AP Calculus BC The essence of mathematics is not to make simple

Dr. Liz McClain - Room 1010 things complicated but to make complicated
ekmcclain@olatheschools.org things simple.
913-780-7160 -Stanley Gudder
Class Website: http://lizmcclain.weebly.com
Remind code: @LMcalcbc19
AP Classroom: DMD9EP

Prerequisite
Successful completion of Pre-calculus
Course Description
This course is designed to cover two semesters of college calculus material. This course is not only
designed to prepare students for the AP Calculus BC exam but also to enhance students’ mathematical
thinking and ability to communicate their thinking. At the end of this course, students should have a
strong foundation with calculus presented graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally and its use in
various applications. Topics to be covered include derivatives, anti-derivatives/integration, areas under
curves, volumes of polygonal regions, exponential functions and logarithms, and differential equations.
Additional topics include integration techniques, polar curves, infinite series and parametric equations. .
Students taking this course may obtain college credits through the Advanced Placement Testing program
or through the College Now program.
• Advanced Placement Exam – Highly encouraged for all students.
o There is no prerequisite to take the exam.
o Registration deadline is Monday, November 4th with a cost of $98. Registration is
completed through your College Board account through AP Classroom.
o The AP BC exam is 60% AB topics and 40% BC-only topics. Students taking the BC exam
will receive an AB subscore, meaning they can earn up to 5 hours of college credit for
mastering the AB topics without mastering the BC topics. A passing score on the entire BC
exam means the student has mastered both portions and can receive up to 10 hours of
college credit, depending on the particular college and individual degree requirements.
• College Now – Through JCCC.
o Prerequisite: Precalc Grade from JCCC of “C” or better OR ACT Math portion score of at
least a 28 OR appropriate score on the JCCC math placement test. For more information
about the Placement Exam, visit https://www.jccc.edu/admissions/early-college/high-school-
concurrent-enrollment/high-school-testing.html
o Registration deadline is Friday, September 13th, with a cost of $94/credit hour ($470).
Students must first apply to JCCC before they can enroll in classes. You may follow this link
to complete enrollment: https://www.jccc.edu/admissions/early-college/high-school-
concurrent-enrollment/high-school-how-to-enroll.html
o The College Now Calculus Exam covers topics from Calculus I. This exam will be
administered at the conclusion of Calculus I topics.

Course Objectives
The main objective of the course is to give students the understanding of calculus concepts, related
mathematical skills and appropriate technology necessary for success on the Advanced Placement Exam
and in subsequent college mathematics courses. This course will give students an opportunity to develop
an appreciation of calculus as a coherent body of knowledge and as a human accomplishment.
Materials
Text: Calculus, AP Edition, Briggs, Cochran, and Gillett, 2014.
Graphing Calculator: TI-83 and TI-84 series calculators will be used for assignments and assessments,
most of which are divided into calculator and non-calculator exercises. (Calculators are available for rent
for the school year - $20)
Classroom Expectations
• Be in your seat with paper, pencil, pen, and calculator prepared to learn when the bell rings.
• Show respect for others through your communication and behavior.
• Be actively engaged in classroom experiences.
• Use electronic devices at the discretion of the instructor.
• Bring only water in containers with lids into the classroom – no other food and drink please.

Attendance Policy
Absences and tardies will be handled according to the policies in the student handbook.

