Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Binghamton University calculus:math_223_224

Syllabus

2026-01-30T00:52:24-04:00

Math 223 – Introduction to Calculus – Fall 2025

Syllabus

This syllabus includes information common to all sections. Your own instructor will give you additional details.

Prerequisites

You need a good background in algebra and trigonometry, which is usually satisfied by a High School precalculus course or Binghamton University's Math 108. The Mathematics Department administers a Placement Test, which is designed to identify students who do not have adequate preparation for the course. The Placement Test is an absolute prerequisite for Math 223: you must pass it or you will not be allowed to take the course. See https://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/calculus/placementtest for details.

Textbook and WebAssign

``Calculus Single Variable'' by James Stewart, Ninth Edition (with WebAssign Access Code), Cengage Learning, 20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210. The version available in the University Bookstore covers the material in Calculus II as well.

Logging into WebAssign for the first time you will need to self-enroll yourself with a “Class Key”. The “Class Key” will be provided to you by your instructor. You will also eventually need an access code. If you buy the book through the Binghamton University Bookstore then it comes with an access code. This is a Multi-term Access Code and can be used for multiple semesters including Calculus II & Calculus III. This is the most affordable package with textbook that you'll find. If you do not buy the textbook package through the Bookstore, then you'll need to purchase “Cengage Unlimited” (1-semester, 4 months). This also comes with an access code that will last you for multiple semesters including Calculus II & Calculus III and includes the ebook. It can also be purchased through our bookstore. You will have temporary free access to WebAssign for two weeks into the semester without an access code. If you already purchased the textbook/WebAssign package or Cengage Unlimited (1 semester) from our bookstore a previous semester, then you do not have to buy it again. WebAssign comes with the ebook for the textbook. All information regarding how to login with Class Key and purchase an access code can be found here Binghamton University WebAssign Registration

Your username is your Binghamton University username, and the institution code is “binghamton”.

WebAssign Login Page

Objectives and Course Contents

MATH 223 covers the precalculus needed for calculus and some introductory differential calculus, covering Appendices A-D and Chapter 1 of the text. There will also be some precalculus topics covered in class which are not covered in the text. The precise sections to be covered are listed in the weekly schedule. The objective of the course is to acquire mastery of the material covered in the course in the following senses:

1. Mathematical understanding, as demonstrated by the ability to solve appropriate mathematical problems.

2. Practical understanding, as demonstrated by the ability to solve appropriate word problems in the sciences, in engineering and in the social sciences.

A calculator is not required for this class. In fact, their overuse is heavily discouraged. Neither calculators nor any other electronic item, e.g., a cell phone as clock, may be visible to you during tests.

Help outside of class

The Math Help Rooms, located on the 2nd floor of Whitney Hall, are staffed by the instructors who teach the course and are open during most business hours. Students can walk in any time it's staffed and ask questions of any of the instructors there, not just their own instructor. Click here for the Help Room Schedules. There are no Help Room or office hours after the final exam during the week of midsemester grading.

There is free tutoring offered though University Tutoring Services. All information regarding tutoring can be found here http://www.binghamton.edu/clt/tutoring-services/index.html

Exams and Grading

The class will have two written exams, a midterm and final. These are paper tests, graded by your instructor, and you will not be allowed to re-take these. These exams are taken during normal class times. Your average on both exams must be at least a 50% in order to pass the course, regardless of what your other course scores are.

The midterm and final exam will each count for 35% of your final grade. Homework on WebAssign including “warmup exercises” will count for 15% of your grade. The remaining 15% of your grade is determined by quizzes which could include written assignments and attendance.

WebAssign Homework	15%
Quizzes (in class), Written Assignments, Attendance	15%
Exam 1	35%
Exam 2	35%

One final, extremely important, note about grading: instructors do not “give grades.” Instructors simply award points based on the work the student produces. Each student's point total will correspond to a letter grade decided at semester's end, and it will be the same for all sections. Very little subjectivity is involved in the grading process. The following is a typical letter grade distribution given for past semesters. This distribution could change due to exam scores.

Your Percentage	Grade
92% - 100%	A
89% - 91%	A-
86% - 88%	B+
81% - 85%	B
78% - 80%	B-
73% - 77%	C+
69% - 72%	C
63% - 68%	C-
60% - 62%	D
< 60%	F

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. It is important to attend class in order to learn the material and successfully complete the course. University policy states that if a student misses more than 25 percent of the total class sessions, then the instructor has the option to fail that student and not allow them to take the final exam. So, if a student has more than 5 unexcused absences for our half semester course and they fail the midterm exam, then they will not be permitted to take the final exam and will receive a course grade of “F” if they do not withdraw from the course.

