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Calculus BC Syllabus
Course
Overview
This
course
covers
all
of
the
topics
listed
in
the
AP
Calculus
BC
Course
Description.
When
time
allows,
the
course
also
covers
some
topics
that
are
not
required
for
Calculus
BC
students
but
that
enhance
students
understanding
of
the
concepts.
These
additional
topics
include
business
and
economics
applications
of
Calculus
that
students
who
plan
to
study
business
appreciate.
My
primary
objective
in
my
approach
to
teaching
this
course
is
to
provide
my
students
with
an
appreciation
for
the
beauty
and
power
of
Calculus
and
to
foster
in
them
a
desire
to
further
their
mathematical
studies
with
even
more
advanced
coursework.
At
the
start
of
the
course,
students
are
expected
to
be
fully
proficient
with
the
material
that
was
covered
both
before
and
during
Precalculus,
including
but
not
limited
to
the
language
and
properties
of
functions,
the
properties
and
graphs
of
various
families
of
functions
(e.g.
polynomial,
rational,
trigonometric,
exponential,
logarithmic,
etc.),
and
extreme
facility
with
algebraic
expressions.
As
an
example,
proficiency
with
the
trigonometric
functions
is
essential
when
we
cover
their
differentiation
formulas:
students
work
together
using
the
definition
of
the
derivative
and
their
knowledge
of
trigonometric
identities
in
order
to
develop
the
differentiation
formulas
themselves.
Our
school
operates
on
a
block
schedule
with
85-minute
class
periods
that
meet
every
day.
Students
take
4
courses
during
the
1st
semester
and
4
different
courses
during
the
2nd
semester.
Because
of
the
semester
scheduling
system,
all
students
who
enroll
in
AP
Calculus
BC
are
also
required
to
successfully
complete
AP
Calculus
AB
first.
This
prerequisite
is
essential
in
order
to
allow
for
coverage
of
all
AP
Calculus
BC
topics
within
a
semester
with
a
fast
pace
for
the
topics
that
were
covered
in
AP
Calculus
AB
and
a
slower
pace
for
the
BC-
only
topics.
Minimal
class
time
is
devoted
to
traditional
lecture.
The
majority
of
class
time
is
devoted
to
student
exploration
and
discovery,
frequently
in
collaboration
with
peers.
Students
are
encouraged
to
investigate
all
topics
from
multiple
perspectives:
numerical,
graphical,
and
analytical,
and
are
continually
required
to
express
their
thinking
and
their
solutions
verbally
in
both
oral
and
written
forms.
For
essentially
every
topic,
students
are
presented
with
functions
given
in
the
form
of
equations,
graphs,
tables,
and
verbal
descriptions
and
become
proficient
in
applying
each
new
Calculus
concept
in
all
of
these
forms
as
well
as
making
connections
between
the
forms.
Whether
informally
when
explaining
a
solution
in
class
or
formally
on
tests,
students
must
also
be
able
to
correctly
express
the
mathematics
in
complete
sentences
with
correct,
precise
terminology.
Throughout
the
course,
students
refine
their
ability
to
justify
their
mathematical
work.
By
the
completion
of
the
course,
students
will
be
proficient
in
all
the
required
topics
in
the
AP
Calculus
BC
Course
Description.
In
addition
to
passing
the
AP
exam,
students
should
be
prepared
for
success
in
future
mathematics
courses,
having
developed
a
solid
foundational
understanding
of
both
the
concepts
and
mechanics
of
Calculus.
Technology
All
students
in
this
course
are
required
to
own
a
TI-84+
calculator.
Students
use
their
calculators
in
class
on
most
days;
however,
they
are
primarily
used
for
the
purposes
of
initial
exploration
and/or
to
analyze,
interpret,
or
verify
results
attained
by
analytical
methods.
Using
the
calculator
as
an
exploration
and
experimentation
tool
allows
students
to
develop
an
initial
conceptual
understanding
of
a
topic
prior
to
investigating
it
in
a
more
detailed
manner
using
analytical
methods.
