APCalculusABSyllabus

Teacher:Mr.Schievenin
Room:419
Email: brandon@laschina.org Please email me through gradelink if possible. Our email
systemwillrejectemailsifourinboxisfull,however,theadministrationwillreceivecopiesof
anyemailssentthroughgradelink.
Websites:slasmath.weebly.com
Homework answers: calcchat.com . If you cannot see the website, download the calcchat
iphoneapp.
OfficeHours:MondayFriday8:008:30,3:454:15
I.CourseOverview:
Inthiscoursestudentswillreviewtheconceptsoflimits,derivatives,integrals,approximation
their applications, and modeling. The expectation is that students will have completed the
coursework equivalent of a college level Calculus 1 course by the end of this year, and be
preparedtotestforthisaccreditationatthecollegeoruniversityoftheirchoice.Tothatend,
students will be required to take the College Board AP exam in May. (Prerequisite: Pre
Calculus)
II.Textbook:
Larson,Hostetler,andEdwards,Calculus8thedition,McDougalLittell
Our textbooks are very expensive and difficult to purchase in China. If a textbook is lost or
destroyedbythestudent,theschoolwillchargethestudentthecostofbuyingandshippinga
replacement.
III.CoreValuesintheClassroom
Compassion
Students are expected to value their fellow students and assist one another in developing n
understandingofthematerial,whilealsoensuringthattheyaretestedontheirownabilitiesso
thateverystudentknowshowmuchtheyknowandreceivesthesupportfromeachotherthat
theyneed.Ourcourseisnotarace,andIwillnotreleaseindividualrankingswithintheclass.
Thegoalisforourentireclasstoexcel,asproveninourAPexam,whencomparedtotherestof
theworld.
Communication
Students are expected to ask questions if they need help, and take responsibility for their
understandingofthe material.Studentsareexpectedtoorallypresentthestepstheyusedto
gettotheirconclusions,andexplaintheworkofotherstudents.Studentswillalsobeexpected
to interpret and solve problems involving functions presented verbally, numerically, and
graphically,includingwordproblemspresentedinEnglish.Studentswillbeabletousegraphing
calculators for experimentation, support or confirmation of solutions reached with pen and
paper(suchasgraphingfunctionsandcreatingformulasforRiemannsumsthatcanbutsolved
viasummationcalculationspossibleonaprovidedTI83),andgeneralcalculation.Studentsare
expected to answer short answer questions about their problem solving process and
interpretationoftheirresultsincompletesentences.

Creativity:
Students are expected to analyze a problem and select the right tools needed to solve it.
Students are expected to be able to explain how to solve problems in their own words, and
breakdowndifficultconceptsinawaythatpeoplewithoutexperienceintheirfieldofexpertise
canunderstand.

Confidence:
Studentswillbecalledonalot,andexpectedtospeakoften.Riskswillbeencouraged,withthe
understanding that presenting a mistake is an opportunity for correction and ultimately
learning.
IV.GeneralPolicies:Attendance,LateAssignments,andClassroomDisruptions
Mygeneralphilosophy:Iexpectthatmystudentswillcometoclassontimeandbeginworking
ontheirdonowactivity,sothatnoclasstimeiswasted.Attendancewillbetakeneveryclass,
andstudentsthatarrivelatewillbemarkedtardyongradelink.Anystudentthatismarkedtardy
fourtimeswillbemarkedabsent.Assignmentsareexpectedontime.Ifanassignmentneedsto
beturnedinlatethisshouldbearrangedwiththeteacheraheadoftime.
Disruptivebehaviorisanybehaviorthatpreventsotherstudentsfromlearningorparticipating
inthelesson.Iwillnottoleratedisruptivebehavior.Iwillaskastudentwithdisruptivebehavior
tostoponce.Ifthestudentcontinuestodisturbtheclass,Iwillsentthemoutoftheclassand
assignthemanabsenceforthatday.
V.RequiredMaterials
Note:AllteachersatLASareencouragingstudentstoreusematerialsfromoneyeartothenext,
duetothelargeamountofusablematerialsthrownoutlastyear.Thisyear,ourschoolwillnot
provide classroom materials for students to take home. Please save your notebooks from this
yearsothatyoucanusethemnextyear.
Students are required to use a graphing calculator as part of this course. A list of calculators
approved for use on the AP Calculus examination is available on our course website. If the
studentdoesnothaveagraphingcalculator,thatstudentcanpurchaseonethroughtheschool
atadiscountedrate.LASdoesnotmakemoneyongraphingcalculatorsalestostudents.
Students will also need pencils, a notebook for note taking, notebook paper and a folder or
threeringbinderforhomework.
VI.Recommendedmaterials
Ifyoucannotaccesscalcchat.com,Irecommenddownloadingthecalcchatappforiphonesor
ipod touch. The application costs $5 USD, but will allow you to download the answers to
homeworkproblemsandusethemwithoutaninternetconnection.
I also recommend reading Barons AP Calculus, 12th edition before taking the AP exam. This
bookincludesAPCalculusABandAPCalculusBCexaminationsfrompreviousyearsaswellas
quickreviewsofallthetopicscoveredbytheexamination.

