The course will cover limits and continuity, derivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Each topic will be developed from first principles; treatment will include theory as well as applications.
Calculus I is a GenEd Cluster 3 course, and includes the following learning objectives:
Goals
Prerequisites
Prerequisite: MP CALC score of 30+ or MP ALEKS score of 81+ or MATH 135. Not open to students with credit in MATH 232 or MATH 234.
Textbook
Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 8th ed., by James Stewart.
You'll need to buy access to Webassign which comes with an electronic copy of the text. If you want a hard copy of the text, several options are available. You may purchase a hard copy, rent a hard copy, or purchase loose leaf pages of the text. My recommendation is to purchase “Cengage Unlimited” which give you access to any Cengage course that you are taking, text rentals for $7.99, and multi-term access for all courses accessed this semester. This will give you access if you take Math 236 or 237 since the same text is used. The cost is $124.99 (if it does not cost this amount, you do not have the correct option).
Homework/Groupwork
Late assignments will NOT be accepted, but the lowest 6 assignment scores will be dropped.
Your assignments and schedule will show up on Canvas. Since you will access these through Canvas you will not need a class code.
You will be able to see all due dates on Canvas.
You will have multiple attempts to get problems right (except for True/False).
For all of the problems you will get immediate feedback and might have a chance to try a different version of the same problem. Some of the problems will even have on-demand help which might include links to videos, suggestions, and step-by-step hints. Groupwork assignments will typically occur on Tuesday (our long class day), and consist of problems that you will work on in groups in class and turn by the end of class.
To really learn math, you'll need to practice. A lot! Do the homework. Come to class for the
Collaboration (but not copying!) is encouraged.
The time you spend working on the homework and on groupwork will be invaluable.
Quizzes
Late quizzes will NOT be accepted, but the lowest 2 quiz scores will be dropped.
You will roll a dice to decide the one-in-three chance that there will be a short quiz (uually 5 minutes at most). The quiz will consist of a homework questions or two assigned from the previous class, or basic question about the topic of the day, and are intended to motivate the current material. These will be graded on a three point scale; 1 pt for writing something, 2 pts for writing something relevent and true, and 3 pts for a clear and correct solution.
A solution is not just the correct answer. A solution is a clear and step-by-step sequence to arrive at the answer that anyone else in class should be able to follow and understand. You will submit these by uploading a picture of your work to a Canvas assignment.
The time to think about the quiz question is the night before the quiz, not during it.
Tests
There will be three in-class tests, one roughly every four weeks.
Final
The final is cumulative, and our JMU registrar has already set the date and timeand this will not change:
Grading
Each of the categories that contribute to your grade will get scaled to the following number of points:
Need a little extra help?
I love office hours. Please use them, and don't be afraid to send an email or give me a call.
You can also get help at the
Science and Math Learning Center in the SSC and opens September 2. It is open most days of the week, is free, and you don't need an appointment!
On-line Material
Course material is posted on Canvas. Log on and check it out!
Calculators
A graphing calculator is optional for this course. While I'm most
familiar with the TI, you may decide to use other brands. Calculators are great to help build intuition and to convince yourself that you can do calculus.
But since some calculators can handle symbolic algebra and calculus
operations, they will not be allowed for quizzes and exams.
Honor code
Remember that JMU has a strict
honor code.
While you are strongly encouraged to work with others in this class,
the work you submit must be your own. Copying someone else's work
won't help you learn the material and might just get you expelled.
Diversity and Inclusion
James Madison University is a community dedicated to diversity and
inclusivity. As faculty, we believe that learning environments should support a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, experiences, and identities. We invite you to share anything with us that might help create a more inclusive and welcoming learning environment.
Common JMU Academic Policies
Visit http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/
for information about:
Attendance, Academic Honesty, Adding/Dropping Courses, Disability Accommodations, Disruptive Behavior, Inclement Weather, and Religious Accommodations.
Nature of the Course Content
(directly from the course catalog)
MATH 235*-236. Calculus I-II.
4 credits each semester. Offered fall and spring.
Differential and integral calculus of functions of one variable. Sequences and infinite series.
Prerequisite for MATH 235: Sufficient score on the Mathematics Placement Exam.
Prerequisite for MATH 236: MATH 232 or MATH 235 with grade of "C" or better. MATH 235 is not open to students who have already earned credit in MATH 232