Question about Calculus textbooks

[TeaTotaler]

Ds, a junior, is currently in Derek Owens' AP Calc AB class after finishing PreCalc with him.  Derek suggested that ds could move directly to AP Calc BC but ds felt very strongly about continuing on with DO.  I assumed that I could have ds take AP Calc BC with another provider knowing that some material would be a repeat.  Getting a solid foundation in Calc wouldn't hurt ds' goal of Mech Engr.

 

An acquaintance recently suggested ds look into DE at our local Univ for Calc.  I'm not sure if they will have him start the Calc sequence again even though a score of 4/5 on the AP Calc AB would normally get him credit if he chose to attend there.  Would it make sense to go ahead and repeat Calc 1 since it would a new environment, college setting, live class etc?

 

The text that the Prof uses is Calculus by Stewart - 7th edn.  ISBN 978-0-538-49781-7.  However the reviews at Amazon are mixed.

 

How is it different from this Stewart text - Calculus: Early Transcendentals 7th Edn. The University that is on ds' list uses this text for their beginning Calc courses.

 

My head is starting to hurt as I research possibilities for ds' senior year.

 

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

TIA.

[Kathy in Richmond]

Just a few quick thoughts:

 

Calc BC is going to have about a semester's worth of repetition for a student who has already completed Calc AB & done well. That material is usually not the stuff that engineers find most difficult; rather, it's the 2nd semester of BC that's usually trickier.

 

Whether or not to start in Calc 1 or Calc 2 if you do DE is really student dependent (sorry, no help!). Lots of kids do master Calc 1 thoroughly in their AB class. The pace of DE should match the pace of Calc BC; Calc 1 should be the review of Calc AB material and Calc 2 will be the new BC material. I don't know your local uni, so I can't help with whether or not they exceed the AP curriculum.

 

Stewart is a good text. I wouldn't have a problem with it at all. The difference with an Early Transcendental text is that the trig and log functions and their derivatives/integrals are introduced earlier than in the other type of calculus text. Either text gets you to the same place by the end of Calc 2, though. It's just a matter of personal preference on the part of the teacher.

 

If you choose DE, then I'd ask to meet with their math faculty sometime before he enrolls & show them DO's syllabus. Ask them how kids coming in with 4s or 5s on Calc AB place & whether their curriculum is more in depth than AP. They can help you with making sure that your son has covered all the prerequisite chapters for their Calc 2, if that's the way you decide to go. And if he's only missing a topic or two, he could also self-teach those few items over the summer.

[TeaTotaler]

Thanks Kathy.  Your post was very helpful. I probably should have had ds take AP Calc BC but with AP Latin and Greek 2 with Lukeion taking a chunk of time, and also trying out PAH with AP Engl Lang I wasn't sure.  Ds' desire to stay with DO led me stick with Calc AB.  Also, when I was trying to figure out what to do, I thought I remembered folks who took Calc AB followed by Calc BC.  A friend of ds' who attended a G&T school in Illinois did just that along with several others at this school. 

 

Oh well, live and learn.  I'm now wondering about his science sequence, but that's another post. :-)

 

I planned to email the local prof and get some info before we proceeded with plans for DE.  I wanted to get a sense for the differences in the texts before I contacted him.  DE is not cheap here so I've avoided it so far.  We also need to consider the disruption of driving there 3X a week, trying to fit it around other online classes and his music commitments.  Thankfully ds got his driver's license recently so he can get there himself.  With my vision issues, I try not to drive unless I have to.

 

Thanks again for helping me think this through. 

 

 

 

[kiana]

Some schools are set up for calc AB then calc BC, and in that case they usually don't review as much of the AB material.

 

Stewart is a standard text and I used it for calculus. 

 

As far as where he should start, is your kid the type who shuts down with an excessive challenge or rises to it? That's one big thing.

 

But one other big thing that you should consider is that calc 2 in the fall is off-sequence. It is going to have the following students:

The eager-beavers who took calc in high school and placed out.

The students who failed calc 1 or 2 and had to retake them.

The students who placed into precalc or lower.

 

The first group is going to be probably positive for your student to associate with, the second group mostly negative, the third group frequently struggles (because usually they were taught precalculus in high school and had to retake it). Additionally, the second and third groups are not freshmen. 

 

The proportions of the various groups are going to vary slightly depending on school, but at a local state school it is probably going to skew more towards groups 2-3. This might end up with a less-than-stellar learning experience for your student. 

[TeaTotaler]

Thanks Kiana.  Good questions.....

I think ds would rise to the challenge but I'm sure I'll hear grumbling through the semester. :-)  I also try to build some margin in our lives and I don't want senior year to just be characterized by intense classes with no room to breathe.  Unfortunately at this point, the logical step is an intense course whether AP or DE.  I also want to be mindful of the craziness of college apps etc.

 

About the sequence and who will be in the class with him - your points are excellent...

I was only considering this particular Math class because the prof has a good reputation so if he tested out of Calc 1, I would prefer ds to take Calc 2 with him in Spring.  So then I have to come up with a plan for helping ds review and stay current - not a fun job for me since I've never taken Calc.

 

The only other option is the PAH Calc BC course where he will repeat the first part and continue on.  However, I am concerned about this class after 8fill's post recently.  Aaargh.