Khanacademy.orgalsohasmathhelpvideoscoveringbasicalgebrathroughmanyofthetopics
inCalculustestedontheAPexamination.
VII.GradingPolicy
Gradeswillbegivenasapercentageoutof100.Thefollowingcriteriawillbeusedtodetermine
eachQuartersGrade:
Tests
30%
Projects
20%
Quizzes
25%
Homework
10%
ClassworkandParticipation
15%
Homework:
Answersandstepsneededtosolvetheoddproblemsonassignedhomeworksetsareavailable
online,atwww.calcchat.com.Thisisacollegelevelcourse,andstudentsareexpectedtotake
moreresponsibilityfortheirlearningprocess:studentsareexpectedtochecktheiranswersand
makecorrectionstotheirhomeworkpriortoclass.Questionsthatcannotbereconciledbythe
students canberaisedatthenextclass.Homework notebooks will becollectedattheendof
everyweekandgradeswillbeassignedbasedoncompletionoftheassignments.Allhomework
shouldbecompletedinpencilorblackink.Studentsareencouragedtonoterasemistakes,but
ratherplaceasinglelinethroughthemistakeandmakeanoteofwhythemistakewasmade.
Thisispartofthelearningprocess.
RetestPolicy:
Ifastudentscoreslessthan65%onatestorquiz,theymayelecttoretakethequiz.Iftheydo
so,theirnewgradewillbecappedateitherthelowestscoreofthestudentthatpassedORthe
average of their original score and retest grade (whichever is lower). This ensures that it is
always beneficial for a student that failed to retest, while also ensuring that a retest never
disadvantages students that do not qualify for retesting. Students that score below 65% on a
sectionofaquizmayrequestaretestonthatsectiononly,whichwillbeopentoallstudentson
acasebycasebasis.
VIII.PlagiarismandCheating:
The goal of education is for each student to demonstrate mastery of the content. Cheating
deludestheteachersunderstandingofastudentsabilities.Whilestudentsareencouragedto
helpeachotherunderstandhowtodothehomeworkandclasswork,copyinganswersdirectly
withoutworkingontheproblemORprovidinganyhelpontestsorquizzesisunacceptable.Any
studentcaughtcheatingwillreceiveascoreofZEROontheassignmentinquestion.Ameeting
withadministrationandparentswillbescheduled,andthestudentsotherassignmentgrades
will not be entered until the assignment that the student was cheating on is resubmitted. No
creditwillbeawardedfortheresubmission.
Whenever possible, I will create multiple forms of each test to ensure that students
demonstratetheirownmasteryofthecontent.

IX.Dictionaries
Most of our students do not speak English as their first language. For this reason, electronic
dictionarieswillbepermittedintheclassroomforuseasdictionaries.Ifanystudentiscaught
using their device for anything other than a dictionary without express permission from the
teacher, their device will be confiscated and sent to the vice principal. As a new schoolwide
policythisyear,cellulardevicesmaynotbevisibleforanypurposewithintheclassrooms.Allcell
phoneswillbeconfiscatedandsenttotheVicePrincipalforpickup.Thisincludesiphones,soif
necessarypleasebringapaperdictionarytoclass.

Students will be charged 25100 RMB by the Vice Principal for the return of any confiscated
device,dependingonhowmanytimesthestudentsdevicehasbeenconfiscated.
Ifanystudenthastheirdeviceconfiscatedtwice,theywillnotbeallowedtousetheirdevicein
class.
X.Progressreports:
Youwillreceiveaprogressreportafter41/2weeksineachquarter.Additionalprogressreports
maybesentiftheteacherfeelsitisnecessaryforbehaviorproblemsorsignificantchangesin
performance.

