midterm and Final Exams. Currently this is only available on iPhones.
Chrome is the preferred browser for Canvas. However, make sure you have multiple browsers installed because if something doesn't work in one browser, it should work in the other. Stay away from Internet Explorer.
Here are links to popular browsers:
In order to view documents and certain multimedia on the Web, you need specific browser plug-ins. The most popular plug-ins are Acrobat Reader and Flash and are typically built into your web browser. If you do need to download these free plug-ins, click the links below.
CANVAS: Instructions and Submissions
CANVAS: Instructions and Submissions
Canvas will be used to house all documentation from class, as well as the primary communication between you and me, and you and your fellow students. Canvas is a powerful tool to help facilitate discussion outside of the traditional classroom.
All your work is submitted through Canvas. Content is organized by chapter modules to keep you on task with the material. There are several ways you can navigate through Canvas, but I encourage you to stick with the modules.
More about getting started with Canvas can be found here.
Technical Support
Technical Support
Contact LPC’s technical support desk during weekdays to get any Canvas problems solved. During nights and weekends, you can contact Canvas directly at 1-844-600-3467.
If you need NetTutor technical support, click the Customer Service Request link within NetTutor, and fill out the form. You may also call the NetTutor Customer Support Team at (813) 674-0660 x204. The direct email is support@link-systems.com.
Grades
Grades
Collaborations = 22%
Practice (HW) = 22%
Mathematician Project = 10%
Exams (4, 8% each) = 32%
Final exam = 14%
Note that about half your grade is on formative assessments and half on summative assessments. I want to provide you with ample feedback on your formative assessments so you're ready for the summative assessments. The mathematician project is more of an enhancement of the class, so we learn more of the history of mathematics and the roles that many diverse people have played in contributing to this beautiful subject.
More Information on Assignments
More Information on Assignments
Focused Lessons
Focused Lessons
Learning the material initially will consist of different means of delivery:
Lessons. In-class lessons relevant to the content focus on interpreting statistical results, running the tests/calculating using technology, and understanding the new terms. Lessons also consist of group work and show how to use the technology with help. You can complete your focused notes by hand on paper or using online notetaking apps (Notes, OneNote; I provide the PDFs for the notes through Canvas and the paper copies the first week of class).
Collaborations. Assignments accompany the lessons to provide additional practice in a community, to help you better understand concepts and have opportunities to ask questions and get mistakes corrected. Collaborations will be completed in class and turned in either at the end of class or beginning of next class.
Practice
Practice
Practice homework is intended to practice what you learn. Each lesson will have a few problems for you to apply your learning. You are welcome to work with others on completing the problems, but you will have different problems (different numbers). You should keep a notebook of your work - don't just do the problems on scratch paper - so you can refer back to how you completed your work. I will occasionally ask you to upload a picture of your work, so keep this journal handy when you do your homework.
Exams
Exams
There are four exams in the semester:
Exam 1 covers Chapter 2 (with some Ch 1 Review)
Exam 2 covers Chapter 3
Exam 3 covers Chapter 4
Exam 4 covers Chapter 5
Final Exam is comprehensive and includes Ch 6
Exams are closed notes; NO PERSONS other than me can help you. Exams are scheduled for particular days and specific times. If these days/times don't work in your personal schedule, message me.
Do not use PhotoMath, Wolfram Alpha, or any other solving app/software/website to help you complete your work. You have plenty of opportunities to do well in my class, and I encourage you to ask me if you have questions, including questions on a quiz/test. Do not cheat. Please. It is not only disrespectful to me and your fellow students, but it is ethically wrong and jeopardizes your grades.
Final Assessment
Final Assessment
Monday, December 15 from 9:30am-11:20am is your final exam. The final exam will consist of questions from the entire course.
To help us all learn about the history of mathematics and meet some interesting mathematicians, you will choose a mathematician from a provided list (or you can ask to get one not on the list approved) and create a short post on that mathematician's life and work. You will only do ONE of these during the semester, but due dates will be staggered so we have about five presentations on Canvas per week. Those of you who don't have a presentation due that week should view it and provide comments on the discussion board.
Some mathematicians are OFF LIMITS (they are too well-known or aren't really known as mathematicians). You will need to get your mathematician approved before you complete the project.
Any Help?
Any Help?
Math Jam occurs the week before classes start to get your brain cells working on math.
Concurrent Support classes are semester-long courses to help you throughout your target math course for three hours per week. Also, the online Canvas course has great resources to help review content or brush up on prerequisite skills. You can take the course for 1 unit credit (Math 100C) or tuition-free noncredit (NMAT 200C) - it is the same environment, you just get to choose whether you need the unit for financial aid or qualifying purposes (paid) or not (free).
This section of Math 1 includes an attached support class, so you will get some help that you need right away, through lessons that are more in-depth, review of relevant content, or working on homework assignments with help.
Tutoring
Tutoring
The Tutorial Center is available through the Penji app and in-person in 21215. There are tutors available in the Concurrent Support class, for drop-in at Tutorial Center, and weekly at a regularly-scheduled time.
My Contact Hours!
My Contact Hours!
I am happy to help by answering questions or explaining a concept in a manner that hopefully meets your learning needs. See my availability and contact information.
Study with a fellow student from class.
Study with a fellow student from class.
Creating a study group is one of the best ways to learn. Even if you do not like to work with others or if you think you “got this”, having to explain a concept or process to another student not only helps that student, but it also helps you form a more solid mental structure on the concept by forming your understanding into words. A study group (or study partner) is a two-way benefit!
Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. ~ Barack Obama
Media Credits:
Media Credits:
Course Banner: 3D Render of Newton's Cradles, Photo by Sunder Muthukumaran on Unsplash
Children in Various Poses: Ashley McHale (my two kids at various ages)
Bottom Quote Background: Person holding a handful of Coins with Note "Make a Change", Photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash
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