CALCULUS I Dave’s Syllabus Fall 2003
Over the next three months, you will see some of the most influential ideas
humans have ever thought, ideas that are essential for
most of the technological wonders that have graced our world over the last
hundred years, ideas that allow us to explain the physical world around us and
make predictions about it. Calculus is the study of how things change. And
everything changes.
Random Facts about me:
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Name: |
Dave Kung |
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Office: |
175 Schaefer Hall, x4433 (or 240-895-4433) |
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Email: |
dtkung@smcm.edu |
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5K PR: |
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Office Hours: |
and by appointment. |
Class Philosophy: One learns math by doing it, not by watching other people do it. Consequently, you will be required to participate actively during class, and work very hard outside of it. The payoff is big: Calculus is one of the truly monumental achievements of the human species, and by the end of this class, you will have begun to understand and appreciate it.
Throughout the semester, I will be giving each of you ideas about what you
need to do to improve your understanding of Calculus. Some of these apply to
everyone: read the section we will cover before coming to class, try some of the
homework problems ahead of time, do lots and lots of homework problems (more
than I assign to hand in), don't fall asleep in class, etc. Others will be more
directed, and probably suggested to you when you come to my office hours (see above).
The flip side of this is that you need to give me ideas about the course, and
how to make sure you get the most out of it. I will give a few surveys, but if
at any time you have something to share with me, just let me know.
Problem Sessions: On Wednesday evenings when we don't have exams (see below), there will be a problem session in SH134. These will be run by the TA, Rachael Wilder and offer you an excellent chance to get your questions answered in a more informal setting. You are expected to attend these sessions every week.
Where to go for help: You have three
main resources to draw on when you need help in this class. The first and most
important is your fellow classmates. Calculus will go much smoother for all of
us if you start getting to know them and start studying with them outside of
class early in the semester. The second is me – my contact info and office
hours appear above. I will also be
around at other times - feel free to drop by and see
if I'm in. If you can't find me, email
or call, and we'll schedule an appointment that works for both of us. In an emergency, you should drop me an email
(I check it very frequently). Your third resource will be your TA, Rachael.
Grading: Calculus
can be learned at two levels. At the
basic, mechanical level, you will learn how
to do calculus (e.g. techniques of integration, finding
There will be a variety of ways to show that you are
learning Calculus. They will contribute
to your final grade as follows:
Assessment Date Percent
Exam I Oct. 1st 13
Exam II Oct. 22th 13
Exam III Nov. 19th 13
Group Project Due Dec. 9th 13
Homework all
semester 10
Class Participation all
semester 10
Daily Emails all semester 8
Final Exam Wed., Dec.
17th 20
Total 100
The exams are in the evening starting at
Learning
in this class is considered to be everyone's shared responsibility. Part of that responsibility is attendance;
when you are not here, not only do you miss important work, but the entire
class misses out on your contribution.
The Class Participation portion of your grade will reflect that. Congrats for reading this far. You will get five bonus points if you email
me a message with subject line “hi dave” by Friday at