Syllabus for BC Calculus & Advanced Topics
2008-2009 Rm 22 Gil LeFrancois
Texts: Calculus Single Variable by Hughes-Hallett
Journey Through Genius by William Dunham
Calculus in Space ñ Leaving the Plane by Alan Lipp
Equipment: Graphing calculator (preferably a TI-83+ or TI-84+), graph paper (with 4 or 5 squares per inch), 2 Expo low odor dry erase markers, regular, and colored pencils.
Goals: 1) the continued study of single variable calculus
2) a brief introduction to common sophomore and junior level university courses
3) practice reading mathematical articles
4) clearly communicating our understanding of mathematical ideas and processes.
Expectations:
1. There is daily homework with each assignment worth 4 points. Homework should typically take 45 minutes but may on occasion take 60 minutes. If you are encountering difficulties with your work you should see me for additional help. Late assignments are accepted up to one week after the due date. Some assignments will be long term with due dates of a week to two weeks after theyíve been assigned. All work is to be done in pencil.
2. Quizzes are given fairly regularly, usually after four or five sections have been covered. The quizzes are designed to check the students progress on the new material and as such, tends to consist of simple conceptual and process type problems.
3. Tests are given after each unit with a total of twelve tests in the school year. The tests are cumulative and have two sections, a calculator and a non-calculator part (though we may add a take home section on occasion). The tests are comprised of skill based problems that examine your mechanics, multi-step problems that use two or more concepts, and generalization/abstraction type problems that emphasize the main ideas.
4. If you are absent you will need to work with a peer or myself to keep up to date on the material. You should do this immediately after you return to school. If you know that you will be absent (especially due to early dismissal for sports), it is your responsibility to inform me, submit any work that is due, and take any quiz or test prior to the absence. If you will be late to class, bring a late slip from either the office or a teacher. Unexcused tardies and absences will lower your effort grade as well as your letter grade.
5. The taking of notes is optional but strongly encouraged as they can be invaluable when you are doing your homework. Likewise, cooperative work is strongly recommended and encouraged except on quizzes and tests. This does not mean that it is okay to copy someone elseís work! What I expect is that you will help each other by explaining the concepts.
Grading: The marking period grade is comprised of homework at roughly 30% (including the chapter MC & FR problems beginning with chapter 4), quizzes at 20%, and tests at 50%. Students are given a grade after each unit that reflects their current status. Grading is done on a 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C. Plusses are for *7, *8, or *9 %ís while minuses are for *2, *1, or *0 %ís. Some test results will be curved due to the nature of the challenging tests.
Select Faculty Webpages and then my name. You are now at my homepage; click on the Calculus Textbook image. This brings you to the BC Calculus Home Page which you may wish to bookmark. My site contains a copy of the syllabus, links to the publisherís on-line support, and links to general math resources, articles about math, and a portal to the four marking periods of the school year. For each marking period page contains assignment guides, homework keys, handouts, and links to all of the demonstrations done in class.
Hints for Success: Keep up with your daily work. Be involved in the class discussions and the working of example problems. Work cooperatively with your peers. Make sure that you understand the concepts and not just the method for solving specific problems. Read your math book. Keep good chapter notes, complete with examples. See me if you have difficulty (my free periods are C, D, F, and H blocks).
Course Outline
BC CALCULUS • all eleven chapters in the text
• two weeks of exam preparation
PROBLEM SOLVING
NUMBER THEORY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
MULTIVARIBLE CALCULUS
LINEAR ALGEBRA
HISTORY OF CALCULUS
HISTORY OF MATH
Spoon feeding, in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.
- E.M. Forster
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