BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour

Course: AP Calculus BC

Instructor: Neil Whitehead

Email: neil.whitehead@basisinternationalph.com

Student Hours: Wednesday 4:30 – 5:30pm

Parent Hours: by appointment in BG Cloud

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The prerequisite for this course is AP Calculus AB.  AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC focus on students’ understanding of calculus concepts and provide experience with methods and applications. Through the use of big ideas of calculus (e.g., modeling change, approximation and limits, and analysis of functions), each course becomes a cohesive whole, rather than a collection of unrelated topics. Both courses require students to use definitions and theorems to build arguments and justify conclusions. The courses feature a multirepresentational approach to calculus, with concepts, results, and problems expressed graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. Exploring connections among these representations builds understanding of how calculus applies limits to develop important ideas, definitions, formulas, and theorems. A sustained emphasis on clear communication of methods, reasoning, justifications, and conclusions is essential. Teachers and students should regularly use technology to reinforce relationships among functions, to confirm written work, to implement experimentation, and to assist in interpreting results.” (College Board, 2019)

GRADING POLICY

The grade for each grading period will be determined as follows:

80%    Major Assignments

20%    Minor Assignments

Total: 100%  per grading period

Major Assessments may include, but are not limited to tests, quizzes, projects. Minor Assessments may include, but are not limited to homework, homework quizzes, participation, vocab quizzes, in class assignments.

Final Grade Calculation: If students decide to take the AP Exam, the final grade will be calculated according to the Parent/Student Handbook. Otherwise, the final grade will be calculated as a weighted average with 20% per trimester and 40% for the AP Alternative.

No late work will be accepted unless previously excused by Mr. Whitehead. In the event of an excused absence the missing work will be dealt with according to the Parent-Student Handbook. However, students are strongly encouraged to do ALL assignments. Late homework will not count towards their grade but will be taken into consideration at the end of the semester if a student is on the border between two grades.

Homework

Homework is assigned daily and generally consists of problems from the book, worksheets, and test corrections. Homework is graded on completion and accuracy. There are three requirements for homework to be considered complete:

• All problems must be attempted with appropriate work shown and written in pencil.
• The homework review process must include checking all questions.
• Homework must be turned in on time. Homework is due at the start of each class.

Please be aware: Students MUST complete homework if they are to succeed in this class.

Tests

Tests are given weekly (every Friday) and will be cumulative, potentially covering all topics covered in class. Students who are disruptive, who are caught using materials/technology that have been forbidden during a test, or other academic dishonesty violations will receive a zero for that test. If a student misses a test because of an excused absence, she/he must see the teacher immediately to schedule a make-up test. Students must complete the missing test within a week of the initial exam date. Failure to complete a missing test results in a grade of zero. Make-up tests are completed outside of the classroom time and have the same time constraints as in-class tests of 50 minutes. It is the student’s responsibility to remember to turn in missed assignments and make up missed tests/quizzes. Retake tests are not permitted in AP Calculus classes. However, the semester exam grade can replace one test grade if a student demonstrates knowledge at the end of the semester.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

In general, students are expected to: be on time, be prepared, keep an organized binder, attend class with their Communication Journal, complete the problem set (homework), ask questions, follow directions, work hard to stay on task, treat others with respect, promote a learning environment, and speak English.

Academic Integrity
Common forms of academic dishonesty in this specific class may include: copying from the internet, copying from the solution manual, copying from another student, re-using your own work multiple times, or using equation solver apps. Any suspicion of academic dishonesty will be immediately referred to the Dean of Students and treated as a discipline violation (see Parent-Student Handbook). Cheating will not benefit you, especially in math, since the concepts build upon themselves.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The following instructional materials will be used for this course:

Textbook: Required Instructional Material

ISBN 78-1418300203

Author Demana, Waits, Kennedy, Bressoud, Boardman

Title Calculus Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic, 6^th edition, AP Edition

Publisher Pearson

School Supplies

Students need to bring the following supplies to class every day

• Pencils (All work needs to be completed in pencil)
• Red Pen (All work needs to be corrected in red pen)
• Colored pens/markers
• Notebook
• Communication Journal
• TI-Nspire CX CAS Graphing Calculator
• Computer
• Textbook (listed above)

Other Information

Information within this syllabus is subject to change based on the teachers’ discretion. Students will be notified in advance by the teacher if changes occur.

Student Support Hours

Student hours are an opportunity for students to individually discuss academic progress such as grades or missing or incomplete work. Students are encouraged to communicate with the teacher prior to convey the purpose of the meeting. Student hours will be held 1 hour per week on Wednesday

Parent Appointments

If parents would like to meet with the teacher to discuss any questions or concerns, parents must schedule an appointment on BG Cloud at least 24 hours in advance (please make note if a translator will be needed).

COURSE OUTLINE

These topics will be reviewed and extended in AP Calculus BC:

Chapter 1: Limits and Continuity

Chapter 2: Differentiation. Definition and Basic Derivatives Rules

Chapter 3: Differentiation. Composite, Implicit, and Inverse Functions

Chapter 4: Contextual Applications of Differentiation

Chapter 5: Analytical Applications of Differentiation

Chapter 6: Integration and Accumulation of Change

Chapter 7: Differential Equations

Chapter 8: Applications of Integration

New topics:

Chapter 9: Infinite Series

Chapter 10: Parametric, Vector, and Polar Functions