Homework and in-class work

Before most class meetings, you'll be assigned one or more short videos to watch, as well as “warmup exercises” that are intended to check that you have watched and understood the videos. This is required homework, due before class starts. The videos will cover aspects of the material that you just need to listen to and understand. Covering these aspects on video allows you to re-watch or pause as needed; it also frees up class time for more interactive work.

You will spend some of the class time doing guided work, with your instructor coaching, answering questions, and leading discussions on examples as you complete them. If you do not view the videos in advance, you will most likely not be adequately prepared for class. Class activities will expand on the video material, not review it.

If you need to miss class for a serious reason, contact your instructor as soon as possible (in advance if possible).

The videos and in-class work will replace a lot of traditional homework. (The stuff you would be doing for homework in a more lecture-based class is now partially moved to class work.) Your instructor may assign some traditional homework.

We will be using the WebAssign system for class warmups and homework. The problems you do in class will prepare you to do the homework. WebAssign is an online question answering program that comes with an e-book. The first assignment, “Getting Started with WebAssign”, will give you practice on how to use WebAssign and will not be graded.

Make-ups

Make-up exams for the in-class tests will only be given for serious, documented reasons, and all make-ups must be approved by your instructor before the test date.

Academic honesty

You are reminded of Binghamton University's Student Academic Honesty Code. Cheating on tests or quizzes will be dealt with severely and can result in suspension from the University for multiple semesters. Don't even think about it. Cheating on homework has a less severe penalty, but it will be dealt with, nonetheless. Getting a solution from Wolfram Alpha and putting that solution in your WebAssign homework is considered cheating.

Students are asked to practice extra care and attention regarding academic honesty, with the understanding that all cases of plagiarism, cheating, multiple submission, and unauthorized collaboration are subject to penalty. Students may not collaborate on exams or quizzes, directly or through virtual consultation. Posting an exam, assignment, or answers to them on an online forum (before, during, or after the due date), in addition to consulting posted materials, constitutes a violation of the university’s Honesty policy. Likewise, unauthorized use of live assistance websites, including seeking “expert” help for specific questions during an exam, can be construed as a violation of the honesty policy.

Any cases of cheating will be subject to investigation by the Academic Honesty Committee of Harpur College.

General Comments

The structure of this class may be different from what you are used to. In contrast to many courses, where the material is introduced in class, then analyzed in depth out of class in the homework, in this class you need to cover the basics before class (by watching the videos), then do the in-depth work actively in the classroom. We have found that most students come to greatly prefer this format to traditional lecture format (and they learn more too.) But it is essential that you come to every class prepared and participate actively.

Even if you've taken a previous Calculus course, this course is likely to be taught from a more sophisticated perspective, and if you think this class will be review you're probably mistaken.

You should expect to average about 8 hours per week studying outside of class.

In contrast to most high school math classes, if you don't understand the material being covered, you should NOT assume that your instructor will repeat the material until you get it. Ideally, you should ask questions at the time in class. Of course, you'll also probably need to spend time thinking things through on your own, but if you've tried that and are still confused, make use of the Help Room and office hours. Don't wait! The material in this course is cumulative, so anything you don't understand now is likely to keep giving you trouble as the semester goes on.

The Director of Calculus is Dr. L. William Kazmierczak (kaz@math.binghamton.edu). Barring exceptional circumstances, queries about the course should be directed to your instructor.

Students in M courses will demonstrate competence in an area such as calculus, symbolic logic, the logic of computers, the logic of deductive and inductive reasoning, or probability and statistical inference.

Student with Disabilities

Binghamton University is committed to the creation of an inclusive and safe learning environment for all students, including students with disabilities. Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) is responsible for the determination of appropriate accommodations for students who encounter barriers due to disability. Request your academic accommodation letter(s) early in the semester, or as soon as you have completed the SSD process (self-disclosure form, submitted documentation and initial appointment), so that your instructor has adequate time to arrange your approved academic accommodations. Remember that accommodations are not retroactive, and a discussion with your instructor must occur regarding their implementation. If you experience any disability-related access barriers in this course, such as with printed content, graphics, online materials, classroom seating or location, or any communication barriers; reach out to your instructor or SSD. You can contact SSD at 607-777-2686 or via email at ssd@binghamton.edu.

