Today, Etienne and I looked at the curriculum for calculus 12 (taught in high school).  We looked at the content material and the way in which the curriculum was structured.

First of all, the content was similar to the one Peri and I had studied in our high school calculus classes.  The main focus of the material is on differentiation and integration.  However, there were some novel features.  The material included a section dealing with the historical foundation of calculus.  Students were expected to know about the different mathematicians who contributed substantially to the material presented.  Newton, DesCartes, Leibniz, and others, are studied.  This brings history into the context of mathematics.

Another feature of the curriculum was its emphasis on assessment of the material taught.  The curriculum provides criteria by which the students can self-assess their own or others' work.  The assessment criteria are specific to each section of the curriculum.  Students are expected to work out problems on their own or with others, and to develop innovative ways to both answer problems and to self-correct their own problem-solving skills.