This is the first of a series of blog posts that I plan to write over the next few months, staying a little ahead of where you are so you can use anything you find useful in your planning. Look for this series every 2 – 4 weeks. Unit 1 contains topics on Limits and…
As you get ready to start school, here are some thoughts on the first week in AP Calculus. I looked back recently at some of the “first week of school” advice I offered in the past. Here’s a quick (actually, a bit longer then I planned) summary with some new ideas. The last time I…
In March, I attending a training session given by the College Board on the new 2019 AP Calculus Course and Exam Description (2019 CED). I was impressed by the copious other materials the College Board had prepared for the roll-out that will be available at summer institutes. Among these was the Mathematical Practices. The MPACs…
The new 2019 AP Calculus AB and BC Course and Exam Description is now available. New and experienced AP Calculus teachers should download a copy and read it carefully. (A paper copy with binder can be ordered here – it’s FREE.) The main sections of the book are here with notes on each. Part 1: General…
So, Tuesday is the day. My usual suggestion for Monday is to get the kids both relaxed and psyched. They know it by now; not much more you can pour into their heads. So, not last minute advice or hints. Good Luck and best wishes. Looking ahead – May: the new Course and Exam Description for…
The last BC question on the exams usually concerns sequences and series. The question usually asks students to write a Taylor or Maclaurin series and to answer questions about it and its interval of convergence, or about a related series found by differentiating or integrating. The topics may appear in other free-response questions and in…
Ideally, as with parametric and vector functions, polar curves should be introduced and covered thoroughly in a pre-calculus course. Questions on the BC exams have been concerned with calculus ideas related to polar curves. Students have not been asked to know the names of the various curves (rose curves, limaçons, etc.). The graphs are usually…
