Algebra II Final Exams + AP Calculus Summer Work
Here I describe two of my final tasks at the end of each school year: creating a fresh final exam for Algebra II (this year I incorporated multiple choice for the first time ever) and updating my AP Calculus summer work assignment.
Just Finished with 2024 AP Calculus Reading!
This was my first year working as an AP reader for CollegeBoard - here are details of my experience!
FRQ Practice Ideas for Next Year
It’s that time of year again…my seniors have gone, I find myself with a bit more unstructured time during the school day, and my mind is flooded with ideas to try for next year and things to improve. I typically use my increased free time to look up ideas, read math blogs, and brainstorm alternate approaches, and I always find this process exciting and hopeful. Here is one of my AP Calculus goals for next year.
Rediscovered Diff. Eq. application problems + Seniors’ final days
There are only two days left with our wonderful seniors: Class of 2024! Their final exam projects are wrapping up and final grades are almost done. I also just came across two great Differential Equations applications problems that I had saved years ago and lost track of.
2024 AP Calculus BC FRQ’s are here!
The moment we’ve been waiting for this week is here! The AP Calculus FRQ’s are available to view. Although the scoring rubrics won’t be available for several more months, I did out the problems and created my own solutions and predictions on point allocation. This post includes discussion of the questions.
What to do with Seniors after the AP Exam: 2024 version
Every year I think carefully about how I will spend my final week before my seniors graduate and leave. This year I a switching things up and creating a new final project for them to create: a letter to a future student with a Demos polar designed crest!
Castle Attack: Final AP Calculus Review Game
After years of intending to try this easy-to-use game, I finally used to today in AP Calculus and it went really well! In this post, I describe how I set up the game, how I will improve it for future use, and share the problems I used.
The FINAL AP Calculus lesson: Sigma <--> Integral notation
Once we reach the end of the year in AP Calculus BC and ALL content has been covered, I circle back to the beginning of Unit 6 and spend one class period focusing more on how to convert from sigma notation to integral notation. This is a great review of proper notation, limits, and Riemann sums. In this post, I share the resources that I use to help students master the technical notation.
AP Calculus Mock Exam time
In five week, students begin taking their AP exams! One of my favorite things our school does to get students ready is a full mock exam, which is a previously released practice exam from CollegeBoard. Here’s how it works at my school.
Some u-sub stuff I love
I share some of my favorite activities and problem sets that I use with my students to help them master this important method of integration. YOU can do U-sub!
Building Cross-Sectional Volumes
My favorite way to help Calculus students visualize cross-sectional volumes is with PIPE CLEANERS!
How I Introduce Volumes of Revolution
In this post, I describe what the critical first day of volumes looks like in my classroom and how I use various techniques to help my student conceptually understand how to use calculus to find those volumes.
Officially Accepted as an AP Calculus Reader!
I am excited to say that this year I have been selected to be an AP Calculus reader and helps score the exams this summer. I never thought I’d be excited to grade, but this feels different thank you typical grading, and it will be excellent professional development.
My AP Calc Bonus FRQ Bin
Now that it’s mid-January, the AP exams are beginning to seem much closer! Here I describe how I create and use my beloved Free Response Question filing bin with my students.
AP Calculus Bootcamp💪
I spent my first full week of summer teaching my first AP Calculus bootcamp for rising seniors! This was a new program that I helped plan and organize, and I designed the curriculum for the week.
Getting Ready for Next School Year
I am finding myself with a bit more free time these days now that the AP exams are over and seniors are gone, so I spent today getting all of my online platforms ready to go for AP Day.
What to do with Seniors after the AP exam?
The internet is chock full of ideas for how to spend the final weeks of school after the AP Calculus exam ends. Here are some academic ideas to continue their learning and some fun ways to spend your final days with your seniors!
Senior Projects + Shadowboxing
Today was day 1 of creating our polar design magnets in class, and, as usual when trying out a new activity, I learned A LOT along the way! Also, I now know what Shadowboxing is?!