ap calculus ab mr. goodrich’s class [email protected]
TRANSCRIPT
Guiding PrincipleNever turn away a student who wants to learn• Questions are always welcome• I’m here 7:30 to 5:00 most days and always
welcome a student coming by for extra help• Late work is accepted, but there are penalties
(reduced score)• Any actions that discourage others from
participating (such as mocking other students) is a punishable offense
Knowing how to think is better than knowing what to think
• I’m going to teach you very few facts• I’m mostly going to teach you processes• These processes are tools that you can use to
better understand the world around• Sometimes I’ll teach you multiple processes to
do the same thing, they’ll each have their own situation when they apply, but it’ll be up to you to determine when they apply. If you’re not sure, try both.
Sometimes the only way to know what to do is to first learn what not to do
• Never leave a question blank, try something. – When you cannot solve a problem, try another tactic:
work backward, make a table, consider a special case, draw a picture, or solve a simpler related problem.
• On the Calc AP Exam, a blank answer is the same as a wrong answer
• It’s ok to fail if you learn from your mistakes• Turn a 60% quiz grade into a 90% test grade• Perseverance!
• For those of you who play a sport, how many hours did you spend practicing/training this summer?
• How many hours did you spend practicing/training in math this summer?
• If you want to get better, you have to train!
Tip #1: Don’t Get Intimidated;You Are All Capable of Learning Calculus
• Some of you may be currently bad at math, but all of you can be good at math in the future– You just won’t like how much time it takes
• I used to say I’m bad at memorization. Throughout my school career I consistently did poorly on vocabulary tests.– But I did drama, and never forgot a line.
• Truth is I just didn’t like memorization, so I avoided it. I never spent even half the time learning vocab that I did towards learning lines.
Tip #1: Don’t Get Intimidated;You Are All Capable of Learning Calculus
Good Films onPhilosophy of Learning
• Gattaca• Stand and Deliver
• Good Will Hunting
Bad Films onPhilosophy of Learning
Tip #1: Don’t Get Intimidated;You Are All Capable of Learning Calculus
No one intuitively knows calculus, everyone has to work. If there were then calculus would have been discovered thousands of years ago not 300. If it appears your classmates aren’t working as hard as you there are 3 possible reasons:1) You don’t see how hard they work at home2) That person doesn’t care about doing well3) That person worked harder last year and only has to learn
calculus while you have to learn calc, trig and algebra
• Pay Attention in class: there’s a reason they pay me to talk.
• Turn off the laptop– No matter how good you are at multitasking,
you’re better when you focus on 1 task– There is no online textbook– You can’t type example problems in word, which
are the most important part of the notes
Tip #2: Don’t Waste Opportunities to Learn
• Do the bell-ringers– Practice s the best way you learn
• Do your homework– Practice is the best way to learn
• Almost every period you have 5-10 minutes to start your homework… use it for calculus homework– It’s a hard subject, you will have questions most
days, it’s easier for everyone if your realize you have these questions when you’re still in the same room as me.
Tip #2: Don’t Waste Opportunities to Learn
• Calculus builds.– You can’t do chapter 6 without knowing chapter 5– You can’t do chapters 4 & 5 without knowing 3– You can’t understand 3-6 without knowing 2
• Because calculus builds, if you get a C or D on a test then that means you’re at risk of getting a D or F on the next one.
• Ask questions during lecture• Always feel free to swing by outside of class,
I’m here 7:30 to 5:00 most weekdays
Tip #3: Ask Questions
• Never be afraid to ask a question, stop me to repeat something or volunteer an answer.– You learn better when you’re actively involved– Class is significantly more boring when no one
volunteers– It’s ok to be wrong• None of your classmates care that you were wrong,
they are much too worried about their own lives
Tip #4: Confidence
• Don’t let a fear of being wrong stop you from learning how to be right.
• If you volunteer a wrong answer that gives me an opportunity to correct that wrong and teach you the right way before the quiz/test
• Mocking others for asking questions and wanting to learn is a punishable offense
Tip #5: It’s ok to be wrong
• I walk around checking homework as you work on a bell-ringer or mini-quiz– HW is graded based on effort & completion.– Bell-ringer isn’t graded but is good practice
• Pray: unless there’s an all school prayer that period
• As a class we’ll go over the bell-ringer & HW• Notes: they are posted online, but you’ll learn
better if you write down the notes in class• 5-10 minutes at end to start next HW• Some classes will end with a mini-quiz
Typical Day
• HW check & bell-ringer• Pray• HW Review• Notes• 30 minutes of class work• Review class work problems as a class• 5-10 minutes to start HW
Typical Block Day
• HW: 5 pts (about 10 per chapter), effort based– Not done at start of class then it’s late– Up to a week late it is worth 4/5– After the chapter test work is worth 3/5– Optional if Absent
• Mini-Quiz: 5 points, focused on speed over difficulty• Quiz: 20 pts (about weekly), most no calculator• Test: 100 pts, (2-3 per quarter), most no calc.• Extra Credit:– IML: 6 per year, 7:30 to 8:00,
1 pt arrive before 7:45 + 1 pt for each correct answer– EC Assignment, 1 per chapter, 5 pts, VERY hard– Always a possibility for going above & beyond
Grading System: Points Based
• Semester Grade: 40% each quarter & 20% final• Spring Final is Cumulative (covers both semesters)– Seniors Exempt from Spring Final if have 90% average
for quarters 3 & 4• Highest Grade at the end of the year signs the
Goodrich Cup
Grading System
• Most tests and quizzes will be no-calculator• You really need to know your algebra and to
do it without a calculator– Order of Operations– Simplify and Manipulate Fractions– Factor and FOIL– Exponent & Log Laws– Find x-intercepts, asymptotes, domain, range– Find intersection between two curves– Graph linear, quadratic, xn, rational, radical,
exponential, logarithmic, and trig functions
Tests & Quizzes
• Most tests and quizzes will be no-calculator• Geometry is also needed to a lesser degree– Perimeter & Circumference– Pythagorean Theorem– Area: triangle, square, rectangle, trapezoid, circle– Volume: pyramid, prism, cone, cylinder, sphere– Units used to measure each
• Trig is very important too, but we’ll have a trig review in the spring
• You keep graded tests & quizzes
Tests & Quizzes
• WARNING: Grading comments may be sarcastic– Described as sassy by some– Common Examples: “Really?” “?” “Noooo… so close”
• FT = Follow Through: you did part A wrong but correctly used that answer to your method to find part B
• BA = Bad Algebra• I often get wordy in comments so it may appear
to be a lot of red for 2 comments
Grading Comments
• All notes, HW, quizzes and tests are posted on the website.
• All quizzes, tests and work that is handed in goes in the white bin.
• The black bin with your class on it has graded work that’s going back to you.
• Only 1 student allowed out of the room for the bathroom at a time
• Laptops will be used very little• Be respectful towards each other
Classroom Procedures
• Difficulty: Q3 > Q2 > Q1 > Q4• Finish learning new material by spring break• From spring break until May 6th we study for
the AP exam. AP Exam May 7th
– Those of you not taking the AP exam, remember studying for the AP exam is basically the same as studying for the final
• May 8th to End of Year: Project & Study for Final. There will be multiple topics to choose from that are either enrichment or review.
Course Calendar
• Multiple Choice:55 min 28Q No Calculator
• Multiple Choice:50 min 17Q Calculator• Free-Response Q: 30 min 2Q Calculator• Free-Response Q: 60 min 4Q No
Calculator• Possible Scores: 1-5– 3 = passing, usually corresponds to B students– 4 = college credit at most places–
AP Exam