Syllabus for BC Calculus & Advanced Topics
2010-2011 Rm 22 Gil LeFrançois
Texts: Calculus Single Variable, 5thedition, by Hughes-Hallett
Othertexts provided by the school
Equipment: Graphing calculator (preferably aTI-83+ or TI-84+), graph paper (with 4 or 5 squares per inch), 2 Expo low odordry erase markers, regular, and colored pencils.
Goals: 1)the continued study of single variable calculus with
•review and extension of AB Calculus topics
•introduction and study of BC Calculus topics
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 5 points. Homework should typically take 45minutes but may on occasion take 60 minutes. If you are encountering difficulties with your work youshould see me for additional help. Late assignments are accepted up to one week after the due date. Some assignments will be long term withdue dates of a week to two weeks after they’ve been assigned. All work is to be done in pencil.
2. Quizzes are given fairly regularly, usually after four or five sectionshave been covered. The quizzes aredesigned to check the students progress on the new material and as such, tendsto consist of simple conceptual and process type problems.
3. Tests are given after each unit with a total of twelve tests in theschool year. The tests are cumulativeand have two sections, a calculator and a non-calculator part (though we mayadd a take home section on occasion). The tests are comprised of skill based problems that examine yourmechanics, multi-step problems that use two or more concepts, andgeneralization/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 upto date on the material. Youshould do this immediately after you return to school. If you know that you will be absent (especiallydue 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 theabsence. If you will be late toclass, bring a late slip from either the office or a teacher. Unexcused tardies and absences willlower your effort grade as well as your letter grade.
5. The taking of notes is optional but strongly encouraged as they can beinvaluable when you are doing your homework. Likewise, cooperative work is strongly recommended andencouraged except on quizzes and tests. This does not mean that it is okay to copy someone else’s work! What I expect is that you will helpeach other by explaining the concepts.
Grading: The marking period grade is comprisedof homework at roughly 25%, quizzes at 25%, and tests at 50%. Students are given a grade after eachunit that reflects their current status. Grading is done on a 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C. Plusses are for *7, *8, or *9 %’s while minuses are for *2,*1, or *0 %’s. Some test results will be curved due to thenature of the challenging tests.
Select Faculty Webpages and then my name. You are now at my homepage; click onthe Calculus Textbook image. Thisbrings you to the BC Calculus Home Page that you may wish to bookmark. My site contains a copy of thesyllabus, links to the publisher’s on-line support, and links to general mathresources, articles about math, and a portal to the four marking periods of theschool year. For each markingperiod page contains assignment guides, homework keys, handouts, and links toall of the demonstrations done in class.
Hintsfor Success: Keep up with your daily work. Be involved in the class discussions and the working of exampleproblems. Work cooperatively withyour peers. Make sure that youunderstand the concepts and not just the method for solving specificproblems. Read your mathbook. Keep good chapter notes,complete with examples. See me ifyou have difficulty (my free periods are C, D, G, 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
HISTORY OF CALCULUS
HISTORY OF MATH
Spoon feeding, in the long run teaches usnothing but the shape of the spoon.
-E.M. Forster
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