CHEMISTRY SCHEDULE
(These scheduled activities are subject to change as time progresses!)
[The syllabus for this course is given at the bottom of this posting.]
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
16 - 20 February, 2009
Monday, 16 Feb.:
In class:
Classes do not meet – Teacher in-service!
Tuesday, 17 Feb.:
In class:
Present and launch boats!
Wednesday, 18 Feb.:
In class:
1) Review:
A) How do you write electron configurations?
B) What is special about the Nobel Gases?
C) Can we represent elements with Lewis dot structures?
2) Let’s look at some solubilities:
A) Salt in water and Charcoal Lighter Fluid
B) Moth flakes in Charcoal Lighter Fluid and water
C) What about salt in CLF and Moth flakes in oil?
3) What are the formulas for all of these compounds?
Assignment:
Write the Lewis dot structures for: Na, Sr, P, F & Kr
Thursday, 19 Feb.:
In class:
1) Discuss assignment
2) Define:
A) Chemical bond
B) Ionic bond (What kind of elements involved, how formed?)
Assignment:
Draw the Lewis dot structures for: NaCl, CaBr2, Al2O3
Friday, 20 Feb.:
In class:
1) Discuss assignment
2) Review Lewis dot structures for elements & ionic compounds.
3) (Possible) Pre-lab Ionic and Covalent compounds.
HONORS CHEMISTRY
(These scheduled activities are subject to change as time progresses!)
[The syllabus for these courses are given at the bottom of this posting.]
Weekly Schedule
16 - 20 February, 2009
Monday, 16 Feb.:
Classes do not meet – Teacher in-service
Tuesday, 17 Feb.:
In class:
1) Review – Bohr model
A) How did Bohr come to his conclusion?
B) What did we see in the Hydrogen lab?
2) Schrödinger – drew some ideas together and developed a new model.
A) Assumptions of
B) So where are electrons located?
Wednesday, 18 Feb.:
In class:
More Quantum Mechanical model stuff!
A) Define shell, sub-shell, orbital
B) How do you find where electron is in each structure (A schematic)
Assignment:
1) Give the electron configuration for: Li, Ca, Cs; B, P, Te; Ti, Rh, Hg
2) Locate these on the periodic table and color table.
Thursday, 19 Feb.:
In class:
1) Another look at periodic trends
A) Nobel gas configuration
B) ½ filled sub-shells
C) Charges on ions (monatomic)
D) Lewis dot structures of elements
Friday, 20 Feb.:
In class:
An introduction to chemical bonding
23 Feb:
Review of Modern Atomic Model
24 Feb:
Test – Modern Atomic Model
AP CHEMISTRY
(These scheduled activities are subject to change as time progresses!)
[The syllabus for these courses are given at the bottom of this posting.]
Weekly Schedule
16 - 20 February, 2009
Monday, 16 Feb.:
Classes do not meet – Teacher in-service!
Tuesday, 17 Feb.:
In class:
1) Make-up day (By the end of the day all old assignments and labs should be in!)
2) Prep for Stoichiometry lab – Limiting Reactant lab.
3) Measure out solutions for lab.
Wednesday, 18 Feb.:
In class:
1) Collect data for Stoichiometry lab – Limiting Reactant lab.
2) Start data analysis (graphing)
Thursday, 19 Feb.:
In class:
Complete data analysis (Lab due tomorrow!)
Friday, 20 Feb.:
In class:
Work examples of how to calculate equilibrium constants from lab data.
Assignment:
Work #10, 14, 22, 37, 40 & 48 page 683 - 686
CHEMISTRY
Course Syllabus
(2008/2009)
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor Name: Mr. Russell Thiel
Class Location: Room 610
Phone: 218-4600 Ext. 31610
E-Mail: thielr@usd385.orgCOURSE INFORMATION
Prerequisite: Algebra, Biology (May be concurrently enrolled in Biology)
Course Description: Chemistry is a study of matter and its changes. With the use of laboratory experiments and other inquiry methods, theories will be developed to explain how matter interacts. Major concepts include the properties of matter, chemical bonding, atomic theory, the structure of the periodic table and how it relates to the structure of the atom, writing and balancing chemical equations, stoichiometry, energy changes in reactions, and acid/base theory.
