| AP Calculus AB and BC |
We have two sections, both taught by the same teacher. One prepares for the easier "AB" exam (normally a one semester college course) and the other for the more comprehensive "BC" exam (normally a two semester college course.
Teacher: Susan Gilleran
Email: sgillera@mac.com
Text Required:
Class Fees:$625
Class Description: This AP Calculus course prepares students for the AP Calculus AB Exam. There are two AP Calculus Exams given each year - Calculus AB and Calculus BC. There are two courses designed to prepare for the exams, each to be taught over a full high school academic year. The Calculus BC course includes all of the material included in the Calculus AB course plus additional topics. Therefore, a student would take either one course or the other but not both. The possibility of offering an AP Calculus BC course for 2008-2009 is under investigation.
Most colleges and universities offer a sequence of courses in calculus. Because of this, it depends on the policies of the institution and the results of your AP Exam as to where you are placed in their sequence of courses. The content of Calculus BC is designed to qualify the student for placement and credit in a course that is one course beyond that given for Calculus AB. Typically, AP Calculus AB is the first semester of college calculus and BC is the second semester.
This study of calculus, the mathematics of motion and change, is divided into two major topics: differential and integral calculus. Differential calculus enables us to calculate rates of change, to find the slope of a curve, and to calculate velocities and accelerations of moving bodies. Integral calculus is used to find the area of an irregular region in a plane, to reconstruct distance from velocity, and to calculate volumes of arbitrary solids.
You will be provided opportunities to work with functions represented in four essential ways: graphically, numerically, analytically and verbally. An emphasis will be placed on connecting these representations. You will come to understand the “derivative” in terms of a rate of change and the “integral” as a limit of sums and the net accumulation of change. The philosophy and approach of the course is to develop skills that can be applied to solving problems – skills that will become second nature to you due to understanding the why behind the major concepts.
You will start using your graphing calculator soon after the start of the class. A separate text is used, in conjunction with the major text, to facilitate the learning of the functionality of the calculator and its ease of use. Throughout the course of the year, you will become comfortable using the calculator as a tool to help solve problems, experiment, interpret results, and support conclusions. However, it will not become a replacement for your pen and pencil.
From September through March, this class is devoted to studying the topics covered in a typical college Calculus I course. The month of April is spent reviewing and preparing for the AP Exam. Throughout the year, practice multiple choice and free response tests, with questions taken from actual AP Exams, are administered and the scoring and content of the AP Exam are discussed.
You’ll be interacting with your classmates and me through an online discussion board. You will post any questions you may have about the reading material or the homework assignments, answer each other’s questions, and discuss general topics as well as posting solutions to problems.
This class participation is a key element in getting you to learn how to verbalize the mathematics of what you are studying. Each assignment will build on previous assignments, so success will depend on your daily response to the challenge.
While this course is not for the faint-hearted, because it’s rigorous and demanding and it just might be one of the hardest courses you’ll take, I’ll dare say, it’ll also be one of the most challenging opportunities of your life as a student. And one of the most significant lessons you’ll learn, is that along with the greatest challenges comes the greatest satisfaction. You just might say at the end of the course “Wow, what a ride that was!”
Instructor Qualifications: I earned a BS and secondary teaching certificate in Mathematics from Wayne State University and an MBA from Lawrence Tech University. I taught high school mathematics before moving to the business world at Ford Motor Company where I was an Information Technology Manager.
This will be my third year teaching the AP Calculus course for PA Homeschoolers. I’m looking forward to an exciting year that’s sure to be an adventure for everyone involved.