Weekly schedule

2017-11-29T17:06:58-04:00

Weekly schedule

Math 223 Fall 2017

Week	Dates	Sections	Topics	Videos to view before class in WebAssign (click on “Resources” tab)
1	August 23-25	Appendix A	Inequalities & Absolute Values	Kazmierczak video in precalc text section 1.8
1	August 23-25	Appendix B	Coordinate Geometry & Lines	Kazmierczak video in precalc text section 1.10
2	Aug 28 - Sept 1	Appendix C	Graphs of Second-Degree Equations	Kazmierczak video in precalc text section 1.9
		1.1	Functions	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 1.4, 2.2 “Graphing a Piecewise Funct”, 2.3, and 2.6 “Even & Odd Functs”
		1.2	Mathematical Models	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 1.5, 3.1, and 3.2
3	Sept 4-8 (Wednesday is Drop Deadline)	Labor Day	No Class
		1.3 (Drop Deadline)	New Functions from Old Functions	Kazmierczak video in precalc text section 2.6 and 2.7
		no section in book, material comes from class notes	Dividing Polynomials and Factoring	Kazmierczak and Mosely videos in precalc text section 3.3 and Kazmierczak videos in section 3.4
4	Sept 11-15	Appendix D	Trigonometry	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3
		Appendix D	Trigonometry	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3
		Review
5	Sept 18-22	Exam 1	All exams in class
		6.1 & 6.6 (no calculus)	Inverse Functions & Inverse Trig Functions	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 2.8, 5.5, and 6.4
		Rosh Hashanah	No class
6	Sept 25-29 (Tues Sept. 26 is withdraw with a “W” deadline)	6.2 (no calculus)	Exponential Functions	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 4.1 & 4.2
		6.3 (no calculus)	Logarithmic Functions	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6
		1.5	Limit of a Function (intuitive)	Kazmierczak and Mosely videos in precalc text section 13.1
7	October 2-6	1.6	Calculating Limits	Kazmierczak and Mosely videos in precalc text section 13.2
		1.6 & 1.8	More Limits & Continuity	no video or Warmup
		1.8	Continuity	No video or warmup
8	October 9-13	Review
		Review
		Final Exam covering all topics from the course with a focus on Appendix D through continuity	All exams in class
9	October 20, 224 Begins	1.4	Tangent and Velocity Problems	Kazmierczak videos in precalc text sections 2.4 and 13.3

Weekly schedule

2026-01-17T01:24:37-04:00

Weekly schedule

Math 223 Spring 2026

Note: All videos for Math 223 course are located in WebAssign under the “Resources” tab located on bottom left, just click on “Stewart:: Precalculus-7e”. The specific precalculus section video you are required to watch before lecture are listed in the last column of 223 weekly schedule below.

When you click on the specific precalculus section in “Resources” you will see two sets of videos offered, Kazmierczak videos and Mosley videos. You are required to view the Kazmierczak (“Prof Kaz”) videos; Mosley are recommended; your instructor will require others as needed.