Course Objectives: This course will prepare the student to succeed in the AP Chemistry course or in the first university chemistry course.
Required Materials and Supplies: 1¡¨ or 1.5¡¨ 3 ring binder with dividers and a bound composition notebook.
Method of Evaluation: The grade has 4 parts:
A) Daily work/quizzes ¡V Assignments will be given periodically as drill and practice, review, and to introduce new concepts. Daily assignments and worksheets will be used as spring boards for class discussion and preparation for class quizzes. Some assignments will be collected and spot checked. Quizzes, both announced and unannounced, will be over daily assignments and concepts covered in class. Points will be assigned to the graded daily work and quizzes, and those points will constitute 20 % of the overall grade.
B) Laboratory work ¡V Lab work will be a team effort between lab partners. Part of the group responsibility is to maintain the lab equipment in the assigned workstation. Labs are designed to be completed in a fifty minute period, but both lab partners must work together to accomplish that goal. The completed lab report is usually due the following day and each partner needs to turn in a report. Therefore it is important that each person has a complete set of data that is collected in the lab. Again, a point
value will be assigned to each lab. The total points earned on labs will constitute 20 % of the overall grade.
C) Tests ¡V Tests will be administered at the end of each unit. The format of the tests will vary, depending the major theme of the unit. There will be lab tests and tests that are more traditional. Traditional tests will include; definitions, an objective check of skills and concepts, and problems and or short answer questions. A per cent will be recorded for each test and those scores will be averaged to make up 45 % of the overall grade.
D) Final exam ¡V A comprehensive final will be given at the end of each semester. That test will provide the remaining 15 % of the grade. In a college preparatory class, it is felt that the students need to master and retain the skills and concepts learned over an extended period of time.
Grading Scale:
A 100 ¡V 90 %
B 89 ¡V 80 %
C 79 ¡V 70 %
D 69 ¡V 60 %
F Below 60 %
Major Assignments/Projects: One formal lab report will be assigned each quarter. The grade for this report will be part of the lab portion of the grade. Formatting and grading will be discussed in class at least a week before the report is due.
Homework: Daily assignments are due at the first of class. At that time, students should be ready for quizzes over the same concepts. However, some assignments will be used as exploratory exercises, and time will be given in class to clear up any misunderstandings before the students are asked to complete a quiz. Lab reports will be handled like daily work. They are due at the first of class on the specified due date.
Late Work: 5 % of the grade will be ducted from assignments and lab reports turned in after class on the due date. 10 % of the grade will be deducted for each day an assignment or lab is late past the due date. Phone contact will be made if late work becomes chronic.
INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES
Make-Up Work: It is the student¡¦s responsibility to obtain make-up assignments from teachers following an excused or unexcused absence. In general, two days are given to complete daily work missed for each day of excused absence. For extended illness, the student will be limited to a total of 5 school days following their return to make-up work missed. Exceptions to this rule can be made through special arrangements with the teacher or administration. No make-up credit will be allowed for unexcused absences. Tests that have been scheduled in advance and long-term assignments need to be completed within a reasonable period of time per the agreement with all parties. Teachers may establish specific guidelines related to long-term assignments on an individual class basis. Dependent upon individual teacher policies, students may miss the opportunity to earn daily participation points for non-school related absences.
Unexcused Absences: Students who have an unexcused absence will lose credit for all work missed during that class period. Students will be assigned 2 hours detention for each hour of unexcused absence or Saturday school in cases in which the student is unexcused for a significant part of the school day.
Tardies: Students are tardy if they are not in the classroom when the bell begins to ring. Individual teachers may further stipulate what constitutes a tardy, (i.e. must be in the seat when the bell rings). Students are allowed 1 excused tardy per class, each semester. Beginning with the 2nd tardy, 30 minutes detention time will be assigned by the classroom teacher to be served in the school wide detention room.
