PRE-CALCULUS HONORS
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Mr. Stump
This guide is designed to supply you with the necessary information, guidelines, and recommendations for
a successful year of Pre-Calculus. In this course, we will rigorously apply advanced algebraic and geometric
models and prepare students for advancement to calculus.
WHAT IS CALCULUS???
Calculus is the study of how things change. Prior to studying calculus, students have some, but limited
experience with solving dynamic problems. Most of their experience so far has been with static models.
Once the model is set in motion, calculus is born.
COURSE OUTLINE
1st Semester
Chapter 1 – Functions and Their Graphs
Chapter 2 – Polynomial and Rational Functions
Chapter 3 – Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Chapter 4 – Trigonometric Functions
Chapter 5 – Analytic Trigonometry
2nd Semester
Chapter 6 – Additional Topics in Trigonometry
Chapter 7 – Systems of Equations and Inequalities
Chapter 8 – Matrices and Determinants
Chapter 9 – Sequences, Series, and Probability
Chapter 10 – Topics in Analytic Geometry
Chapter 11 – Analytic Geometry in Three Dimensions
Chapter 12 – Limits and an Introduction to Calculus
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Our main objective/goal this year is to finish the book. It covers all the concepts outlined in the Pre-Calculus
Honors syllabus.
DAILY CLASSROOM MATERIALS
TEXTBOOK: Pre-Calculus with Limits (authors: Larson, Hostetler, Edwards)
PENCILS (All assignments must be done in pencil or they will not be graded.)
NOTEBOOK
TI-83 or TI-84 GRAPHING CALCULATOR (TI-85, TI-86 and TI-89 are not permitted.)
COUGAR PLANNER
GENERAL CLASSROOM FORMAT
HOMEWORK: It will occur almost every night. Homework will be graded and often collected. If you do not do
your homework, your grade will suffer. We will have some time in class to go over homework, but not more
than a few problems. See me before or after school if you have additional questions. Each assignment will be
worth 50 points and will be graded on completion and accuracy. One late homework assignment will be
accepted per quarter within three school days of the original due date. At teacher discretion, other late work
will be considered for extenuating circumstances.
QUIZZES: We will have three or four per quarter. Some will concentrate on the basic memory of information
required in any pre-calculus course. We will usually practice this at the beginning of class. The others will be
chapter-specific problems similar to the homework.
TESTS: There will be three tests per quarter. At the end of each chapter there will be a test. We will first
spend at least two full class periods reviewing the material. At this time you should make sure you have a full
understanding of the chapter. There will be no time for questions on the day of the test. Tests are timed
assessments and no extra time is allowed beyond one class period. If you are present the day before the test,
you will be expected to take the test on the testing day.
NOTEBOOK: You must have one. You should keep all the definitions, examples, memory information and
match problems in one organized notebook. A good rule of thumb is: If I write it, so should you.
ACADEMIC GRADE:
Your quarter grade will be based on the following:
TESTS/QUIZZES
80%
HOMEWORK
20%
Your semester grade will be based on the following:
QUARTER 1
40%
QUARTER 2
40%
FINAL EXAM
20%
CITIZENSHIP GRADE:
For your citizenship grade, each student will receive 100 points to begin. Points will be deducted for three
different classroom disruptions. Your citizenship grade will be lowered if (1.) you are tardy to class, (2.) you
are talking during class, your cell phone goes off, etc., or (3.) you use a hall pass. You will lose points as
follows: 1 point for the first time in each category, 2 points for the second time, 3 points for the third time,
etc. Once you have lost these points you may never regain them. These points are not factored into your
quarter grade. Citizenship is a measure of how well you integrate and adapt to the academic environment set
by the teacher. Each of the way to lose points represents a distraction to the class and must be minimized to
insure proper learning. You and only you earn YOUR citizenship grade. I just set the criteria.
