CALCULUS I DaveÕs
Syllabus
Fall 2016
Over the next three months, you will see some of the most influential ideas
humans have ever imagined - 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:
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Professor: |
Dave Kung (@dtkung) |
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Office: |
175 Schaefer Hall, x4433 (or 240-895-4433) |
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Random Fact: |
My kids & dogs are
bilingual. |
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TA: |
Will Hankins (410-212-7988) |
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Office Hours: |
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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 humankind, 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, respond to the Textbook
Question, and read othersÕ responses; try some of the homework problems ahead
of time; do lots and lots of homework problems (both online and on paper
– and more than I assign); don't miss 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.
Workshops: On Tuesday evenings when we don't have exams (see
below), we will finish working on the worksheets we start in class on Monday.
Attendance is required.
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 say hi. 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.
Course Outcomes: At the completion of this course, students will be able toÉ
á implement the rules for taking derivatives as
demonstrated by finding the derivatives of a variety of functions.
á use derivatives to understand the behavior of
functions as demonstrated by determining the slope and concavity of a function
given partial information about the function and/or its derivatives.
á interpret rates of change of various quantities as
derivatives as demonstrated by solving word problems that model dynamic
scenarios.
á interpret the fundamental theorem of calculus as
demonstrated by explaining the relationship between derivatives and integrals.
á represent derivatives and integrals as demonstrated by
taking a limit of approximating values.
á implement the fundamental theorem of calculus as
demonstrated by taking definite integrals of simple functions.
Grading: Calculus can be learned at two levels. At the basic, mechanical level, you will
learn how to do calculus (e.g. taking
derivatives, using chain rule, etc.)
Learning Calculus at this level is required to pass the class. You will
demonstrate such proficiency in two Gateway Exams, one on differentiation and
the second on anti-differentiation. On each, correctly answering 8 of the 10
questions is required to pass the class. If you score below 8, you may repeat a
Gateway Exam without penalty (on your own time).
Beyond the
Gateway Exams, grades will be earned by understanding Calculus at a deeper,
theoretical level. This includes
understanding why we do the
calculations, why they work, and why they apply to so many of the
physical situations around us. Your
ability to explain the concepts of calculus will continually be tested, both in
class and on ``OpportunitiesÕÕ (the name is because you should see them as your
chance to show us what you have learned.)
There will be a variety of ways to demonstrate
that you are learning Calculus.
They will contribute to your final grade as follows:
Assessment Date Percent
Opportunity I Sept.
20th (6pm-??) 11
Opportunity II Oct.
18th (6pm-??)
11
Gateway I ~
Oct. 24th (and after)
4
Opportunity III
Nov.
15th (6pm-??)
11
Gateway II ~
Dec. 2nd (and after) 4
Group Project (more
later) Dec.
7th 11
Homework all
semester 10
Class
Participation all
semester 10
Textbook
Questions all
semester 8
Final Exam Dec.
15th (Thurs.) 9am-?? 20
Total 100
The exams are in the evening starting at
6pm; they are not timed. Be sure to
mark these on your calendar now.
Information about the Group Project will be distributed later in the
semester.
Textbook
Questions (TQ):
At least 24 hours before most classes, I
will post a Discussion Board on Blackboard with a question about the reading.
After doing the reading, respond to the question, answering as best you can. If
you truly have no idea, please tell me that. After youÕve responded, youÕll be
able to see othersÕ responses. To complete the TQ, read through othersÕ
responses and comment on at least one of them. Grading for these questions will
be entirely on effort.
Homework:
Most homework will be completed online
using a system called Webwork and will be assigned
daily. You should be doing more than these problems – especially if
youÕve never taken Calc before. Login at webwork.math.smcm.edu/webwork2/Math_151_01_F16/; use your SMCM username, with your SMCM
ID as your initial password (which you should change). Homework will always be
due by 8:30am, giving me time to look at the results before class. If you have
a legitimate excuse (e.g. an injury, illness, or death in the family) contact
me for an extension.
Extra
Credit: You can earn a 1% increase in
your grade by attending and writing a summary of one of the NSM Colloquium
talks (and submitting it via email). This can be repeated up to three times for
a total of 3% extra before calculating your final grade. Talks are for a
general audience of science majors in the areas of Mathematics, Computer
Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The lectures are in Room 106SH most
Wednesdays at 4:40. Watch for
announcements of these talks on email and on posters around campus.
Student Conduct: Violations of Student Code of Conduct, such as copying, plagiarizing, handing in othersÕ work, and lying about a death in the family will not be tolerated. The rules are clear, and the consequences stiff and range from receiving a zero for the assignment to a failing grade for the course, to being expelled from the college.
Documented Learning Issues: Anyone with a documented learning disability should contact me via email and set up a time to meet within the first two weeks of the semester.
A Culture of Mutual Respect: (courtesy of Kirsten
Deane-Coe) It is
the St. MaryÕs way to respect your peers, and I have a zero tolerance policy
for disrespect, injustice, or any form of oppression in the classroom. With
your help I aim to create a safe classroom space for all who inhabit it, where
we are free to make mistakes in the pursuit of knowledge, and where we can
trust each other to be a part of a supportive community. Please do your part!
Conclusion:
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. To show you
read carefully, wear a hat to class on Wednesday, August 31st.
(DonÕt have one? Make one!) We
will be working in groups regularly; how well you work with others will also
factor into the Class Participation portion of your grade.
I would like nothing more than for everyone in this
class to earn an A; let's all work to toward that goal.