Academic Dishonesty: Students are expected to maintain academic honesty and integrity at all times throughout their high school career. Academic dishonesty (as in cheating or plagiarism) is not acceptable. Cheating includes copying another student¡¦s work and submitting it as one¡¦s own. Plagiarism is the use of another person¡¦s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student who engages in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to the loss of credit for the work in question, as well as other disciplinary measures. Repeated occurrences could result in the student being removed from the class with no credit. Any student enrolled in a BCCC or dual credit course caught cheating or plagiarizing is subject to BCCC rules and regulations that may result in a student receiving an ¡§F¡¨ for the course.
All policies and guidelines from the Andover High School Student Handbook will be enforced.
INSTRUCTOR POLICIES
WHAT I EXPECT FROM YOU:
A) Learning is an active process. To increase how well you will grasp the concepts, take an active roll in class discussions and group activities. You need to become an active reader also. Most of the reading that will be assigned will be from the web. Those authors will have different perspectives from RT. Learn to take notes as you read. Then, you will have questions and ideas to help in class discussion on the following day. Sometimes the written assignments will be the primary study guide for a lesson. When you have done the reading or assignment before class, then you will be ready to take an active part in class discussion and your study time and class activities will be more beneficial.
B) In lecture and discussion, only one person will talk at a time! You don¡¦t have the right to interfere with other students¡¦ learning!
C) Written assignments should take from 10 ¡V 40 minutes to complete. Assignments are due at class time. The assignments will prepare you for the frequent quizzes that will be given.
D) If you do not put your name on your paper, RT will deduct 5 % of the grade from that paper! This policy includes daily work, lab reports, and tests. There are no exceptions to this rule! It starts today!
E) You are responsible for all work and concepts covered in class whether you are in class or not.
F) Food and drink will be permitted in the chemistry room only on special occasions. We will be working with poisonous chemicals, so for safety reasons, gum, food, or drink will not be allowed in the lab.
G) If you wear contact lens, I strongly suggest that you use your glasses on lab days. If a solution would splash in your face, we would be hard pressed to get your contact out before permanent damage is done to your eye.
H) On the same line of thought, safety goggles will be worn at all times in the lab unless the instructor tells you they are not necessary. If your safety goggles are not worn properly, you will be asked to exit the lab area and complete the lab at a later time. If non-compliance to the wearing of goggles becomes an issue, a conference with your parents and the administration will be arranged to discuss if further enrollment in the class is justified.
I) Long hair will be tied back in the lab.
J) F through I are a summary of some of the safety procedures and guidelines that will be enforced in the laboratory. Safety if the lab is an ongoing and important issue. You will experience safety training and be quizzed over safety issues before you are allowed to take part in the major lab activities planned for the year. Chemistry is an activity that starts in the lab. If you miss lab work because of safety issues, you will miss a major part of the class. Safety is everyone¡¦s responsibility in the lab!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME:
A) I will post a weekly schedule of activities and assignments in room 610 and on schoolnotes.com. As the week progresses, we may need to speed up or slow down or go in a different direction so the schedule will not be hard and fast. It is to be used as a guide so that you can schedule your study time. A copy of this schedule can be obtained by the student or parent upon request.
B) I will get papers graded and back in a reasonable amount of time. I expect the student to do their homework so they have the right to expect the same from me. Remember, however, I have lots of papers to grade. I get papers from another section of chemistry, the AP Chemistry class, and three sections of Honors Chemistry too. For some reason, those classes expect some of my time also! I need to plan activities for future classes so, at times, there is not enough time in a day to get everything done. Therefore, not all papers will be returned the next day.
C) Over my years of teaching, I have spent time critiquing papers (mostly lab reports). Students have always complained that they could not read my handwriting. Therefore, I am going to try a new method that will be computer based. Plans and methods are still being developed so more details will be discussed in class.
D) I will grade tests a quickly as possible. If everyone takes a test on the scheduled day, I will get the tests graded by the next class meeting. I will tell you if this is not possible. If you do not take a unit test with the class, expect a different test.
E) I will hassle you if you interfere with other students¡¦ learning processes. Be respectful and courteous of others.
F) We are going to spend about 180 days together, so we need to work out problems when they develop. If you feel that there is a problem in class, academically, personally, or how I am treating you please come and talk to me one-on-one as quickly as possible.
