Upper School Course Description

Prerequisites: A score of 3 or higher on the AP Calculus AB exam or a grade of B in Advanced Topics Precalculus, and departmental recommendation

This rigorous, challenging course provides the equivalent to two semesters of college calculus. Preparation for the AP Calculus BC exam is the primary focus of this course; as a result, students will spend the majority of time grappling with difficult problems in a cooperative setting where they have meaningful mathematical conversations with classmates and present at the board. A graphing calculator is required to enhance concept connections and to support solutions. In addition, an approved calculator is required for the AP exam. Demonstrations in class will be performed with the TI-84. This course builds upon and extends the topics in AP Calculus AB. Topics include limits, the definition of the derivative, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, and several techniques of integration. Differential and integral calculus will be applied to related rates, optimization, and motion (linear and curvilinear) problems. In addition, solving differential equations, finding area and volume, and analyzing parametric, polar, and vector- valued functions are introduced. Finally, students explore numerical methods of approximation including Newton’s method, Riemann sums, trapezoidal approximations, Euler’s method, and Taylor series.