Calculus 1
4
In person
Tuesday / Thursday 1:30PM - 3:10PM
- WACHMAN 212
WACHMAN 1027
use email: Patrick Phelps - Patrick.phelps0001@temple.edu
Evelyn Urgiles - Evelyn.urgiles@temple.edu
TBA
Evelyn’s Study Sessions: every Thursday 10am - 12pm
We will work through Stewart, Clegg, and Watson's Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 9th Edition, taking pre-class notes, lectures, and completing homework’s and exam reviews from the exercises in each section. There are also videos for this course here: https://cst.temple.edu/department-mathematics/undergraduate/courses/supplementary-videos, it is a great idea to use these to get an idea of the content before class, or refer to when you may be stuck on a problem!
Daily 1 Question Quizzes: 13%
Weekly Homework’s: 5%
Test 1: 24%
Test 2: 24%
Comprehensive Final Exam: 34%.
Correspondence between the numerical and letter grades: 93-100 A, 90-92 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B, 80-82 B-, 77-79 C+, 73-76 C, 68-72 C-, 65-67 D+, 55-64 D, 50-54 D-, 0-49 F.
A Math 1041 placement or a grade of C or higher in Math 1022 or transfer credit for Math 1022.
1. Learn to compute limits to investigate the behavior of functions and compute derivatives to investigate the changes in functions, using techniques we develop together during the semester.
2. Apply limits and derivatives to practical problems including optimization, motion, and related rates to develop proficiency in the use of and understating of the applications of these concepts to your majors and interests.
3. Build a network on informations, connecting the concepts of approximation and limits to geometric questions which generate the definitions of asymptote, derivative, and tangent line to develop a visual understanding of calculus concepts.
4. Relate the derivative and integral through the fundamental theorem of calculus and use this relationship to compute basic integrals — investigating the ideas of accumulation and areas under curves
5. Become a more independent learner, thinker, and mathematician, exploring concepts and solving problems that are foundational to future coursework, while building confidence in your mathematical and analytical abilities.
A Calculus I course is an exciting journey into the heart of mathematical understanding, offering powerful tools to describe and explore the world around us. At its core, this course introduces three fundamental concepts: limits, derivatives, and integrals—each unlocking new ways to think about change, motion, and accumulation.
- Limits: The journey begins with understanding how functions behave as they approach specific values. Limits teach you how to analyze situations where something gets infinitely small or large, and they lay the groundwork for everything that follows. Whether it's figuring out the behavior of a curve near a point or solving seemingly paradoxical problems, limits are your gateway to understanding continuous change.
- Derivatives: The concept of a derivative is about capturing the essence of change. It allows you to understand how fast something is changing at any given moment, whether it’s the speed of a car, the growth of a population, or the slope of a hill. With derivatives, you’ll learn to analyze the instantaneous rate of change and gain a deeper insight into motion, optimization, and even the behavior of curves. It’s the perfect tool for tackling real-world problems that require precision.
- Integrals: Finally, integrals take you from the instantaneous rate of change to the total accumulation of quantities. Whether it’s calculating the area under a curve, finding the total distance traveled, or determining accumulated growth, integration is all about adding up infinitely small quantities to find the big picture. Integrals will help you solve problems involving areas, volumes, and even accumulated profit or loss.
Together, these three pillars—limits, derivatives, and integrals—form the foundation for understanding how things change and accumulate. Calculus opens the door to fields ranging from physics and engineering to economics and biology. It’s a toolkit for solving the complex problems of the real world and discovering the hidden patterns in nature. Whether you’re learning to optimize systems, understand natural phenomena, or simply sharpen your problem-solving skills, Calculus I equips you with the knowledge and tools to think critically and creatively.
These topics can be challenging and may require considerable work to learn. It is important to use all the resources available to you, myself, Evelyn, tutors, your colleagues, to insure your success. For any other concerns, please look into what support Student Support Services can provide.
Test 1 - Friday, February 21, (5:30-7:00 pm);
Test 2 - Friday, April 11, (5:30-7:00 pm);
Final Exam - Wednesday, April 30, (3:30 - 5:30 pm).
We will need to set aside the above times for the tests. Students with DRS Accommodations will have their tests rescheduled automatically, but other than a documented emergency you must attend the test at these times.
Attendance is important to your learning! We will cover one section per day and it is easy to fall behind with many in-excused absences. Any absence due to sickness or other extenuating circumstances will be excused. To help accountability, those with too many absences will be penalized started at two weeks of missed class: student who miss 4 TR classes without an excuse will have their grades lowered by one notch (e.g., from B to B-). Those who miss more than 8 TR classes without an excuse will have their grades lowered by two notches, etc.
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is the student’s responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you are able to do so, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu; 215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here (opens in new tab/window).
Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates.
During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).
The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) is not suggested in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment. Any use of AI tools for work in this class may reduce your learning and lead to gaps in knowledge. Use your best judgement as to when AI will enhance your learning, and when it is a crutch — if you can’t solve it without AI you wont be able to on the exam!
Please use AI only to check your completed work, and always let me know when you do in case the AI is wrong! It is much better to use un-Artificial intelligence, like Evelyn and I.
The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).
The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window):
The Math Consulting Center
Student Success Center
University Libraries
Undergraduate Research Support
Career Center
Tuttleman Counseling Services
Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Final Exam - Wednesday, December 11, (3:30 - 5:30 pm). Exam rooms will be announced at least one week in advance of the exam. Important: please note that if you miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in, your grade for the course will be F.
A list of homework problems from the textbook will be distributed. Problems will be assigned each week, due on Monday or Wednesday following the lecture the section was covered. This will prepare you for the daily quizzes.
You should reach out to the tutoring center, or attend office hours early to help you complete homework. Do not rely on AI or math solvers, as it is more important to develop understanding and reproducibility than to turn in work on time!
There will be a 10 min. 1 question quiz every lecture (when there is no midterm). Each quiz will consist of a problem similar to the ones assigned from the textbook. There will be no make up quizzes. Quizzes will be dropped in cases of documented emergencies.
Quizzes will be somewhat challenging. The best way to prepare is to stay up to date on the homework exercises. Meet with Evelyn or I, or bring questions to class to help you resolve any difficulties.
There will be no regularly scheduled make up exams. In the case of a DOCUMENTED EMERGENCY that prevents a student from taking a test as scheduled, the student must contact their instructor and the course coordinator immediately in order to discuss alternative arrangements.