As your students are preparing for the AP Calculus Exam, there are several things students should "know cold." This includes derivative and antiderivative rules, justifications for graph behavior, and basic steps for common tasks such as setting up integrals for area and volume or solving a separable differential equation. When you actually write out all of these items, it can be a pretty extensive list! But identifying which items to include can be the hardest step.
This is why we have created the Calc Medic AP Calculus Flash Cards, with all the must-know information students should have in their back pocket (not literally, of course!). We've broken the AB content down into 6 categories:
Limits, Continuity, and Differentiability
Derivatives
Integration
Justifications and Interpretations
Area/volume
Other
As an extra bonus, we also have a set of 36 Calc Medic Flash Cards for all the content specific to AP Calc BC! We've broken the content into these categories:
Vector, Polar, and Parametric Functions
Infinite Series
Integration Techniques
The flashcards are available in 2 formats:
Paper flashcards to be printed and cut out.
Digital flashcards available through the Calc Medic Review Course. These are easily accessible to students on their phones and they can "flip" the cards, just as they would with the paper ones.
Suggestions for Printing
We suggest using a light cardstock rather that printer paper.
If making a classroom set, get them laminated if you can! This way you'll be able to use them for years to come.
Don't waste your own time cutting these out. Have students do it!
Download the Flashcards
Note that the file is formatted for two-sided printing.
Why Use Flashcards?
Flashcards are a tried-and-true study method for recalling facts. Practicing active retrieval of previously learned information strengthens neural connections in the brain. The metacognitive process of posing a question, searching through brain files for an appropriate response, and then reflecting on that response by essentially grading one's own work deepens memory. The principle of spaced practice can also be applied here as students revisit the cards after certain time intervals, more frequently with cards they struggle with and less frequently for cards they know confidently.