Teacher: Susan Gilleran
Email: sgillera@mac.com
Texts Required:
Who Should Apply: All students should have completed the equivalent of four years of high-school level mathematics designed for college-bound students. These would typically be referred to as Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Pre-Calculus covering advanced topics in algebra, trigonometry, analytical geometry and elementary functions including polynomial, rational, functions involving radicals, as well as, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions. All students must complete a comprehensive and thorough Pre-Calculus course prior to admission to this class. A list of topics that must have been covered in the Pre-Calculus course will be provided to any student applying for admission. This class is intended for the most serious minded of students. It is equivalent to two semesters of college calculus so students must come to the class with a strong and successful background in the study of mathematics. The prospective student must be self-reliant, self-directed, and self-disciplined. I’ll be there to point you in the right direction, make sure you stay on the right track, keep the ball rolling and never let things get dull. The pace will be fast, the work will be hard, the challenges will be great and the rewards will be commensurate with the student’s effort. I will guarantee, though, that this journey, if you’re up to the challenge, will be well worth the time and effort.
Course Fee: $650
Course Description: This AP Calculus course prepares students for the AP Calculus BC Exam. There are two AP Calculus Exams given each year - Calculus AB and Calculus BC. There are two courses designed to prepare for the exams, each to be taught over a full high school academic year. The Calculus BC course includes all of the material included in the Calculus AB course plus additional topics. Therefore, a student would take either one course or the other but not both. Most colleges and universities offer a sequence of courses in calculus. Because of this, it depends on the policies of the institution and the results of your AP Exam as to where you are placed in their sequence of courses. The content of Calculus BC is designed to qualify the student for placement and credit in a course that is one course beyond that given for Calculus AB. Typically, AP Calculus AB is the first semester of college calculus and BC is the second semester. This study of calculus, the mathematics of motion and change, is divided into two major topics: differential and integral calculus. Differential calculus enables us to calculate rates of change, to find the slope of a curve, and to calculate velocities and accelerations of moving bodies. Integral calculus is used to find the area of an irregular region in a plane, to reconstruct distance from velocity, and to calculate volumes of arbitrary solids. This Calculus BC course goes beyond the AB course, venturing into the world of parametric equations, polar coordinates and graphs, vectors in the plane, as well as delving deep into the wonderful and complex arena of infinite series. You will be provided opportunities to work with functions represented in four essential ways: graphically, numerically, analytically and verbally. An emphasis will be placed on connecting these representations. You will come to understand the “derivative” in terms of a rate of change and the “integral” as a limit of sums and the net accumulation of change. The philosophy and approach of the course is to develop skills that can be applied to solving problems – skills that will become second nature to you due to understanding the why behind the major concepts. You will start using your graphing calculator soon after the start of the class. A separate text is used, in conjunction with the major text, to facilitate the learning of the functionality of the calculator and its ease of use. Throughout the course of the year, you will become comfortable using the calculator as a tool to help solve problems, experiment, interpret results, and support conclusions. However, it will not become a replacement for your pen and pencil. The last three weeks of this course will be spent reviewing and preparing for the AP Exam. In addition to this year-end review, throughout the year there will be practice multiple choice and free response tests, with questions taken from actual AP Exams. You’ll be interacting with your classmates and me through an online discussion board. You will post any questions you may have about the reading material or the homework assignments, answer each other’s questions, and discuss general topics as well as posting solutions to problems. This class participation is a key element in getting you to learn how to verbalize the mathematics of what you are studying. Each assignment will build on previous assignments, so success will depend on your daily response to the challenge. While this course is not for the faint-hearted, because it’s rigorous and demanding and it just might be one of the hardest courses you’ll take, I’ll dare say, it’ll also be one of the most challenging opportunities of your life as a student. And one of the most significant lessons you’ll learn, is that along with the greatest challenges comes the greatest satisfaction. You just might say at the end of the course “Wow, what a ride that was!”
Instructor Qualifications: I earned a BS and secondary teaching certificate in Mathematics from Wayne State University, and an MBA from Lawrence Technological University. I taught high school mathematics before moving to the business world at Ford Motor Company where I was an Information Technology Manager. This will be my third year teaching the AP Calculus course for PA Homeschoolers. I’m looking forward to an exciting year that’s sure to be an adventure for everyone involved.
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