Calculus

Description: Calculus was developed during the tremendous growth in knowledge and understanding during the Renaissance in Europe and is a unique and powerful mathematical tool that uses the principles of zero and infinity to efficiently determine exact answers to problems that could otherwise only be solved as laborious approximations. The precision, speed, and elegance of calculus served as the mechanism for the rapid and profound advances in the physical sciences during the Scientific Revolution and also significantly shaped the philosophy and culture of the modern Western world. This class will investigate the basic calculus concepts of the Derivative and Integral in detail and rigorously study their quantitative methods, analysis techniques, and practical applications.

This course will aim to generally cover the same concepts as an AP Calculus AB course. 

Grade Level: 11-12 (ages 16-18)

Prerequisites: Successful completion of standard courses in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and PreCalculus (B average).

Required Materials: Calculus by Ron Larson (8th edition). Students must have one of the following graphing calculators for the second semester: TI-83, TI-83+, TI-84, or TI-84+. Students will also need a USB headset (built-in microphones also work). Some kind of scanner will be needed. Conventional scanners are fine, but if parents have a smart phone, they can convert pictures taken with a smart phone to PDF documents. Then it can be emailed directly to the instructor.