The Walton APSI is anticipating a large number of teachers wanting training in AP Precalculus this summer. We are offering three sessions during Event 1 and two in Event 2. There is no difference in the content covered in the different sessions.

Meet your consultant for AP Precalculus Event 1 Section 1D, Chasen Smith

Chasen Smith (he/him/his) is a Senior Lecturer of Mathematics at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA, where he has taught for the past 11 years. He teaches core courses, including Calculus I, II, and III, as well as mathematics content courses for pre-service elementary and middle grades teachers. At Georgia Southern, he also serves as the coordinator of the Eagle Undergraduate Mathematics Conference and the annual invitational Georgia Southern Mathematics Tournament, which hosts approximately 800 middle school and high school students each year.

Chasen recently completed his second three-year term on the national Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming, where he co-organized the Undergraduate Student Poster Sessions at the Joint Mathematics Meetings and the Undergraduate Student Paper Sessions at MAA MathFest from 2016 to 2022. Chasen has been an AP Calculus Reader for the College Board since 2016.

He has been a College Board-endorsed AP Calculus Workshop Consultant since the beginning of 2022. Chasen is a member of the Mathematical Association of America, the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Georgia Association of AP Math Teachers, and the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.

AP Summer Institute Course:

During this AP Precalculus APSI, you’ll explore this exciting new AP course. We will take a deep dive into the course framework, the exam, and the AP resources that will help you plan and focus instruction—and give you feedback throughout the year on the areas where individual students need additional focus. You will leave the workshop with classroom ready resources. You will have opportunities to share with other teachers, practice content, and become comfortable with the depth that is needed to master the AP Precalculus course. By attending this APSI, you’ll gain insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community

What you will learn:

Unit 1:Polynomial and Rational Functions
Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions
Unit 4: Functions involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices
Preparing for the AP Precalculus Exam
Planning for and Running a successful AP Math program at your institution
How you will benefit:
  • Develop an understanding of the new exam and how to best prepare your students
  • Leave with classroom-ready activities and notes in digital forms with keys to use in your class or edit for future use
  • Take part in investigations that encourage thinking and exploration for a deeper understanding of the topics
  • Explore AP Classroom and multiple assessment tools for the classroom
  • Experiment with online tools and calculators to supplement the course
  • Engage with other teachers in planning and developing strategies for teaching
  • Discuss how to make the course accessible to students and where to put the course in your math sequence

New for 2023-24 school year: AP Precalculus

At this APSI, participants will:

  • Explore each section of the course and exam description, including the unit guides, while making connections to the course curricular requirements
  • Begin to develop a course plan by unit and topic that incorporates the full scope of your AP course into your school’s academic calendar
  • Examine formative and summative assessment items to identify content and skill pairings that are the targets of these assessments and create lesson plans to reinforce content and skill connections
  • Practice applying the scoring guidelines from the most recent AP Exam to samples of student work
  • Identify student strengths and weaknesses using data available through AP Classroom and Instructional Planning Reports
  • Explore ready-to-use strategies, instructional materials, and pedagogical tools pertinent to the content and skills required for success in your AP course
  • Develop meaningful connections within the AP community

You’ll explore these AP resources in-depth: Unit Guides, Topic Questions, Progress Checks, Question Bank, Instructional Planning Reports, Syllabus Development Guides, Sample Syllabi, and the AP Community.

1 – Introduction to the CED