AdvancedPlacementCalculusBC: CLASSROOM POLICIES
Mr. Don Slater Room 216
DESCRIPTION: AP Calculus B is primarily concerned with integral calculus: antiderivatives, Riemann sums, definite
integrals, Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, techniques of integration, numerical approximations
to definite integrals, applications of integrals, and series.
TEXTBOOK: SingleVariableCalculus:EarlyTranscendentals, by Jon Rogwaski. (Published by W. H. Freeman and
Company, 2008. ISBN: 1429212195 Cost: $70.00) Students are responsible for paying the
full cost to replace any damaged or lost textbooks or borrowed graphing calculators.
HOMEWORK: A homework assignment will be made almost every night, and should be kept neatly organized in a
math notebook. Homework will be checked on a regular basis for completeness, and periodically for accuracy. (Homework should be done in pencil, with space left for correcting problems in class the next day.) This effort is used to determine which students are eligible for ReTest opportunities.
BELL WORK: Each day as you enter class, you will find a slip of paper on your desk on which you should write your
name. Upon hearing the tardy bell, turn the paper over and work the problem on it. (The problem will
be a review from any area of mathematics.) As soon as you have your answer, write it in the box
provided and turn the question in. If you get the correct answer in the first minute, you will receive
2 points; if you arrive at the correct answer in the second minute, you will receive 1 point. At the end
of the semester, these points will be totaled and scaled to make up one 100-point major test grade.
MINOR GRADES: Quizzes may be given occasionally to assess student’s progress. They will vary in length, may or
may not be announced, and can be worth anywhere from 10 to 50 points. Some lab explorations
may be assigned for completion, and these can be worth up to 50 points each. Also, any students
that choose to retake tests will have their original test grade rescaled as a 10-point quiz grade.
TESTS: There will be approximately 6 major test grades during the semester, each counted out of 100 points.
Like the Advanced Placement Exams, each test will consist of both multiple-choice and free response
questions of varying difficulty. Since the use of graphing calculators is an integral part of the AP Calculus
course, and is required for the AP Exam in May, GRAPHING CALCULATORS (THAT DO NOT CONTAIN A
SYMBOLIC ALGEBRA SYSTEM) WILL BE PERMITTED TO BE USED ON MOST TESTS. Frequently, a
retest maybe scheduled after school approximately a week after you get a test back. If you choose to
take the retest, your first grade will be rescaled as a 10-point quiz grade and the retest will be your test
grade (regardless of whether it is higher or lower than the first grade!). In some instances, a second retest
may even be held the following week. GRAPHING CALCULATORS MAY NOT BE USED ON RETESTS;
ONLY SCIENTIFIC CALCULATORS WILL BE ALLOWED! Students who are not consistently doing homework or who are absent frequently may have their retest options removed. Extensive reviews for
the AP Calculus Exams, counting as major test grades, will be conducted throughout the semester leading
up to the Exam date in May. A comprehensive Final Examination will count as 20% of your total grade.
EXTRA HELP: Students who have been doing their homework regularly, paid attention in class, and have been taking
notes are encouraged to come in for extra help if needed. I am available each day before school
(7:45-8:15), after school (3:35-5:00), or during my lunch period. I can also be reached by at home
(phone: 770-658-8343 , or e-mail: ) if you get really stuck. As in
college, students are encouraged to form study groups to discuss problems and prepare for tests.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, etc.: Your regular attendance will improve your grade. Students should be courteous, polite,
and honest at all times. Cheating is defined to be but is not limited to: obtaining answers to test or quiz
questions from other students, books, or notes (including those stored in a calculator); having a cell phone
during class; copying answersto homework questions from the book or from another student without
showing your own work; or sharingyour work with another student for the purpose of copying. All
activities in this class are designed to help you learn Calculus; therefore, working together on homework
or group activities is not consideredcheating as long as everyone gains a thorough understanding of the
topic. Success in Calculus isdependent on effort and participation as much as anything else.