Calculus BC

Course Syllabus

Prerequisites: Each student in AP Calculus BC must have 4 years of high school mathematics
courses and successfully completed a precalculus class either at this school or another institution.
Students must apply to the AP instructor for admission into AP Calculus BC, and their placement
will be determined based on: prior teacher’s recommendation, work ethic, future college plans, and
demonstration of motivation.

Course Overview: The course begins with a one week comprehensive review of the introduction to
calculus topics the students covered in the final segment of their precalculus course. The students
have been given summer work packets that cover this material. The packets will be reviewed (not
for a grade), and individual questions will be addressed. We will discuss the topics of limits, the
derivative, the integral, and the limit definition of a derivative. This is an important time for the
students to grasp the derivative conceptually. The topic will be explored according to the rule of 4:
verbally, graphically, algebraically, and numerically. Once these topics are reviewed and the
students are exposed to a sufficient review, the thorough exploration of AP Calculus BC topics can
begin.
Throughout the course, students are encouraged to work together in groups. This is done to ensure
a consistent level of understanding for all the students as well as to develop mathematic
communication skills. The students should be able to express their thoughts and ideas through
verbal and written statements.
Graphing calculators are required in the course. It is recommended that the students have a TI-84
calculator, but some use the TI-89. Many in-class demonstrations and activities will utilize the
graphing calculator. Students will be competent with several calculator functions including: plotting
a graph of a function, finding zeroes or intersections of functions, numerically calculating a
derivative, and numerically calculating a definite integral. Each test and quiz is designed with a
calculator and a non-calculator portion. To avoid ‘calculator dependency', the student must
complete each accordingly.

Course Timeline:
Review of Prerequisites, 1 week
• Real Numbers and the Real Line
• The Cartesian Plane
• Graphs of Equations
• Lines in the Plane
• Functions
• Trigonometric Function Review
Review of Limits and Their Properties, 1 weeks
• An Introduction to Limits
• Properties of Limits
• Techniques for Evaluating Limits
• Continuity and One-Sided Limits
 • Infinite Limits
Introduction to Differentiation, 2 weeks
• The Derivative and the Tangent Line Problem
• Basic Differentiation Rules and Rates of Change
• The Product/Quotient Rules, Higher-Order Derivatives
• The Chain Rule
• Implicit Differentiation
• Related Rates
Differentiation and its application, 4 weeks
• Extrema on an Interval
• Rolle's Theorem and the Mean Value Theorem
• Increasing and Decreasing Functions and the First Derivative Test
• Concavity and the Second Derivative Test
• Limits at Infinity
• A Summary of Curve Sketching
• Optimization Problems
• Newton's Method
• Differentials
Integration, 3 weeks
• Antiderivatives and Indefinite Integration
• Area
• Riemann Sums and Definite Integrals
• The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
• Integration by Substitution
• Numerical Integration
Logarithmic, Exponential, and Other Transcendental Functions, 3 weeks
• The Natural Logarithmic Function and Differentiation
• The Natural Logarithmic Function and Integration
• Inverse Functions
• Exponential Functions: Differentiation and Integration
• Bases Other than e and Applications
• Differential Equations: Growth and Decay
• Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Differentiation
• Inverse Trigonometric Functions: Integration and Completing the Square
• Hyperbolic Functions
Integration Applications, 2 weeks
• Area of a Region Between Two Curves
• Volume: The Disc Method
• Volume: The Shell Method
• Arc Length and Surfaces of Revolution
• Work
• Fluid Pressure and Fluid Force
 • Moments, Centers of Mass, and Centroids
Integration Techniques, 3 weeks
• Basic Integration Rules
• Integration by Parts
• Trigonometric Integrals
• Trigonometric Substitution
• Partial Fractions
• Tables and Other Techniques
• L'Hôpital's Rule
• Improper Integrals
Infinite Series, 4 weeks
• Convergent/Divergent Series
• Convert repeating decimal to fraction
• Harmonic Series
• nth Term Test
• p-Series convergence
• Direct Comparison Test
• Limit Comaprison Test
• Alternating Series Test
• Taylor Series
• MacLaurin Series
• Power Series
• Substitution of Taylor Series
Conics, Parametric Equations, Polar Coordinates, 2 weeks
• Parametric Equation conversion
• Derivatives of Parametric Equations
• Derivatives of Polar Functions
• Integration of Polar Functions
• Surfaces of Revolution
Vectors and Geometry of Space, 1 week
• Linear combination of unit vectors
• Three-dimensional coordinate system
• Dot product of vectors
• Angle between vectors
• Cross product of vectors