Using
the
calculator
to
verify
results
is
particularly
beneficial
when
trying
to
assess
the
reasonableness
of
a
solution
attained
by
other
methods.
One
example
of
a
calculator-based
activity
is
the
numerical
evaluation
of
limits.
Using
the
table
feature
of
the
calculator,
students
investigate
what
happens
to
the
values
of
expressions
when
approaching
particular
x-values
with
various
increments
and
make
conjectures
about
the
values
of
the
limits.
The
calculator
also
offers
an
immediate
connection
to
the
graphical
evaluation
of
limits:
students
can
analyze
the
graphs
of
the
same
expressions
and
discover
that
they
reveal
the
same
information
about
the
functions
behavior.
In
this
activity,
the
calculator
removes
the
tedious
process
of
calculating
a
long
list
of
numerical
values
or
drawing
the
graphs
by
hand
and
allows
students
to
instantly
focus
on
their
conceptual
understanding
of
limits.
All
assessments
(both
quizzes
and
tests)
are
divided
into
a
no-calculator
section
and
a
calculator-allowed
section.
The
sections
are
sometimes
divided
equally,
but
in
most
cases
the
no-calculator
section
makes
up
a
larger
portion
of
the
assessment.
On
all
assignments,
students
are
required
to
show
all
of
their
work
either
in
the
form
of
mathematical
expressions
or
in
complete
sentences
using
precise
mathematical
language
regardless
of
whether
or
not
a
calculator
was
used
to
perform
some
of
the
calculations.
Although
students
are
not
required
to
use
additional
technology
beyond
their
graphing
calculators
on
a
regular
basis,
I
frequently
use
other
technological
resources
such
as
GeoGebra
and
other
online
tools
to
provide
visual
representations
of
new
or
difficult-to-
grasp
concepts
(such
as
solids
of
revolution).
In
general,
students
know
how
to
use
their
calculators
to
view
the
graphs
of
functions,
to
solve
equations,
and
to
find
the
numerical
derivative
or
integral
of
a
function,
but
the
algebraic/analytical
methods
of
each
process
are
emphasized
equally
or
more
heavily
than
the
calculator
methods.
In
all
cases
of
technology
use,
the
purpose
of
its
integration
in
the
classroom
is
to
enhance
not
substitute
for
students
understanding
of
the
concepts
of
Calculus.
Student
Evaluation
Students
are
assessed
informally
on
a
daily
basis
in
class
in
both
oral
and
written
forms.
Students
are
expected
to
articulate
their
mathematical
ideas
with
proper
language
and
terminology
at
all
times,
regardless
of
the
medium
of
assessment.
One
activity
that
requires
students
to
express
their
thoughts
orally
is
an
in-class
assignment
in
which
students
compare
sets
of
3
graphs
and
determine
which
one
in
each
set
of
3
is
the
graph
of
f,
the
graph
of
f,
and
the
graph
of
f.
Students
must
be
able
to
articulate
their
justifications
as
to
why
they
have
classified
the
graphs
in
a
particular
way,
drawing
on
their
knowledge
of
the
relationships
between
a
function
and
its
derivatives.
On
a
more
formal
basis,
students
frequently
turn
in
problem
sets
that
span
several
days
or
a
whole
unit
of
material.
Students
are
permitted
to
work
together
when
completing
these
problems,
but
each
student
is
required
to
submit
an
individual
assignment
with
his
or
her
own
representation
of
the
solution
process.
These
solutions
must
include
both
the
mathematical
steps
and
written
explanations
and
justifications.
Students
also
complete
various
projects
throughout
the
course.
For
example,
after
studying
related
rates,
students
complete
a
project
in
which
they
write
and
solve
their
own
related
rates
problems.
They
are
required
to
create
a
problem
of
sufficient
complexity,
simultaneously
ensuring
that
all
necessary
given
information
is
provided
and
that
the
problem
is
written
with
clear
and
correct
language.
Students
must
solve
the
problem
and
then
create
a
visual
representation
of
their
problem,
including
the
full
mathematical
solution,
accompanied
by
written
explanations
and
justifications
of
the
steps.