Extra Assistance
At Olathe South we want all students to have every opportunity to be successful. Students are welcome
to come in for extra assistance during the following times:
• Daily during Falcon 50: Session A (1st Semester) , Session B (2nd Semester)
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 7:30-7:55 am
• Monday – Friday: 3:00 – 3:30 pm
• Seminar: Thursday (block days-must get permission)
It is recommended that students check with their instructor before coming in before or after school to
ensure availability. Students should not hesitate to ask for extra help if they are having difficulty.
Student Evaluation
Quarter grades are calculated as a running total and comprised of the following categories and their
corresponding weights:
Homework 5%
In Class Practice 5%
Out of Class Practice 5%
Quizzes 30 %
Exams 55 %
Semester grades will be weighted as follows:
2nd or 4th Quarter Grades 90 %
Final Exam 10 %
Daily Homework: Homework will be assigned most class periods and will be due the following class
meeting, unless notified otherwise. Homework will be completed in pencil, showing all work, and turned
in on time. Homework will be graded on overall completion. Students are expected to show work- a list of
answers will not be accepted. Students are also expected to check their work and make any corrections in
another color using the posted key. Homework turned in late will be considered for reduced credit based
on reason.
In-class and out of class practice: Students are expected to actively participate in individual and group
activities to complete a variety of tasks and exercises both in class and out of class as additional practice.
Quizzes: Announced and unannounced quizzes will vary in length and be given in different formats such
as with or without notes and completed individually, in pairs, or in groups. One quiz per semester will be
dropped.
Make-up Quizzes: Upon instructor’s approval, arrangements should be made to complete a
missed quiz at the earliest possible time - before or after school or during Falcon 50/Seminar.
* ALL missing assignments and quizzes must be completed and turned in before the unit exam to be
considered for any credit.
Exams: All exams will be announced well in advance and given at the end of a topic. Most exams will
consist of a multiple-choice section and a free response section to imitate the AP exam style.
Retake Exams: Students will be allowed to retake one exam each semester. In order to be eligible
for a retake, the student must complete an extra review activity (determined by instructor). The
higher score between the retake test and the original will be recorded. *Some tests are not
available to retake due to calendar limitations.
Students have two options:
1) Students may complete the retake within two weeks of receiving the test back.
2) Students may complete the retake during The “Retake” week which will be shortly before
Finals and will be announced well in advance.
Make-up Exams: Arrangements should be made to complete the exam as soon as possible either
during Falcon 50, after school, or during seminar.
Final Exams:
• The first semester final exam will be cumulative for first semester.
• The second semester final exam will be completed outside of school hours and will be cumulative
in topics for the entire course.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty on a test or any assignment will result in no credit for the
test or assignment involved and a referral to the office. All persons that knowingly participate in
dishonest behavior are equally guilty and may be dealt with in the same manner.

Classroom Dynamics: Because of my strong belief that students learn best by discovering new concepts
for themselves, I attempt to promote an atmosphere of questioning, exploration, and excitement in the
classroom. Rarely does a lesson proceed straight down a prepared path; we take frequent side trips. I
encourage students to ask “what if” questions, for which I often do not have ready answers. The objective
is to engage students in enjoyable activities that promote interest in mathematics. I try to get them to ask
the questions. I rarely, if ever, tell students that some new concept or type of problem is easy. I’d rather
they feel a sense of accomplishment from being able to tackle hard concepts and problems than feel
frustration at being stumped by even the easy ones.

One consequence of calculus reform and of the accessibility of technology is that questions are becoming
much more interesting and diverse. The more experience students have with solving interesting and
difficult problems, the better.

Assessment: The issue of assessment in a technology-intensive classroom is one that teachers must
resolve intelligently. My own approach is to have a calculator and non-calculator portion of each exam. I
make sure the students are proficient at using technology to perform the four basic activities required on
it: graphing a function in an arbitrary window, finding roots and points of intersection, finding numerical
derivatives, and approximating definite integrals.
Major Themes: For each new major idea, I attempt to examine the concept graphically, numerically, and
symbolically; I illustrate connections among the three. I am also attentive to students’ verbal expression
of concepts, and make repeated and determined efforts to encourage them to be precise in their use of
language. We use graphing calculators throughout the course.

