Calculus

 

Welcome to the Calculus course page, and I hope you find course documents and other resources below helpful!

As this is my first year teaching this particular course, much of what is here is copied from existing pages, but I will certainly add to it as we go along.

Please let me know if there is anything I can add to make your course experience better.

Syllabus
Pacing Guide
Homework
Textbook
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The Syllabus offers a brief overview of course, including grading and classroom policies, for the Precalculus course.  The current version is for the 2010-2011 school year and has been updated with a new grading scale for the spring semester.

 

The Pacing Guide is a year-long calendar for my combined "quarter plans" I use as a course pacing guide.  While it will inevitably change as the year goes on (and I try to update it here when it does), it might be a useful reference for the students as well.  Last major update was on 10/19/10, but the general pacing is still on par for 3rd Quarter.

 

My specific RHS faculty page can be found by clicking the Homework button.  It is updated daily with assignments and any upcoming quizzes or tests.

 

The Textbook button is a link to the website created by the textbook author, although it is really for the 8th edition (which is very similar to the 7th edition we use in class).  One very nice resource is the link to MathGraphs.com, which allows students to print out graphs from the textbook.

 

 

Other Information and Activities:

 

 

Unit Review Information. 

 

This section is where I will post each instructional unit's review information throughout the year, including the learning targets and textbook assignments.  Once any quizzes or tests are completed, I'll also post those along with their solutions.  Note that solutions will only be posted once all make-ups are completed.

 

1st Quarter 2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

Prerequisites

Learning Targets and Assignments

 

Differentiation

Learning Targets and Assignments

 

Graph Analysis

Learning Targets and Assignments

 

Transcendental Functions

Learning Targets and Assignments

 

Limits and Continuity

Learning Targets and Assignments

 

Implicit Differentiation

Learning Targets and Assignments

 

Integration

Learning Targets and Assignments

 

Additional Topics

Inverse Trigonometric Integrals WS

 

 

 

Classroom Resources. 

 

Here is a little collection of files that should help supplement what we do in class.  I'll try to add more things as they pop up in class.

 
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Parent Functions Review - I have mentioned several times in class that knowing the general behavior of a few basic functions is key to being successful in calculus.  This document illustrates the most common parent functions, and many students like to print this off and keep it in their notebooks for quick reference.

 
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Function Transformations - This is the summary handout of how various constants affect a given function, namely translations, reflections, and dilations.  If you would like a little more detail, check out this site from Hofstra University - it provides information and practice on function transformations.

 
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Limit Introduction - Here is a worksheet that summarizes the numerical and graphical approaches to evaluating limits.  I think the extra practice makes for a good review on the topic.  Here are my solutions.

 
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Continuity Introduction - This version of the worksheet given in class provides some answers and a few other details (including some terminology).  Here's a blank copy of the handout.

 
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Numerical Derivative Introduction - This document introduces how to find numerical derivatives analytically, graphically, numerically, and using the calculator.  There is one example worked out using each of the four methods.

 
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Definition of the Derivative Practice - Here is a worksheet that blends together some of the topics discussed involving the limit definitions for numerical and function derivatives.  Here are my solutions.

 
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Derivative Review - This is just a summary of the common derivative rules and patterns used in this course.

 
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Curve Sketching Summary - I put this together rather hurriedly (that's code for let me know if you see something wrong), but it should help with all of those graph behavior problems.

 
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Integral Review - Big surprise... this is a summary of the common integral rules and patterns used in this course.

 
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Integration by Parts - Here's a little document demonstrating the "table technique" for evaluating certain integrals that require integration by parts.

 

 

Software Downloads.

 

The links below take you to various places where you can download various software applications you might find useful in class.  Some are freeware, others are free trials and require purchase after a period of time.

 

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Advanced Grapher is a graphing software application that allows students to graph relations of different types in one window, then copy and paste them into other applications.  This versatile program has proven useful for students in their lab reports and other graphing activities.  A product key is required after 30 days.

 

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GCalc is a free online graphing program that has several capabilities useful in class.

 

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MathGV is another graphing software application that allows students to create certain three-dimensional graphs.  This one is especially helpful when working with solids of revolutions.

 

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JOde is an applet for creating slope fields for differential equations.  You can also approximate solutions using Euler's method.

 

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TI InterActive! is a software application from Texas Instruments that is basically a word processor and graphing calculator in one.  The language is practically identical to the TI-89.  Follow the link for more information and a downloadable demo version.