What to Do After the AP Exam
Math Medic
Wondering what to do after the AP Exam? Depending on the date of the exam each year and when seniors leave, the time you have available for an after-exam-project may differ.
In our class, we generally do these 3 things:
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Go over solutions to the released free response questions from this year’s exam
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Short Calculus writing assignment
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Write your own exam project
Directions and resources for these projects can be found below.
Writing Assignment
After taking a year of Calculus, it can be fun to have students summarize their study of Calculus and identify the big ideas of the course. We couple this with the task of writing a letter to a future AP Calc student, giving advice and encouragement that will prepare them for the work ahead. This assignment takes about one class period, so itās easy to fit in and versatile for the irregular end of school year schedules.
Write Your Own Exam Project
In our class we talk a lot about how memorizing procedures will not be sufficient for doing well on the AP Calc exam. This is because the exam questions assess conceptual understanding and flexible thinking, not just knowledge of procedures. After seeing plenty of sample multiple choice and free response questions throughout the year, we now give students the opportunity to write their own creative questions.
To scaffold the project we give deadlines for various parts of the project. Use the editable Word doc version to add in your own due dates or remove them. A grading rubric is also included on page 2. In our class this project counts as their final test grade and students work on it for 1-2 weeks.
About the Author
Lindsey Gallas
As a former mathematics educator herself, Lindsey is proud to lead the Math Medic team, providing valuable resources for teachers across the country. Years ago, Lindsey and Luke met as colleagues at East Kentwood High School, the most diverse high school in Michigan. Sharing a discontent for the lack of quality teaching resources, Luke and Lindsey worked together to create their own. Creating and testing the “Experience First, Formalize Later” lesson model with great success, the two formally began “Stats Medic”, which would eventually be known as “Math Medic”, in 2015. Armed with a Bachelor’s in Secondary Mathematics and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Valley State University, Lindsey spends her time leading the Math Medic team Āā doing everything from writing weekly emails and answering teacher questions to dreaming up the next big idea. Outside of work, she loves to hang with her family, cook, and get into a juicy DIY design project.