AP Calculus AB
Participation
Daily participation is expected from all students. This includes bringing your supplies (pencils, notebook(s), and textbook), taking notes, and following the class expectations and policies. I also expect students to ask questions when they have them and provide feedback to their classmates as appropriate. Math is about jumping in and getting messy, trying possibilities out, learning from mistakes and others, and being engaged with the subject.
Start of Class
At the start of class, there will be a warm-up activity posted for you to do. You will be given approximately five minutes to finish the activity, then students will be selected to show their solutions at the board. I expect all students to attempt the warm-ups.
Notes
Being in the habit of taking good notes will help you by being a resource to look back at as you study for assessments, work on the homework and learning the material. Notes should include not only what is written on the board, but questions you have and additional comments that will help you understand later what was discussed. Any days you are absent, you should copy the notes from a classmate or from Google Classroom.
Practice
There will be daily assignments that will be due two days after it is assigned. Each assignment will have upwards of 30 problems assigned. This is to help focus your practice. Five or six of the problems will be highlighted, these are the only ones that must be completed. Homework should be done neatly, in pencil, with all work shown for full credit. No work from the current unit will be accepted once the unit test has been taken. It is expected that you use the solution manuals to check your solutions.
Textbook
It is expected that you will devote some time each day to read through the material we discuss in class. Done before we discuss the material gives you an insight into the material, and reviewing it afterwards helps reinforce what you have learned.
Assessments
Assessments are your opportunity to show what you have learned. Each assessment will have two parts: a non-calculator and a calculator portion. Assessments will be composed of AP Style questions and will be timed, working towards AP Assessment timing. Assessments will be scored in an AP manner. Each semester you will have the option to retake two (2) test portions (a calculator or non-calculator section of a test).
If you are absent on the day of an assessment, you have 5 school days to make it up. YOU need to arrange with me to take the test. These may not be made up during class time. After the five school days have passed, the assessment will be counted as a 0 and may not be made up.
Preparing for the AP Calculus AB Exam
Over the course of the year, we will look at AP Calculus AB Exam questions in class, on assignments, and on assessments. Prior to the exam date, we will schedule a mock exam date to take an earlier version of the exam under exam conditions. We will also use class time as the exam approaches to discuss test taking techniques and discuss the grading of the exam.