G) I, of course, offer tutorial help. I am here from 7:15 AM ¡V 4:30 PM each day. Come in for help if you are having trouble on an assignment or with a concept. Call me at home of you are having trouble with you assignment in the evening. My home number is 733-1880. Please do not call after 10:00 PM.
G) I plan to call your parents several times during the semester. For some reason they are interested in how you do so I think they should be kept up to date about your work in chemistry.
H) You will find that I consider myself a hard worker, and I really enjoy this stuff! If you work hard and keep a positive attitude, the year will fly by and you will have an enjoyable experience. I may even convince you to take more advanced courses in chemistry! I hope that you are starting to learn that you can get a real sense of satisfaction out of working hard and mastering concepts.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor Name: Mr. Russell Thiel
Class Location: Room 610
Phone: 218-4600 Ext. 31610
E-Mail: thielr@USD385.org
HONORS CHEMISTRY:
Course Syllabus
(2008/2009)
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor Name: Mr. Russell Thiel
Class Location: Room 610
Phone: 218-4600 Ext. 31610
E-Mail: thielr@usd385.org
COURSE INFORMATION
Prerequisite: Algebra, Biology (May be concurrently enrolled in Biology)
Course Description: Chemistry is a study of matter and its changes. With the use of laboratory experiments and other inquiry methods, theories will be developed to explain how matter interacts. Major concepts include the properties of matter, chemical bonding, atomic theory, the structure of the periodic table and how it relates to the structure of the atom, writing and balancing chemical equations, stoichiometry, energy changes in reactions, and acid/base theory.
Course Objectives: This course will prepare the student to succeed in the AP Chemistry course or in the first university chemistry course.
Required Materials and Supplies: 1¡¨ or 1.5¡¨ 3 ring binder with dividers and a bound
composition notebook.
Method of Evaluation: The grade has 4 parts:
A) Daily work/quizzes ¡V Assignments will be given periodically as drill and practice, review, and to introduce new concepts. Daily assignments and worksheets will be used as spring boards for class discussion and preparation for class quizzes. Some assignments will be collected and spot checked. Quizzes, both announced and unannounced, will be over daily assignments and concepts covered in class. Points will be assigned to the graded daily work and quizzes, and those points will constitute 15 % of the overall grade.
B) Laboratory work ¡V Lab work will be a team effort between lab partners. Part of the group responsibility is to maintain the lab equipment in the assigned workstation. Labs are designed to be completed in a fifty minute period, but both lab partners must work together to accomplish that goal. The completed lab report is usually due the following day and each partner needs to turn in a report. Therefore it is important that each person has a complete set of data that is collected in the lab. Therefore it is important that each person has a complete set of data that has been collected in the lab. Again, a point value will be assigned to each lab. The total points earned on labs will constitute 25 % of the overall grade.
C) Tests ¡V Tests will be administered at the end of each unit. The general format of the tests will be; definitions, an objective check of skills and concepts, and problems and or short answer questions. A per cent will be recorded for each test and those scores will be averaged to make up 45 % of the overall grade.
D) Final exam ¡V A comprehensive final will be given at the end of each semester. That test will provide the remaining 15 % of the grade. In a college preparatory class, it is felt that the students need to master and retain the skills and concepts learned over an extended period of time.
Grading Scale:
A 100 ¡V 90 %
B 89 ¡V 80 %
C 79 ¡V 70 %
D 69 ¡V 60 %
F Below 60 %
Major Assignments/Projects: One formal lab report will be assigned each quarter. The grade for this report will be part of the lab portion of the grade. Formatting and grading will be discussed in class at least a week before the report is due.
Homework: Daily assignments are due at the first of class. At that time, students should be ready for quizzes over the same concepts. However, some assignments will be used as exploratory exercises, and time will be given in class to clear up any misunderstandings before the students are asked to complete a quiz. Lab reports will be handled like daily work. They are due at the first of class on the specified due date.
Late Work: 5 % of the grade will be ducted from assignments and lab reports turned in after class on the due date. 10 % of the grade will be deducted for each day an assignment or lab is late past the due date. Phone contact will be made if late work becomes chronic.
INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES
Make-Up Work: It is the student¡¦s responsibility to obtain make-up assignments from teachers following an excused or unexcused absence. In general, two days are given to complete daily work missed for each day of excused absence. For extended illness, the student will be limited to a total of 5 school days following their return to make-up work missed. Exceptions to this rule can be made through special arrangements with the teacher or administration. No make-up credit will be allowed for unexcused absences. Tests that have been scheduled in advance and long-term assignments need to be completed within a reasonable period of time per the agreement with all parties. Teachers may establish specific guidelines related to long-term assignments on an individual class basis. Dependent upon individual teacher policies, students may miss the opportunity to earn daily participation points for non-school related absences.
Unexcused Absences: Students who have an unexcused absence will lose credit for all work missed during that class period. Students will be assigned 2 hours detention for each hour of unexcused absence or Saturday school in cases in which the student is unexcused for a significant part of the school day.
Tardies: Students are tardy if they are not in the classroom when the bell begins to ring. Individual teachers may further stipulate what constitutes a tardy, (i.e. must be in the seat when the bell rings). Students are allowed 1 excused tardy per class, each semester. Beginning with the 2nd tardy, 30 minutes detention time will be assigned by the classroom teacher to be served in the school wide detention room.
Academic Dishonesty: Students are expected to maintain academic honesty and integrity at all times throughout their high school career. Academic dishonesty (as in cheating or plagiarism) is not acceptable. Cheating includes copying another student¡¦s work and submitting it as one¡¦s own. Plagiarism is the use of another person¡¦s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student who engages in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to the loss of credit for the work in question, as well as other disciplinary measures. Repeated occurrences could result in the student being removed from the class with no credit. Any student enrolled in a BCCC or dual credit course caught cheating or plagiarizing is subject to BCCC rules and regulations that may result in a student receiving an ¡§F¡¨ for the course.
All policies and guidelines from the Andover High School Student Handbook will be enforced.
INSTRUCTOR POLICIES
WHAT I EXPECT FROM YOU:
A) Learning is an active process. To increase how well you will grasp the concepts, take an active roll in class discussions and group activities. You need to become an active reader also. Most of the reading that will be assigned will be from the web. Those authors will have different perspectives from RT. Learn to take notes as you read. Then, you will have questions and ideas to help in class discussion on the following day. Sometimes the written assignments will be the primary study guide for a lesson. When you have done the reading or assignment before class, then you will be ready to take an active part in class discussion and your study time and class activities will be more beneficial.
B) In lecture and discussion, only one person will talk at a time! You don¡¦t have the right to interfere with other students¡¦ learning!
C) Written assignments should take from 10 ¡V 40 minutes to complete. Assignments are due at class time. The assignments will prepare you for the frequent quizzes that will be given.
D) If you do not put your name on your paper, RT will deduct 5 % of the grade from that paper! This policy includes daily work, lab reports, and tests. There are no exceptions to this rule! It starts today!
E) You are responsible for all work and concepts covered in class whether you are in class or not.
F) Food and drink will be permitted in the chemistry room only on special occasions. We will be working with poisonous chemicals, so for safety reasons, gum, food, or drink will not be allowed in the lab.
G) If you wear contact lens, I strongly suggest that you use your glasses on lab days. If a solution would splash in your face, we would be hard pressed to get your contact out before permanent damage is done to your eye.
H) On the same line of thought, safety goggles will be worn at all times in the lab unless the instructor tells you they are not necessary. If your safety goggles are not worn properly, you will be asked to exit the lab area and complete the lab at a later time. If non-compliance to the wearing of goggles becomes an issue, a conference with your parents and the administration will be arranged to discuss if further enrollment in the class is justified.
I) Long hair will be tied back in the lab.
J) F through I are a summary of some safety procedures and guidelines that will be enforced in the laboratory. Safety in the lab is an ongoing and important issue. You will experience safety training and be quizzed over safety issues before you are allowed to take part in the major lab activities planned for the year. Safety is everyone¡¦s reasonability in the lab!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME:
A) RT will post a weekly schedule of activities and assignments in room 610 and on schoolnotes.com. As the week progresses, we may need to speed up or slow down or go in a different direction so the schedule will not be hard and fast. It is to be used as a guide so that you can schedule your study time. A copy of this schedule can be obtained by the student or parent upon request.
