AP Calculus BC Mr' Adcock Fall 2001

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Welcome to Parents' Night 2008
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Mr. AdcockFall 2008
AP Calculus BC

• Math is the great equalizer. -- Jamie Escalante

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Who Am I?

• Experience
• 16th year at CLS
• Degrees
• B.S. in math education from UIUC
• M.S. in mathematics from NIU
• Family
• Wife Lori (CLS grad)
• Daughter Grace 6 yrs.

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What Is Calculus BC?

• Full-year course in the calculus of functions of
  a single variable
• Equivalent to Calculus I and II in college
• Covers all topics in Calculus AB plus additional
  topics
• Is an extension of Calculus AB rather than an
  enhancement

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What Are The Course Emphases?

• Developing student understanding of the concepts
  of calculus
• Providing experience with the methods and
  applications of calculus
• Expressing connections among representations of
  concepts
• Geometric
• Numeric
• Analytic
• Verbal

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What Are We Going To Do?

• Sharpen creative problem-solving skills
• One of the most important AP skills
• Increase ability to synthesize multiple
  concepts/skills to solve problems not previously
  encountered
• Most AP problems will not be cookbook in
  nature!!!

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What Are We Going To Do?

• Learn calculus from a conceptual perspective
• Geometrically
• Analytically
• Numerically
• Verbally
• Learn how calculus applies to real life
• Science, engineering, economics, etc.
• Novel application problems encountered regularly

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What Prerequisite Knowledge Is Required?

• Knowledge of functions
• Properties
• Graphs
• Linear
• Polynomial
• Exponential Logarithmic
• Trigonometric
• Piecewise
• Vocabulary
• Evaluation
• Trig function values

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What Topics Will We Discuss?

• Functions, Graphs, and Limits
• Analysis of graphs
• Limits of functions
• Asymptotes and unbounded behavior
• Continuity
• Analysis of parametric, polar, and vector
  functions

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What Topics Will We Discuss?

• Derivatives
• Concept of a derivative
• Derivative at a point
• Derivative as a function
• Applications of derivatives
• Computation of derivatives

• Integrals
• Riemann sums
• Interpretations and properties of integrals
• Applications of integrals and antiderivatives
• Techniques of antidifferentiation
• Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
• Numerical Approximations

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What Topics Will We Discuss?

• Polynomial Approximations and Series
• Concept of series
• Series of constants
• Power series
• Taylor series

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What Will Happen During Each Period?

• Lab Periods
• Discussion of homework
• Application labs
• Lab quizzes

• Lecture/Discussion Period
• Presentation of new concepts
• Group discussion
• Exams/quizzes

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How Is My Grade Determined?

• Grading Scale
• 96.5 A 69.5-72.4 C-
• 92.5-96.4 A 66.5-69.4 D
• 89.5-92.4 A- 62.5-66.4 D
• 86.5-89.4 B 59.5-62.4 D- 82.5-86.4 B
  59.4 and Below F
• 79.5-82.4 B-
• 76.5-79.4 C
• 72.5-76.4 C

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How Is My Grade Determined?

• Determination of Quarter Grades
• Uses school final semester grade scale
• Components
• Quarter percentage grade equivalent 80
• Quarter exam letter grade 20

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What Will Homework Be Like?

• One of the most critical components of class
• Assigned nightly
• Approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour per section
• Worth 3 points per assignment
• Mixture of two types
• Textbook problems (nightly)
• Retired AP problems (weekly or biweekly)
• Collected on day of quiz/test
• DO NOT GET BEHIND!!!

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What Will Exams Be Like?

• Will cover whole chapters or parts of chapters
• Will cover related topics
• Comprised of several sections
• Multiple choice similar to AP questions
• Non-calculator on most tests
• Non-AP open-ended questions
• AP-level free response questions
• Calculator and/or non-calculator
• Not on every quiz/test
• Grade determined by straight math department
  scale

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What Is A Quarter Exam?

• Given end of 1st and 3rd quarters
• Format similar to AP exam
• Comprised of two sections
• Non-calculator multiple choice
• Calculator-allowed free response
• Applications of calculus
• Grade determined by AP scale
• 80 and up A
• 65-79 A
• 50-64 B
• 35-49 C
• Below 35 D

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What Materials Are Required?

• Graphing calculator (minimum TI-8X)
• Class text
• Calculus, 5th Ed., by Larson, Hostetler, and
  Edwards
• Notebook
• Minimum of 150 pages

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What Should I Do If Im Absent?

• Copy class notes from peers
• Make up missed work ASAP
• One week to complete
• Ask for Test Center pass
• Ask for help
• Peers
• Mr. A

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When Can I Get Help?

• Free periods
• 2nd period M
• 4th period
• 9th period
• Before school
• 645-715
• After school
• Beginning in October
• Until 330

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What Can I Get More Information About This Course?

• Check out my faculty website
• www.d155.org/cls/Faculty/adcockb
• Information on website
• Course syllabus
• Semester assignment guide
• Links to important websites for this class
• My e-mail address

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Everything You Wanted To Know About The AP
Calculus Exams

• And Maybe More

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What Are The Exams Like?

• Constructed to determine student mastery of
  calculus concepts and techniques
• Comprised of two sections
• Multiple choice
• Part A 28 questions in 55 minutes w/o
  calculator
• Part B 17 questions in 50 minutes with
  calculator
• Free Response
• Part A 3 questions in 45 minutes with
  calculator
• Part B 3 questions in 45 minutes w/o calculator

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What Calculators Are Allowed?

• Required capabilities
• Produce the graph of a function in an arbitrary
  viewing window
• Find the zeros of a function
• Compute derivatives numerically
• Compute definite integrals numerically

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What Calculators Are Allowed?

• ALL TI-8X CALCULATORS HAVE THESE CAPABILITIES!!!
• NO PROGRAMS WILL BE DELETED!!!
• Two calculators may be used
• Cannot be used simultaneously
• No QWERTY-style models

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When and Where Are The Exams Given?

• Date and Time
• Wednesday, May 6
• Location
• To be determined later

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What Is The AP Grading Scale?

• General guidelines for grade of 3
• 50 to 60 correct on multiple choice
• Acceptable performance on free response
• Approximate AP scale
• 70 5 on AP
• 55 4 on AP
• 45 3 on AP
• Scale changes depending on exam difficulty

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How Well Have CLS Students Done On The AP
Exam?1998-2008
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What AP Credit Will I Get?

• 4 or higher usually required for credit
• 4 or 5 8 hours of credit
• 3 possibility of 4 hours of credit
• Varies depending on school
• Check accepted scores online

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What Does Mr. A Expect Of Me?

• STAY FOCUSED!
• TRY TO ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST!
• REMEMBER THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT!
• AND...

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What Does Mr. A Expect Of Me?

• HAVE FUN!!!

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT!

• AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR
  CHILDS EDUCATION!

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT!

• PLEASE FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME AT adcock_at_d155.org!