Calculus

Fahima Ahmed
Email: fahmed@hightechhigh.org
DP: dp.hightechhigh.org/~fahmed
Welcome to your final year of high school Math! Please review this syllabus to get
an overview of the class description and policies for the upcoming year. These
policies are made to ensure that every student will receive an opportunity to learn
in a safe and equitable environment. I have also included a tentative outline of
the first semester.
Course Description: One of the main objectives of this course is to provide all
students exposure to a college-type course. We will begin with a quick review of
functions and then dive right into calculus. Students will spend the first semester
working with derivative calculus and the second semester with integral calculus.
Throughout the course of the year, we will review the algebra topics necessary for
the specific calculus topic we are studying. We will explore the application of
various calculus topics, practice the related procedural content, and continue to
develop our logical reasoning and problem solving skills.
Classroom Expectations:

Be
Be
Be
Be
Be

on-time
respectful
responsible
proactive
inquisitive

Assignments: There will be at least 8 practice assignments this semester and

several in-class activities. You will be given ample class time to complete all
assignments but may need to spend additional time at home depending on your
pace and understanding of the concepts. No late work will be accepted. Students
will be given the solutions to all the practice problems so it is essential that
students show ALL of their work on the assignments in order to receive credit.
Evaluations: There will be five periodic evaluations and one final evaluation
during the first semester. Students will NOT be able to make up any evaluations
without a note from a physician. If a student is tardy to class, they will be given
the remainder of class time to complete the evaluation but NO extra time. Please
see the attached class outline for the evaluation dates.
Extra Credit: Besides a few bonus questions during evaluations, there will be NO
extra credit given.
Honors Option: Students may elect to take the honors level course. This will
entail additional problems at a higher level of difficulty. Students choosing the
honors option will also look more deeply into the conceptual understanding of
calculus topics.

Materials: In class, students will need paper and a writing utensil for notes. It is
recommended that students have a calculator (TI-30XIIS is a great option for its
simplicity and ease of use) and a planner/organizer.
*Students may use phones as calculators in class but this will NOT be allowed
during evaluations.*
Calendar: I will update the calendar on my DP with all assignments and class
notes. Please check the calendar regularly to keep up with the coursework and
deadlines.
Grading Policy:
Category

Total
points

Grade Translation

Assignments

150

97-100% A+

80-82% B-

Periodic
Evaluations

100

94-96% A

77-79% C+

Final Evaluation

100

90-93% A-

73-76% C

Project

75

87-89% B+

70-72% C-

Participation

75

83-86% B

< 69% F

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am to 8:40 am.

Semester 1 Outline
Week One
August 24 August 28

Algebra Review: Four ways to represent a function

Week Two
August 31 September 4

Algebra: Slope & graphing linear functions

Calculus: What is rate of change? Average vs.
Instantaneous Velocity

Week Three
September 7 September 11
No School: September 7
(Labor Day)

First Evaluation (September 10)

Week Four
September 14 September
18

Algebra: Rational expressions, domain & range

Calculus: Tangents, limits & continuity

Week Five
September 21 September

Algebra: Rational expressions

Calculus: Definition of derivative

Equation of tangent lines

25
Week Six
September 28 October 2
No School: September 28
(Staff Day)

Second Evaluation (September 30)

Algebra: Combining like terms, exponent and ln rules
Calculus: Derivative rules (constant multiple, power,
sum, difference, e, lnx)

Week Seven
October 5 October 9
Half days: October 7 & 8, No
School: October 9 (SLC Week)

Algebra: Order of operations, radical rules

Calculus: Derivative rules (product, quotient, chain rule)

Week Eight
October 12 October 16

Calculus: Derivative rules

Third Evaluation(October 15)

Week Nine
October 19 October 23

Algebra: Unit circle, right triangle trig

Calculus: Derivative rules (trig rules)

Week Ten
October 26 October 30
No School: October 26 (Staff
Day)

Algebra: Word problems

Calculus: Higher order derivatives & applications

Week Eleven
November 2 November 6

Algebra: Zero product property rule, word problems

Calculus: Optimization
Fourth Evaluation (November 2)

Week Twelve
November 9 November 13
No School: 11/11 (Veterans
Day)

Algebra: Zero product property rule, word problems

Calculus: Optimization

Week Thirteen
November 16 November 20

Calculus: Optimization
Fifth Evaluation (November 19)

No School: November 23 27 (THANKSGIVING BREAK)

Week Fourteen
November 30 December 4

Optimization Project

Week Fifteen
December 7 December 11

Optimization Project

Week Sixteen
December 14 December 18

Review
Final Evaluation (the final will be 2-days sometime
this week depending on exhibition night schedule)

No School: December 21 January 1 (Winter Break)