B) RT will get papers graded and back in a reasonable amount of time. He expects the student to do their homework so they have the right to expect the same from him. Remember, however, RT have lots of papers to grade. RT get papers from 2 other sections of Honors Chemistry, and the AP Chemistry class and 2 sections or chemistry too. For some reason, those classes expect some of his time also! RT will need to plan activities for future classes so, at times, there is not enough time in a day to get everything done. Therefore, not all papers will be returned the next day.
C) Over RT¡¦s years of teaching, he have spent time critiquing papers (mostly lab reports). Students have always complained that they could not read my handwriting. Therefore, I am going to try a new method that will be computer based. Plans and methods are still being developed so more details will be discussed in class.
D) RT will grade tests a quickly as possible. If everyone takes a test on the scheduled day, he will get the tests graded by the next class meeting. RT will tell you if this is not possible. If you do not take a unit test with the class, expect a different test.
E) RT will hassle you if you interfere with other students¡¦ learning processes. Be respectful and courteous of others.
F) We are going to spend about 180 days together, so we need to work out problems when they develop. If you feel that there is a problem in class, academically, personally, or how the instructor is treating you please come and talk to him on a one-on-one basis as quickly as possible.
G) RT, of course, offers tutorial help. RT is here from 7:15 AM ¡V 4:30 PM each day. Come in for help if you are having trouble on an assignment or with a concept. Call him at home of you are having trouble with you assignment in the evening. Our home number is 733-1880. Please do not call after 10:00 PM.
G) RT plans to call your parents several times during the semester. For some reason they are interested in how you do so RT thinks they should be kept up to date about your work in chemistry.
H) You will find that RT considers myself a hard worker, and he really enjoy this stuff! If you work hard and keep a positive attitude, the year will fly by and you will have an enjoyable experience. He may even convince you to take more advanced courses in chemistry! RT hopes that you are starting to learn that you can get a real sense of satisfaction out of working hard and mastering concepts.
AP Chemistry
Course Syllabus
(2008/2009)
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor Name: Mr. Russell Thiel
Class Location: Room 610
Phone: 218-84600 Ext. 31610
E-Mail: thielr@USD385.org
COURSE INFORMATION
Prerequisite: A grade of B or better in chemistry and strong math skills. Teacher recommendation is strongly advised.
Course Description: The Advanced Placement Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of the first year course at the university level. Emphasis is placed on problem solving and methods of investigation in chemistry. A wide range of concepts going from the Quantum Mechanical Model of the atom to thermodynamics, chemical kinetic and electrochemistry are considered.
Course Objectives are two fold:
A) Prepare the student for advanced study of chemistry at the university level.
B) Prepare the student to score at least a 3 on the AP test.
Required Materials and Supplies:
A) 1.5¡¨ three ring binder with dividers
B) Laboratory lab record book with carbonless paper
Method of Evaluation:
A) Tests (3/5 of grade)
The general format for tests will be an objective check of concepts; and a problem, short answer section. Several nontraditional tests will be given through the year. These could be lab tests, discussion type tests, or professionally prepared exams. If for any reason you did not take a test with the class, expect a different test. Standardized American Chemical Society, ACS, tests will be given periodically throughout the year. The purpose of the ACS tests is to help you prepare for the AP exam. Also, this is a college level class. Therefore, you are expected to retain concepts and skills from your introductory course and the new material learned throughout the semester; therefore you should score well on standardized tests.
B) Daily work/quizzes (1/10 of grade)
Daily assignments will be picked up and spot checked. Frequent quizzes, both announced and unannounced, will be over daily assignments and concepts covered in class. Both open and closed note quizzes will be given. The largest portion of this part of your grade will be your quiz scores.
