AP Calculus AB – Syllabus
New York Mills UFSD – 2006-2007
Textbook:
Calculus by Larson & Hostetler (3rd Edition)
Supplemental: Multiple Choice & Free Response Questions in Preparation for the AP
Exam by Lin McMullin (8th Edition)
MAPLE Software
Winplots Program
TI-83+ Graphing Calculator
Course Overview
The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge and skills to understand and
be able to use calculus to analyze and make decisions about higher level mathematics. It
is my goal to prepare these students not only for the AP exam, but also for math courses
they will be taking throughout their college careers.
Pre-requisite
The students should have sufficient knowledge about functions including but not limited
to graphing, domain and range, symmetry, zeros, even and odd functions. The students
should also be familiar with the keystrokes of the TI-83 graphing calculator including
graphing functions, finding zeros and points of intersection.
Course Outline
Unit1 - Functions
Objectives and Goals
1. The students will be able to have basic understanding of
functions:
-Sketching in coordinate axis using techniques such as
plotting points, symmetry, intercepts
-Identify or describe domain and range
2. Understanding functions and their transformations
-Identify equations of basic functions
Section and Book
Number
Chapter 1
1.3
1.5
1.3, 1.4
Unit 2 – Limits
Objectives and Goals
1. The students will be able to find the derivative of a function
through the limit four-step process
-Understand the notation of limits
Section and Book
Number
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5
2. Use limits to aid in curve-sketching
-Horizontal and vertical asymptotes
Unit 3 – Introduction to Derivatives
Objectives and Goals
1. The students will be able to find the derivative for various
function in explicit form
-Understand as a rate of change
-Interpret as slope of a function at a point
-Differentiate products, quotients and composition of
functions
2. The students will be able to differentiate functions in implicit
form
3. The students will be able to
2.4
Section and Book
Number
3.1, 3.2, 3.3,3.7
3.6