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NAME:
C. Opoku
SCHOOL:
TAG Magnet High School
CLASS:
Pre-Calculus Pre-AP
SCHOOL PHONE:
972-925-6305
It's been a great privilege and pleasure to be at TAG! This is my third
year here, though my sixth at Dallas ISD. Last
year was a "blast"-one of the best in my eight or more years of teaching. I
say eight or more because I have been in and out, sometimes on part-time
basis. All put together, I have been around students for about ten years.
My teaching carrier started in Ghana, West Africa, in 1991 when I taught
physics and mathematics at the pre-college level (Sixth Form). In 1993, I
left to work as a process metallurgist and later, a shift manager of a gold
processing plant. My degree is in metallurgical engineering-the science of
metals. Three years into that, I yearned for another degree-an
MBA. That brought me to the University of North Texas for an MBA in
production and operations management. I worked at UNT in various positions
including being a research assistant at the Department of Engineering
Technology. All these years, my love for teaching never waned. It was
probably "genetic". My dad was a long time teacher. Several years into his
retirement people called him “Teacher Opoku". Growing up, I probably never
heard anyone call him anything else. For me, it's been more of Mr. "O",
which sounds crisp and neat because it doesn't take as many muscles as the
full name. Amazingly, most TAG students have no difficulty saying it fully.
I love students and believe as teachers, we have the honor and
responsibility of helping them to make choices and decisions that can affect
how they embark upon the rest of their lives. Thanks for the hardworking
efforts of our students and the support we enjoy from our administrators and
parents.
There is no doubt on my mind that we can prepare all our students to go to
any college or institution of their choice, and play productive and
responsible roles in their communities.
I look forward to another successful year of higher goal attainment and
fulfillment.
Pre-Calculus Pre-AP is a course designed to meet the needs of students who
wish to continue their study in advanced mathematics courses. It is intended
for students who have completed Geometry and Algebra II and who would like
to pursue further studies in mathematics, computer science, engineering,
economics, business, and any area in the sciences. The course is designed in
such a way that each student can progress at his/her pace. It is expected
that students will read the assigned topics each day and complete all
homework assigned. Participation in class discussions is required. It is
student’s responsibility to keep up with work missed due to absences.
Students are encouraged to work in small groups.
Course Outline
Semester 1
Review: Linear Equations, Inequalities (Algebraic and Graphical Solutions)
Functions, Graphs of Functions, Domain and Range (Review), Graphs of Basic
(Parent) Functions and their Transformations
Angle Measurement, Arc Length, Area of a Sector, Circular Functions and
Right Triangle
Trigonometric Functions of Angles, Trigonometric Ratios of Special Angles
(0, 30, 45, 60, 90)
Graphs of Trigonometric Functions, Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Applications of Trigonometric Functions, i.e. Simple Harmonic Motion
Solving any triangle - Sine and Cosine Laws, Trigonometric Identities and
Equations
Vectors, Applications of Vectors, Parametric Equations
Polar Coordinates, Complex Numbers.
Semester 2
Radical Equations, Rational Functions, Even and Odd Functions, Symmetry
Simplifying Rational Functions, Rational Functions: Points of Discontinuity,
Asymptotes, Limits
Piece-wise Functions, Polynomials –Zeros, Factor and Remainder Theorem
Synthetic Division, Descartes' Rule of Signs, Upper and Lower Bounds
Logarithmic and Exponential Functions
Sequences and Series, Convergence/ Divergence, Limit of a Sequence and
Series
Binomial Expansion
Conics – Standard Forms, General Second Degree Equations
Vectors, Applications of Vectors, Parametric Equations
Limits and Derivatives (Introduction)
Tangents, Derivatives as Slope of Tangent to Curve (Polynomial Functions
only)
Mission Statement:
Our mission is to utilize all available resources to help students acquire
the skills they need to navigate comfortably through advance courses in
mathematics, especially AP Calculus, and enjoy mathematics as a problem
solving tool.
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