Summer Work |
AP Calculus AB Homepage AP Calculus AB is a rigorous college-level course that explores the material generally taught during the first course of college Calculus (e.g., Calculus I, Calculus A, etc.). This course is taught over the course of a single high school school year during regularly scheduled school hours, although those hours will be supplemented by after-school activities, weekend opportunities, and summer work. Students need a strong foundation for this course, and the summer work will help them to move beyond the grasp of the pre-requisite concepts to a mastery of those concepts. Oftentimes, it is not the calculus that will cause students difficulty so much as it is the algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and the like that does. Completing the summer work before the beginning of next Fall will help to make sure that students are properly prepared for the work at hand.
The summer work on the website consists of several reviews of topics studied during Pre-Calculus, Algebra, and Geometry. Students should spend some time each week reviewing these topics, working problems, and maintaining and enhancing their level of understanding. In preparation for the AP exam given in early May, students must become comfortable showing all of their work in clear and logical steps. Thus, students should show all work and not merely list answers for the review problems. While this is supposed to be review, there is a possibility that you may be unfamiliar with some of the topics. Do not panic! Work through what you can. At the same time, don’t fake your way through the problems. Also, you need to achieve a sort of balance throughout the summer – don’t do all of the problems in the first week after school ends and, likewise, don’t wait til the last minute and try to do them all in the last week before school. Work some problems every week, every day would be even better. This will help keep your mind trained to work math problems. All work will be due on the first day of class. There will be an AP Calculus work day in early August for students who would like to get together to discuss any difficulties that may have arisen during the summer. Please also remember that you can contact Dr. Durand by email throughout the summer. The material for review is divided into five topics. 1. Algebra 2. Logarithms 3. Trigonometry 4. Graphing 5. Limits Finally, let me say that the summer is a time for relaxation as well as preparation. While it is likely unnecessary to say it, do not let AP Calculus (or AP Physics) dominate all of your time. Do the preparation carefully and in small chunks, and you should be prepared for the course when the fall arrives. Have a great summer! |