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AP
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On-Line for 2010-2011 School Year
We have two sections, both taught by the same teacher. One prepares for the “AB” exam which is equivalent to two-thirds of a year of college calculus and the other for the “BC” exam which is equivalent to one year of college calculus.
Teacher: Susan Gilleran
E-mail: sgillera@mac.com
Texts Required: Calculus with Analytic Geometry 8th
Edition by Ron Larson, Robert Hostetler, Bruce Edwards (2005) ISBN 061850298X.
(available at discount rates at locations such as www.campusbooks.com)
Be Prepared for the AP Calculus Exam by Mark Howell and Martha Montgomery (2005) Skylight Publishing ISBN 978-0-9727055-5-4. (available through amazon.com)
Technical
Requirements:
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, analytic geometry and elementary functions including linear, polynomial, rational, trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic, inverse trigonometric and piecewise-defined. In particular, students must be familiar with the properties of functions, the algebra of functions, and the graphs of functions. Students must also understand the language of functions (domain and range, odd and even, periodic, symmetry, zeros, intercepts, and so on). Prospective students should be ready to commit 11-12 hours per week to this class.
Course Fee: $665
Course Description:
This course prepares students for the AP Calculus AB Exam. There are two AP
Calculus Exams given each year -
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
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. 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 part of March, this class is devoted to studying the topics covered in a typical college Calculus I course. The rest of March and the month of April are 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 will be accessing an Assignments Page on a daily basis where you will find a posting of two weeks of assignments with daily Comments discussing such things as that day’s topic, a problem from yesterday’s or today’s assignment, or a recent test. There will often be videos of a teacher doing a problem, links to interesting sites or helpful documents to download.
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, as well as post solutions to problems.
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, 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 come the greatest rewards.
Instructor
Qualifications: I earned a BS and secondary teaching certificate in Mathematics
from
This will be my fifth year teaching the AP Calculus course for PA Homeschoolers. I have also completed two five day College Board summer institutes. One of the institutes was dedicated to teaching AP Calculus AB and the other addressed AP Calculus BC. I’m looking forward to an exciting year that’s sure to be an adventure for everyone involved.
Teacher: Susan Gilleran
E-mail: sgillera@mac.com
Texts Required: Calculus with Analytic Geometry 8th Edition by Ron Larson, Robert Hostetler, Bruce Edwards (2005) ISBN 061850298X. (available at discount rates at locations such as www.campusbooks.com)
Be Prepared for the AP Calculus Exam by Mark Howell and Martha Montgomery (2005) Skylight Publishing ISBN 978-0-9727055-5-4. (available through amazon.com)
Technical
Requirements:
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, analytic geometry and elementary functions including linear, polynomial, rational, trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic, inverse trigonometric and piecewise-defined. In particular, students must be familiar with the properties of functions, the algebra of functions, and the graphs of functions. Students must also understand the language of functions (domain and range, odd and even, periodic, symmetry, zeros, intercepts, and so on). 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 one year 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. Prospective students should be ready to commit 12-13 hours per week to this class.
Course Fee: $675
Course Description:
This course prepares students for the AP Calculus BC Exam. There are two AP
Calculus Exams given each year -
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
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, covering additional techniques of integration, 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 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. 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 four to five 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 will be accessing an Assignments Page on a daily basis where you will find a posting of two weeks of assignments with daily Comments discussing such things as that day’s topic, a problem from yesterday’s or today’s assignment, or a recent test. There will often be videos of a teacher doing a problem, links to interesting sites or helpful documents to download.
You’ll be interacting with your classmates 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, as well as
post solutions to problems.
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, 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 come the greatest rewards.
Half-Year Course Option: If a student chooses to take AP Calculus AB one year and wants to take AP Calculus BC after it but wants to skip the first semester of AB topic material there is an option to join the BC class in mid-December. Registration is required at the beginning of the school year by August 15th. There will be a limited number of students accepted into this program so register early. For further information about this option please contact Mrs. Gilleran at sgillera@mac.com.
Instructor
Qualifications: I earned a BS and secondary teaching certificate in
Mathematics from
This will be my fifth year teaching the AP Calculus course for PA Homeschoolers. I have also completed two five day College Board summer institutes. One of the institutes was dedicated to teaching AP Calculus AB and the other addressed AP Calculus BC. I’m looking forward to an exciting year that’s sure to be an adventure for everyone involved.
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