The fourth quarter progress report will be sent shortly before the AP examination, based on
fourth quarter diagnostic tests. This will assess student performance on 25 distinct skills
evaluatedontheAPexamination,toassiststudentsinfocusingtheirstudyeffortsleadingupto
theexam.
Studentsareencouragedtobringquestionstoclass,butiftheystillfeeltheydontunderstand,
thentheycanmeetwithMr.Brandonafterschoolforadditionalsupport.Calculusisnotdifficult
ifyoustayontopofthematerials.
XI.Parentsaspartners:Donthesitatetocontactmeatbrandon@laschina.org
Parents are encouraged to contact the teacher whenever they have questions or concerns.
Pleasedonotwaittheprogressreportsorparentteacherconferencesifyouneedtotalktothe
teacher.ContactMr.Brandontoarrangeatimetomeet.APCalculusisanacademicallyrigorous
course.Youcanhelp:Ifyouthinkyourchildisstruggling,please,contactmesowecanarrange
forextrasupport.Seethewebsiteforadditionalinformation.

YEAR IN PREVIEW
Teacher: Schievenin

Room:

419

Subject: AP Calculus AB

Grade:

12

First Quarter
Limits and Their Properties
A Preview of Calculus
An introduction to limits, including an intuitive understanding of the limit process
Estimating limits graphically and numerically
Evaluating limits analytically
Continuity and one-sided limits
Infinite limits
Describing asymptotes using infinite limit notation
Differentiation
Introduction to the derivative using the Tangent line problem
Understanding of the derivative: graphically, numerically, and analytically
Rules of differentiation for sums, differences, products, quotients
and trigonometric functions, Evaluating rates of change
The derivative as: the limit of the average rate of change, an instantaneous rate of change, limit of the difference
quotient, and the slope of a curve at a point
The relationship between differentiability and continuity
Functions that have a vertical tangent at a point
The chain rule, Implicit differentiation, Related rates
Applications of Differentiation
Extrema on an interval and the Extreme Value Theorem
Rolles Theorem and the Mean Value Theorem
Increasing and decreasing functions and the First Derivative Test
Concavity and points of inflection
Concavity and the second derivatives test

Second Quarter
Applications of Differentiation
A summary of curve sketchingusing geometric and analytic information as well as calculus to predict the
behavior of a function
Relating the graphs of f , f , and f
Optimization including both relative and absolute extrema
Tangent line to a curve and linear approximations
Application problems including position, velocity, acceleration, and rectilinear motion
Integration
Antiderivatives and indefinite integration, including antiderivatives following directly from derivatives of
basic functions
Meaning of the definite integral, Area under a curve
Use of Riemann sums and trapezoidal sums to approximate definite integrals of functions that are represented
analytically, graphically, and by tables of data
Use of the First Fundamental Theorem to evaluate definite integrals
Use of substitution of variables to evaluate definite integrals
The Second Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and functions defined by integrals
The Mean Value Theorem for Integrals and the average value of a function
Logarithmic, Exponential, and Other Transcendental Functions
The natural logarithmic function and differentiation
The natural logarithmic function and integration
Inverse functions

Third Quarter
Logarithmic, Exponential, and Other Transcendentals
Exponential functions: differentiation and integration
Bases other than e and applications
Inverse trigonometric functions and differentiation
Inverse trigonometric functions and integration
Applications of Integration
Slope Fields
Differential Equations: Growth and Decay
Separation of variables
First-order Linear Differential Equations
Applications of Integration: Continued
Area of a region between two curves
Volume of a solid with known cross sections
Volume of solids of revolution: Disk Method
Applications of integration in physical, biological, and economic contexts
Applications of integration in problems involving a particle moving along a line, including the use of the
definite integral with an initial condition and using the definite integral to find the distance traveled by a particle
along a line

Fourth Quarter
Integration by Parts, Integration by Partial Fractions, Eulers Method, LHopitals Rule, and
Improper Integrals
Review of basic integration rules
Trigonometric integrals
Integration by partial fractions
Eulers Method
LHopitals Rule and its use in determining limits
Improper integrals
AP Review
After AP Exam: Select Topics (Based on student interest)