Students
are
assessed
in
the
form
of
quizzes
approximately
once
per
week
and
tests
approximately
once
every
two
weeks.
The
format
of
quizzes
and
tests
resemble
the
structure
of
the
AP
exam:
multiple
choice
and
free
response
questions,
divided
into
a
no-calculator
and
a
calculator-allowed
section.
The
free
response
questions
are
frequently
pulled
from
the
archive
of
past
AP
free
response
problems.
The
final
exam
covers
the
content
of
the
entire
course.
It
is
structured
and
graded
in
the
style
of
the
AP
exam
with
timed
sections
for
each
of
the
four
parts
of
the
AP
Calculus
exam,
but
the
number
of
questions
is
reduced
to
accommodate
the
shorter
time
duration
of
the
final
exam
period:
90
minutes
total.
Course
Outline
The
outline
below
represents
the
timeline
of
the
course
and
the
topics
that
are
presented.
All
times
listed
are
approximate
and
include
time
for
review
and
assessment.
Unit
1:
Prerequisites
for
Calculus
(Completed
by
students
prior
to
the
beginning
of
the
semester)
Unit
2:
Limits
and
Continuity
(3
days)
Rates
of
Change
and
Limits
Limits
Involving
Infinity
Continuity
Rates
of
Change
and
Tangent
Lines
Unit
3:
Derivatives
(5
days)
Derivative
of
a
Function
o Concept
of
the
derivative
o Derivative
at
a
point
o Derivative
as
a
function
o Higher
order
derivatives
Differentiability
Rules
for
Differentiation
o The
Power
Rule
o Derivatives
of
Sums,
Products,
and
Quotients
of
Functions
Velocity
and
Other
Rates
of
Change
Derivatives
of
Trigonometric
Functions
Unit
4:
More
Derivatives
(4
days)
Chain
Rule
Implicit
Differentation
Derivatives
of
Inverse
Functions
and
Inverse
Trigonometric
Functions
Derivatives
of
Exponential
and
Logarithmic
Functions
Unit
5:
Applications
of
Derivatives
(7
days)
Extreme
Values
of
Functions
The
Mean
Value
Theorem
for
Derivatives
Graphical
Analysis
of
Functions
(relating
the
graphs
of
f,
f,
and
f)
and
Curve
Sketching
Modeling
and
Optimization
Linearization
and
Differentials
Related
Rates
Unit
6:
The
Definite
Integral
(7
days)
Estimating
with
Finite
Sums
Definite
Integrals
as
a
Limit
of
Riemann
Sums
Antiderivatives
Average
Value
of
a
Function
The
Mean
Value
Theorem
for
Integrals
The
Fundamental
Theorem
of
Calculus
The
Trapezoidal
Rule
Unit
7:
Differential
Equations
and
Modeling
(8
days)
Slope
Fields
and
Eulers
Method
Antidifferentiation
by
Substitution
Antidifferentiation
by
Parts
Exponential
Growth
and
Decay
Separable
Differential
Equations
Logistic
Growth
Unit
8:
Applications
of
Integrals
(7
days)
Integral
as
Net
Change
Areas
in
the
Plane
Volumes
using
the
Disk,
Washer,
and
Shell
Methods
Lengths
of
Curves
Applications
from
Science
and
Statistics
Unit
9:
LHpitals
Rule,
Improper
Integrals,
and
Partial
Fractions
(6
days)
Sequences
LHpitals
Rule
Relative
Rates
of
Growth
Improper
Integrals
Unit
10:
Infinite
Series
(14
days)
Concept
of
Series
Series
of
Constants
Power
Series
Taylor
and
Maclaurin
Series
Taylors
Theorem
Radius
and
Interval
of
Convergence
Testing
Convergence
at
Endpoints
Error
Bounds
Unit
11:
Parametric,
Vector,
and
Polar
Functions
(8
days)
Parametric
Functions
Vectors
in
the
Plane
Polar
Functions
Remaining
course
time
is
used
for
AP
exam
review.