OUTSTANDING
SATISFACTORY
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
UNSATISFACTORY
100 – 90 points
89 – 75 points
74 – 60 points
59 – 0 points
GRADES:
Your awareness of your current grade is very important. You may expect regular printouts of class grades to
be posted in the classroom and to be updated weekly. Grades will be posted by student number. You may
also expect the Infinite Campus application to be updated on a daily basis. Discrepancies with grades will
happen as I collect and return 700 to 800 papers each week. Keep all of your returned work. I will be
available to discuss discrepancies with grades before or after school. I will not be able to take class time to
discuss your individual situation.
PRINTOUTS:
All printouts must be requested at least one day in advance. For paper printouts, submit a written, dated
request to me and anticipate a return the next day. For e-prints, send requests to
dwstump@interact.ccsd.net.
E-MAILS:
For all e-mails, please put a subject in the appropriate area. We receive a lot of junk mail and occasionally
scams get through our security system. I do not open suspicious mail and want to ensure your message is
read and not deleted because the address is not familiar. You can expect an e-mail reply within 24 hours.
HONORABLE CLASSROOM CONDUCT:
This is an honors class and an elective. Discipline problems will be taken care of swiftly. I believe learning may
be best achieved in a relaxed and social environment. This is not a cue to disregard the desire of others to
learn. We will not interrupt others while they are speaking nor will we interrupt the learning process in any
way. For your first classroom disruption you will receive a verbal warning. Your second disruption will earn
you a 30-minute after-school detention. After your third disruption, I will make a phone call home to discuss
your behavior. If your classroom behavior does not improve, you will receive a Dean’s Referral.
ATTENDANCE:
Come to class. All missing work must be done on your time. It is your responsibility to check the calendar (or
my website) regarding all make-up work. Missing test, quizzes and homework are zeros until you make them
up. If you are absent on the day of a quiz or a test, you will have 3 school days to make it up. If after 3 days
you have not made it up, you will make it up during class the next day you are in school. Come in before or
after school to do so. Please be courteous to me and give me a “heads up” before you come in. This will
ensure you do not come in during a time when I am unavailable (due to a meeting or something similar).
TARDINESS and UNPREPAREDNESS:
It cannot be stressed enough that you come to class ON TIME, with your materials ready to learn. I
understand that I am located in a portable classroom, but that is no excuse for being tardy to class. You
should be in your seat when the bell rings. Your first tardy will result in a verbal warning. Your second tardy
will result in a 30-minute teacher detention. Your third detention will result in a phone call home to your
parents/guardians. Subsequent tardies will result in Dean’s Referrals.
HALL PASSES:
There is no reason to need a hall pass during class. With this in mind, I do understand that emergencies do
arise. As stated in the criteria for your citizenship grade, you will lose points toward citizenship for using a hall
pass. It is a disruption and takes up class time. A few still keeps the grade at an O, but too many will affect it.
You must have your planner and fill it out completely in ink.
CALCULATOR USAGE:
This class will depend heavily on the use of a graphing calculator. They will be allowed on ALMOST everything.
The TI-83, TI-83 Plus or TI-84 are preferred and referenced throughout the course. Other graphing calculators
(non-TI and TI-85, TI-86 and TI-89) are not as efficient or as capable as the TI-83/84 series. You must bring
your calculator daily. Calculators may not be shared during any quiz or test. Be sure you understand how to
use your calculator before the test.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
With so much emphasis on assessment and pressure to perform at a high level, each year I catch many
students cheating. Cheating in this class consists of passing off any work that is not original or allowing others
to copy your paper. You are encouraged to work together on homework, but you may not copy from other
students or from the back of the book. If you are caught copying homework, all parties involved will receive
zeros. For tests and quizzes, absolutely no communication is allowed during the assessment. Focus on your
work only. If not, you may be moved, asked to retake the assessment after school or lose points. If it is
apparent that you have cheated on a quiz or test, for example you have the right answer(s) to the wrong
version of the test, you will get a zero.