July 15-18, 2024

Instructor: Dixie Ross

Dixie Ross taught in Texas public schools for 37 years and has taught AP Calculus for 32 of those years. She has served as an AP consultant for summer institutes and other teacher professional development workshops since 1994 and has been a reader for the AP Calculus exam. Ms. Ross served on the development committees for the Math Vertical Teams Guide, and the Laying the Foundation project. She received the College Board’s Southwestern Region AP Special Recognition award in 1992, the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement and the Texas Excellence award for outstanding high school teachers. In 2008, Ms. Ross was a finalist for the O’Donnell Texas AP Teacher of the Year award and was recognized as a Math Hero by the Raytheon Company for her efforts to involve more students in advanced mathematics. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2012. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and holds a BA and a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.


Course Objectives

Calculus AB

 In this workshop, participants will learn how to present calculus topics in order to develop student conceptual understanding as well as skills and problem solving capabilities.  Strategies for differentiating instruction to address student need and for building an inclusive calculus program will be shared.  All of the major topics of the AP Calculus new course and exam description will be addressed.  Teachers will learn what to teach, how to teach it and how to assess student understanding as well as ways to prepare students for the AP Calculus AB exam.

Here is a very rough outline for the week, though changes and adjustments will be made to meet the needs of the group.

 Day 1:

  • Local Linearity
  • Examination of College Board Resources
  • Starting the Year
  • Limits and Continuity
  • Derivative Rules
  • f and f’ and f” Relationships

 Day 2:

  • Justification of Extrema
  • Existence Theorems
  • Implicit Differentiation
  • Related Rates
  • Introduction to the Definite Integral
  • Properties of Definite Integral

 Day 3: 

  • Motion, Area and Volume
  • Data-based Questions
  • Interpreting Calculus
  • 2nd FTC

 Day 4: 

  • Accumulating Rates of Change
  • Contextual Questions
  • Slopefields
  • Differential Equations
  • 2022 Free Response Questions

What participants should bring:

  • Graphing Calculator
  • Their Textbook
  • Notebook Paper
  • Post-It Notes

Register Now!