Calculus BC Course Outline

Preliminary
Students who begin Calculus BC have already had experience using graphing calculators. Nonetheless,
time is spent at the beginning of the course addressing issues of the limitations of technology, including
round-off error, hidden behavior examples, and other issues.
Unit I. Limits (11 days)
• Informal concept of limit
• Language of limits, including notation and one-sided limits
• Calculating limits using algebra
• Properties of limits
• Limits at infinity and asymptotes
• Estimating limits numerically and graphically
• Comparing growths of logarithmic, polynomial, and exponential functions
• Idea of continuity and the limit definition
• Types of discontinuities
• The Intermediate Value and Extreme Value Theorems
• Local and global behavior
• Rate of change concept
• Tangent lines, including using the tangent line to approximate a function
• Formal definitions of limit and continuity

Unit II. The Derivative (25 days)

• Linear functions and local linearity
• Slope–intercept, point slope, and Taylor forms of linear equations
• Difference quotient definition of derivative; computing the derivative at a point using the definition
• Estimating the derivative from tables and graphs
• Relationship between differentiability and continuity
• Symmetric difference quotient definition
• The derivative as a function; computing derivative functions from the definition
• Derivative as a rate of change
• Rules for computing derivatives; formulas for all relevant functions, including implicitly defined
functions

Unit III. Applications of Derivatives (17 days)

• Finding extrema
• Increasing and decreasing behavior
• The Mean Value Theorem
• Critical values and local extrema
• The first and second derivative tests
 • Concavity and points of inflection
• Comparing graphs of f, f’ and f’’
• Modeling and optimization
• Particle motion; position, velocity, and acceleration functions
• Linearization
• Related rates problems

Unit IV. The Definite Integral (15 days)

• Area under a curve and distance traveled
• Summation notation and partitions
• Riemann sum
• Definition of the definite integral as the limit of a Riemann sum
• Linearity properties of definite integrals
• Average value of a function
• Definition of antiderivative
• The idea of area function; discovering the fundamental theorem
• The First and Second Fundamental Theorems of Calculus and their uses
• The Mean Value Theorem for Integrals, and using the Fundamental Theorem to connect the two
Mean Value Theorems
• Numerical integration techniques: left endpoint, right endpoint, midpoint, and trapezoid rules

Unit V. Differential Equations and Mathematical Modeling (24 days)

• Initial value problems
• Translating verbal descriptions into differential equations
• Antiderivatives and slope fields
• Linearity properties of definite integrals
• Techniques of antidifferentiation: substitution and integration by parts
• Solving separable differential equations analytically
• The domain of the solution of a differential equation
• Exponential growth problems
• The logistic model and antiderivatives by partial fractions
• Solving initial value problems by Euler's method
• Solving initial value problems visually using slope fields
• Solving initial value problems using the Fundamental Theorem

Unit VI Applications of Definite Integrals (23 days)

• Integral of a rate of change gives net change
• Measuring area under and between functions;
• Measuring volume of solids of known cross-sectional area and solids of revolution
• Applications to particle motion—net and total distance traveled
• Arc length of function graphs
Unit VII. Parametric, Vector, and Polar Functions (17 days)
• Length of parametrically defined curves
• Vectors and vector-valued functions
• Calculus of vector functions
• Calculus of polar functions, including slope, length, and area

Unit VIII. Sequences (12 days)

• Idea and notation for sequences; arithmetic, harmonic, alternating harmonic, and geometric
sequences
• Definitions of convergence and divergence
• Bounded, monotonic, oscillating sequences
• Limit properties of sequences
• L’Hopital’s Rule and indeterminate forms
• Relative rates of growth of functions
• Improper integrals and the comparison test

Unit IX. Series (24 days)

• Definition and notation of series; sequence of partial sums; telescoping, geometric, harmonic,
alternating harmonic series
• Using substitution and antidifferentiating to calculate series for ln(1+x) and arctan(x) from geometric
series
• Terms of series as areas of rectangles; relationship to the integral test
• Power series; interval and radius of convergence defined
• Taylor series
• Maclaurin series for sinx, cosx ,and ex
• Functions defined by series
• Taylor polynomials
• Taylor’s theorem with Lagrange form of the remainder
• Alternating series error bound
• Linearity properties of series
• Radius of convergence: nth term test; direct comparison test; absolute and conditional
convergence; ratio test
• Interval of convergence and testing endpoints; integral test; p-series; limit comparison test;
alternating series test
Miscellaneous
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the schedule and procedure of the course if
necessary. Students will be informed of any changes made to this syllabus.