AP Calculus AB
Mr. Goodrich’s Class
bgoodrich@saintjoehigh.com
Guiding Principle
Never turn away a student who wants to learn
• Questions are always welcome
• I’m here 7:30 to 4:30 most days (especially
starting in October) 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
Casual Professionalism
I take my job and this class very serious, but not myself
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We work everyday
• Generally a laid-back
environment
We work very hard
• Questions, comments,
HW is usually challenging
suggestions are encouraged
I don’t curve tests & quizzes…
the final sometimes gets one • Jokes are welcome as long
as they aren’t mean-spirited
• If you retake a test, the
second grade replaces the
first whether it’s higher or
lower
• Every week I expect you to be
smarter than you were the
week before.
Calculus is a New Level of Math
• 4,000 years ago the Egyptians and Babylonians
were using forms of algebra and geometry.
• Calculus as a subject wasn’t discovered until
350 years ago
• It’s much more abstract than what you’ve seen
before
• You will need to work hard
When learning is harder,
it’s stronger and lasts longer
Work Hard and Efficiently
• You may see some peers doing better than you
but not working as hard: there’s 3 explanations:
– A) they are actually working very hard at home when
you’re not around
– B) They only have to learn calculus, while you have to
learn calculus, algebra, geometry & trig
– C) They’re working more efficiently
• If you space out in class, give up easily on the
homework, socialize/game when I give you time
to work… then you can study for hours for the
test and maybe you’ll get a C.
Work Hard and Efficiently
• Write notes down in a paper notebook
– Typing examples like
• Participate:
d
dx
ò
x
2
sin 5t dt takes too long
– Ask Questions
– Volunteer Solutions even if you think you’re wrong
• No one in the history of the world has been taunted by
peers because they used the power rule instead of the
exponential rule when applying a derivative to a known
function.
• Being publically wrong creates a stronger memory than
being privately wrong so you’re more likely to remember
the correct solution.
Work Hard and Efficiently
• Use time at the end of class for homework
from this class
– While in class you have peers to help you that you
may not have at home.
– I’m here in class and able to answer your questions
– Don’t assume you don’t have any questions until
you’ve tried a problem on your own. Following me
do a problem during lecture and doing one on your
own are not the same.
• When we hit chapter 3, MAKE FLASHCARDS
Work Hard and Efficiently
• When I go over homework problems, correct
your mistakes and make mental notes.
• When studying, don’t just look at solutions.
Actually redo problems, or better yet, do new
problems.
• I’m here 7:30 to 4:30 everyday starting in
October. If you’re getting a C, you should be
coming in for extra help.
– B students, it couldn’t hurt you either.
Quitter’s Attitude
• I used to say I’m bad at memorization to
explain why I consistently did poorly on
vocabulary tests.
• But I did drama, and never forgot a line during
a production.
• 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.
• 15 students dropped Calculus at the semester
break last year, only 2 of which came in
regularly for help… do better
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!
Typical Day
• I walk around checking homework
– HW is graded based on effort & completion.
• Pray: unless there’s an all school prayer that period
• As a class we’ll go over the HW
– This will take the whole period for some sections
• 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
Typical Block Day
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HW check
Pray
HW Review
Notes
30 minutes of class work
Review class work problems as a class
5-10 minutes to start HW
Grading System: Points Based
• HW: 5 pts (about 10 per chapter), effort based
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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, MUST arrive by 7:45
1 pt taking it + 1 pt for each correct answer
Grading System
• 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
Tests & Quizzes
• 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
Grading Comments
• 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 a B
Classroom Procedures
• 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
Course Calendar
• 6 chapters, each chapter is harder than the
previous
• Finish learning new material by spring break
• From spring break until May 4th we study for
the AP exam. AP Exam May 5th
– Those of you not taking the AP exam, remember
studying for the AP exam is basically the same as
studying for the final
• May 6th to End of Year: Project & Study for
Final. There will be multiple topics to choose
from that are either enrichment or review.
AP Exam
• Exam:
– Multiple Choice: 55 min
– Multiple Choice: 50 min
– Free-Response Q: 30 min
– Free-Response Q: 60 min
• Possible Scores: 1-5,
28Q
17Q
2Q
4Q
No Calculator
Calculator
Calculator
No Calculator
3 is passing but…
– Notre Dame: 5 for Calculus Credit
– IU & Purdue: 3 for Generic Math Credits
4 or 5 for Calculus Credit
– Rose-Hulman: 4 or 5 for Calculus Credit