What do HS Calculus students learn?

In summary, the individual did not take Calculus in high school and went to a bookstore to look for resources but only found SAT books with no specific focus on Calculus. They are interested in tutoring high school students and want to prepare relevant material. They mention that in high school, they covered basic limit's derivatives and integrals, but not proofs or more complex integral methods. They also note that proofs were not stressed in their calculus class and the focus was on applications and test-prep for the AP exam.
  • #1
rocomath
1,755
1
I did not take Calculus in HS, so I have no idea what is taught. I went to a bookstore to look through books, but I didn't find anything useful. I could only find SAT books with the title "Math Level #" but none said Calculus by itself.

I'm just wondering b/c I'm interested in Tutoring HS students and to prepare some material so they get their money's worth and I feel that I was efficient.
 
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  • #3
In high school (not AP), I did basic limit's derivatives and integrals, and no proofs of any sort either. We covered basically all of differentiation and integration up to integration by parts. So, we never did trig substitution or any other more complex integral methods. That was a while ago for me, but I think I remember most of what we covered and didn't. We definitely didn't do anything much more complicated than trig substitution. That I can almost guarantee.
 
  • #4
When I was in HS I learned mostly everything that one would be expected to learn in their first two semesters of calculus. However, it was very application oriented and proofs were not stressed. Though I've found many universities don't stress proofs either in the first year of calculus.
 
  • #5
Basically it was everything in the calculus textbook, but we skipped over all the topics not on the AP exam (work, force, integration by tables, vectors, hyperbolic functions, etc.) As k3n70n wrote, proofs were not stressed and it was very applications oriented (also test-prep oriented since it was AP).
 

1. What is the purpose of learning Calculus in high school?

The purpose of learning Calculus in high school is to provide students with a strong foundation in advanced mathematical concepts and problem-solving skills. This will prepare them for higher education and careers in STEM fields.

2. What topics are typically covered in HS Calculus courses?

HS Calculus courses typically cover topics such as limits, derivatives, integrals, applications of derivatives and integrals, and infinite series. Some courses may also cover multivariable calculus.

3. Is Calculus a difficult subject to learn in high school?

Calculus can be a challenging subject for some students, but with dedication and practice, it can be mastered. It is important to have a strong foundation in algebra and trigonometry before attempting to learn Calculus.

4. How does learning Calculus in high school benefit students?

Learning Calculus in high school can benefit students by preparing them for college-level math courses and giving them a head start in their academic and career pursuits. It also helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be applied in various fields.

5. Can Calculus be useful in everyday life?

Although not directly applicable to everyday life, the problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills acquired through learning Calculus can be applied in various scenarios. Additionally, many real-world applications, such as in engineering and economics, rely on Calculus principles.

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