Remaining time in the course is used as preparation for the AP Calculus BC examination. Students
will be given specific chapters to present to the class as review. Students will be given the
responsibility to assign homework, and also to find appropriate previous AP test questions that
correspond to their chapter.

Student Activities:
Calculator
Students will engage in primary-text based calculator exercises. Each student will be assigned to
teach the class a specific calculator-based task. The student will present on a projected TI-84 screen
on the board.
Ball Toss
This is a calculator based experiment where the students split into small groups. Each group tosses
a ball in the air and measures the height versus time. The points are plotted into the calculator.
Students then calculate the ball’s average velocity over a period of time. Students then are asked to
find the instantaneous velocity of the ball at a given time. They come up with an answer and
compare it to the plot. We then discuss the idea of instantaneous velocity and the derivative.
Driving experiment
After students have explored the concept of a definite integral, they are asked to go on a drive with
their parent or relative. They are to record the odometer reading at the beginning and end of the
drive (ideally 15-20 mins). During the drive, they record the car’s speed at 30 second intervals.
When this data is brought to class, it is plotted, and students use their concept of the definite
integral to determine distance travelled. They compare this number with the difference in
odometer readings, and discuss any discrepancies.
Slope Field
To demonstrate the concept of a slope field, a Cartesian plane is projected onto the board. The class
is given a differential equation, and each student is given a coordinate location to calculate the slope
for the differential equation. It is important that the students draw slope lines relative to one
another, and at the end of the activity, an accurate slope field will be drawn on the board by the
entire class. Students will write their observations at the end of the activity individually, and then
share with the class.
Conic Volume
Prior to this activity, students construct various cones using a circular sheet of paper and cutting
out a specific angle (leaving a determined sector of a circle). Cones of differing angles are labeled
and filled with M&M’s candy. The exact amount of M&M’s needed to fill the cone is recorded and
taken as their volume (in M&M’s). The class then identifies the ideal central angle of a cone to
maximize volume. This is done by plotting our results and maximizing the function. This is
compared to an analytical solution to the problem.
Calculus Cake
The Calculus class is given access to a Bundt pan for baking cake. The class measures the
dimensions of the pan, and then attempts to define the volume of the pan by using the principle of
rotating solids about the x- and y-axes. The actual volume of the cake pan is determined, and then a
cake is made.
Footballs and Basketballs
Groups of students (3-4 students/group) are given a basketball or football of a specific size.
Students are asked to explore methods to determine the volume of their ball. Estimates are made,
and then the students are given functions for a revolving area to determine the volume of their ball.
The team with the closest estimate of volume wins a prize.
Resources:
Primary Textbook:
Larson, Ron/Edwards, Bruce H., Calculus, 9th Edition
San Francisco, CA: Brooks Cole, 2010

Supplementary Texts:
Woods, Frederick and Bailey, Frederick , Elementary Calculus
Atlanta GA: Ginn and Company, 1928
Thompson, Silvanus, Calculus Made Easy
New York: MacMillan Company, 2nd Ed., 1914
Best, Lux, Preparing for the Calculus BC Exam
San Francisco, Venture Publishing, 2001
Howell, Montgomery, Be Prepared for the AP Calculus Exam
Skylight Publishing: 2008

Other Resources:

AP Central (apcentral.collegeboard.com)

Calculus in Motion (www.calculusinmotion.com)

Winplot (math.exeter.edu/rparris/winplot.html)

Visual Calculus Website (archives.math.utk.edu/visual.calculus)

NC State Calculus Student Support Site

(www.ncsu.edu/math/calculus/videos.html)