Course Content

Unit Organization

The AP Calculus BC curriculum is divided into ten major units, thoughtfully arranged in a logical progression:

Each unit is further divided into specific, teachable topics that build students' understanding step-by-step.

Big Ideas in AP Calculus BC

Three overarching themes form the basis of the course, connecting concepts across units and deepening students' understanding of calculus:
•    Change: By utilizing derivatives to measure how one variable changes in relation to another, or using definite integrals to calculate net changes over intervals, students gain insight into change in diverse mathematical and real-world scenarios.
•    Limits: Starting with discrete models and progressing to limiting cases allows for modeling real-world phenomena and provides a pathway to discover essential calculus concepts, definitions, formulas, and theorems.
•    Analysis of Functions: Calculus equips students to examine the behavior of functions by connecting the concepts of limits, differentiation, integration, and infinite series, and by exploring the relationships among these foundational ideas.