Math 223 begins Wednesday, January 21, and ends Wednesday, March 11

Week	Dates	Sections in Calculus & Precalculus text	Topics	*Videos: Please view before* class** Found in WebAssign under “Resources” tab
1	Jan 21-23	Precalc Sects 1.1-1.5	Algebra Review	Kaz video in Precalc Sects 1.1-1.5
1	Jan 21-23	Calculus App. A; Precalc Sect 1.8	Inequalities & absolute values	Kaz video in Precalc Sect 1.8
2	Jan 26-30 (Add deadline is Monday, Jan 26)	Calculus App. B; Precalc Sect 1.10	Coordinate geometry & lines	Kaz video, Precalc Sect 1.10
		Calculus App. C; Precalc. Sects 1.9, 3.1	Graphs of second-degree equations (mainly, circles & parabolas)	Kaz. video in Precalc Sect 1.9, 3.1
		Calculus Sec. 1.1; Precalc Sects 2.2-2.3, 2.6	Functions	Kaz videos, Precalc Sects 1.4, 2.2-2.3, 2.6
3	Feb 2-6 (Drop deadline is Monday Feb 2)	Calculus Sec. 1.2; Precalc Sects 3.1-3.2	Mathematical models	Kaz videos in Precalc. Sects 1.5, 3.1, 3.2
		Calculus Sect 1.3; Precalc Sects 2.6-2.7	New functions from old	Kaz videos in Precalc Sects 2.6-2.7
		Precalc Sects 3.3-3.4; also, see Content in Brightspace with Prof Behr's pdf covering this topic thoroughly.	Dividing polynomials and factoring	Kaz & Mosely videos in Precalc Sect 3.3; Kaz videos in Precalc Sect 3.4
4	Feb 9-13	Precalc Sects 3.3-3.4	More dividing polynomials and factoring	Kaz & Mosely videos in Precalc Sect 3.3; Kaz videos in Precalc Sect 3.4
		Review Problems
		Math 223 Midterm Exam	Exam takes place in person during class in usual classroom
5	Feb 16-20	Calculus Appendix D; Precalc Sects 5.1-5.2, 6.1-6.2	Trigonometry & Trig Functions	Kaz videos in Precalc Sects 5.1-5.2, 6.1-6.2
		Calculus Appendix D; Precalc Sects. 5.3-5.4, 6.3, 7.1	Trigonometric Functions	Kaz videos in Precalc Sects. 5.3-5.4, 6.3, 7.1
		Calculus Sec. 6.1 (No Calculus Covered)	Inverse Functions	Kaz videos in Precalc Sect 2.8
6	Feb 23-27 (Withdraw deadline is Wednesday, Feb 25)	Calculus Sec. 6.2; Precalc sects 4.1-4.2	Exponential Functions	Kaz videos in Precalc sects 4.1-4.2
		Calculus Sect 6.3; Precalc sects 4.3-4.4	Logarithmic Functions Functions	Kaz videos in Precalc sects 4.3-4.6
		No Class	Rejuvenation Day
7	Mar 2-6	Calculus Sect 6.3; Precalc sect 4.5	Exponential & Logarithmic Functions	No video or warmup
		Calculus Sect 6.6; Precalc sects 5.5, 6.4	Inverse Trig Functions	Kaz videos in Precalc Sects. 5.5, 6.4, 7.4
		Calculus Sec. 6.6; Precalc sects 5.5, 6.4	More Inverse Trig Functions	Kaz videos in Precalc Sects. 5.5, 6.4, 7.4
8	Mar 9-11	Review for Final Exam
8	Mar 9-11	The Math 223 Final Exam is on Wednesday March 11	Covers App D (Trig) through 6.6 (Inverse Trig Functions)	Exam takes place in person during class in the usual classroom on March 11
9	Mar 13	No Class on Friday March 13	Math 223 has ended

Math 224 begins Monday, March 16, and ends Wednesday, May 6

See Math 224/225 website for Math 224 syllabus, required videos, and other helpful material. Your weekly schedule for the 2nd half-semester is below.

Week	Dates	Sections All readings are in Calculus text	Topics	Basic Skills Tests
9	March 16-20 (Add deadline is Friday, March 20	1.5	Limit of a Function	None
		1.6	Calculating Limits Using Limit Laws
		1.8	Continuity
10	March 23-27 (Drop deadline is Friday, March 27)	1.4 & 2.1	Tangents/Velocity Problems & Derivatives and Rates of Change
		2.2	Derivative as a Function
		2.3	Differentiation formulas
11	March 30 - April 3	No Class	Spring Break
		No Class	Spring Break
		No Class	Spring Break
12	April 7 - 10 (Monday Classes Meet on Tuesday April 7)	2.4 & App D	Derivatives of trig functions	Skills Test 1 begins on Tuesday April 7 and you have until April 13 to take your first attempt, but can take other attempts this week as well. It covers limits, continuity, and differentiation formulas. You have until Monday, April 20, to take all 3 attempts.
		2.5	Chain Rule
		2.5	More Chain Rule
13	April 13-17	Review	Midterm covers everything through Sect 2.5
		224 Exam 1 (Midterm)	Midterm covers everything through Sect 2.5
		2.6	Implicit Differentiation
14	April 20-24 (Withdraw & P/F Grade Option Deadline is Thursday, April 23)	2.7 & 2.8	Rates of Change in Science & Related Rates	Skills Test 2 begins Tuesday, April 21. It covers trigonometric derivatives, chain rule, and implicit differentiation. You have until Monday, April 27, to take your 1st attempt.
		2.8	More Related Rates
		3.1	Maximum and Minimum values of a function
15	April 27 - May 1	3.3	How derivatives affect the shape of a graph
		3.4	Limits at Infinity
		3.5	Curve Sketching
16	May 4-8	3.5	More Curve Sketching	Last days to take your 2nd or 3rd attempt of Skills Test 2. You have until Wednesday, May 6, to take all 3 attempts.
		Final Exam review	Last day of classes	Last day to take Skills Test 2 is Wednesday, May 6
		No Class	Reading Day	None
17	May 9-14	Final Exam on Date and Time Assigned by Registrar, View Final Exam schedule here	The final covers all topics from the course with a majority of the questions covering Sects 2.6-3.5	None