School Supplies Shopping

Hey Folks,

It's that time of year again...late July.  The sun and waves tell us that summer is in full swing, yet the stores full of aisles with backpacks and notebooks tell us school is just around the corner.  I have stumbled upon some very good deals on items YOU WILL NEED for BC Calculus this year and I thought I'd share.

First, at Target (en Francais, le Target) I found 100 page notebooks of graph paper for $1.97!  That's a great deal on graph paper.  I recommend stocking up on a bunch (I personally bought 12 - but I don't share well with others, so you need to get your own!).

Next, a graphing calculator IS REQUIRED for the AP Exam.  See the College Board's list of approved calculators here: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/homepage/22504.html.  Note that a scientific calculator is not allowed.  Our exams (midterm and final) will consist of AP questions from past BC exams and will be formatted identically to the AP exam (with some modifications on time restraints).  Therefore, you will be required to have a graphing calculator for our course.  We will use them extensively throughout the course.  I will use a TI 84 plus and a TI 89 for all in-class demonstrations.  If you have either of these or a TI 83 or TI 85, you will be able to follow all in-class demonstrations just fine.  If you purchase a calculator other than these then you are expected to know how to operate your device effectively as I will not spend class time helping you with your calculator.  On to the deals...Walmart seems to have the best deals on graphing calculators right now, although I paid the extra $6 and purchased my TI 89 at Target since I was already there (factoring in gas mileage and the value of my time spent going to another store, I say I broke even).  If you shop online you can find some good deals right now and they will ship to your home in time for school to start.  As a last resort, you're always welcome to borrow a calculator from the media center at Groves.

Other items you'll need: a 1.5" or larger binder for class handouts (Meijer has some good deals on these, as does Walmart and Target), notebooks for in-class notes and/or homework (I recommend the graphing paper notebooks above, but Target also has regular notebooks for $.97!), and pens/pencils (similar costs most anywhere from what I've seen), a straightedge (ruler or some other means of drawing straight lines) is needed for this class, but you can usually make do with the edge of your Groves planner or something similar.

If you find any deals you'd like to share for back-to-school shopping, share them with us here!  Good luck finding the deals, and enjoy these last weeks of summer before they're gone!

Regards, Coach Wilson

2013 Summer Packet

Welcome 2013-14 BC Calculus Students!  You should have been given a summer work packet to prepare you for our journey into the study of calculus this fall.  If you have not received your packet, or want another copy, download it from the course folder on the website.

Use this forum to post questions and discuss solutions regarding the summer packet.  Look to offer help to those who ask and post your questions when you have them.  There is only one rule on this forum: ALWAYS RESPECT EACH OTHER!

Some reminders: 1. the packet is due the first day of class (9/3/13) for a significant grade, 2. your original work should be on separate paper and done without a calculator except when specified, 3. solutions (without work) will be posted to the course folder weekly over the summer, 4. the list of helpful links is also posted in the course folder.

Good luck!  See you on September 3, 2013! ~Coach Wilson