C) Labs (3/10 of grade)
Usually you will be working with a partner in the lab and most labs will come in as group projects. You are responsible for the equipment that you use. If you break any equipment, you will buy it. You will be expected to keep a bound lab notebook. (See section 2G of this outline for more details.) I strongly advise that you have a dedicated 3 ring binder for AP Chemistry. Organize it any you like but you will find that you need an extensive set of class notes both for lecture and for post lab sessions. I also think it would be a good place to keep lab procedures that have not been completed, your calendar for the month, class notes, and other stuff Thiel will hand you.
Grading Scale:
A 100 ¡V 90%
B 89 ¡V 80%
C 79 ¡V 70%
D 69 ¡V 60%
F 59 ¡V 0%
Homework: AP Chemistry is a college level class. As such, it is expected that the student spend at least 30 minutes per night on outside work. Question/problem sets will be assigned, text chapters need to be read and studied, and lab reports need to be completed.
Late Work: Homework/lab report deadlines will be determined in class. If those deadlines are not met, the work will still be corrected but no points will be awarded.
Extended project: Each student will be required to complete a formal lab report each semester. The score for that report will be approximately double a regular lab report grade.
INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES
Make-Up Work: It is the student¡¦s responsibility to obtain make-up assignments from teachers following an excused or unexcused absence. In general, two days are given to complete daily work missed for each day of excused absence. For extended illness, the student will be limited to a total of 5 school days following their return to make-up work missed. Exceptions to this rule can be made through special arrangements with the teacher or administration. No make-up credit will be allowed for unexcused absences. Tests that have been scheduled in advance and long-term assignments need to be completed within a reasonable period of time per the agreement with all parties. Teachers may establish specific guidelines related to long-term assignments on an individual class basis. Dependent upon individual teacher policies, students may miss the opportunity to earn daily participation points for non-school related absences.
Unexcused Absences: Students who have an unexcused absence will lose credit for all work missed during that class period. Students will be assigned 2 hours detention for each hour of unexcused absence or Saturday school in cases in which the student is unexcused for a significant part of the school day.
Tardies: Students are tardy if they are not in the classroom when the bell begins to ring. Individual teachers may further stipulate what constitutes a tardy, (i.e. must be in the seat when the bell rings). Students are allowed 1 excused tardy per class, each semester. Beginning with the 2nd tardy, 30 minutes detention time will be assigned by the classroom teacher to be served in the school wide detention room.
Academic Dishonesty: Students are expected to maintain academic honesty and integrity at all times throughout their high school career. Academic dishonesty (as in cheating or plagiarism) is not acceptable. Cheating includes copying another student¡¦s work and submitting it as one¡¦s own. Plagiarism is the use of another person¡¦s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student who engages in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to the loss of credit for the work in question, as well as other disciplinary measures. Repeated occurrences could result in the student being removed from the class with no credit. Any student enrolled in a BCCC or dual credit course caught cheating or plagiarizing is subject to BCCC rules and regulations that may result in a student receiving an ¡§F¡¨ for the course.
All policies and guidelines from the Andover High School Student Handbook will be enforced.
INSTRUCTOR POLICIES
1) Format for the class:
A) General Class Work:
You will find quickly that I really enjoy teaching chemistry and like the challenge of teaching more advanced topics to you. The pace will be fast, and I expect hard work from you and myself. I will try to vary the format of the class so that it will include lecture, demonstrations and sessions in which you can work on assigned questions. I will try to devote an average of one day each week to lab work. You need to do your part too. You will be expected to read relevant sections from your text and work on problems sets. From these assignments, then, discussion of relevant questions can be raised and answered about the topics at hand. I will expect you to have a working knowledge of topics covered in introductory chemistry. (See the sample concept sheets from chemistry that were handed to you with this introductory packet.) If those concepts need to be reviewed, you will need to do it on your own, raise them in class, or come in for tutorial help.
B) Lab Work:
I hope to schedule on average, one day a week for lab work. Some labs will be relevant to a current topic of discussion; others will not be directly related to the discussion but will stress valuable lab skills considered to be important. Remember, we are talking about college labs. College students spend 4 to 6 hours per week in lab, so we need to work together to condense that work. There are several ways we can do this. First, almost every lab will require solutions to be prepared. We will have a rotating schedule for you and one of your classmates to come in the day or evening before the lab to prepare these solutions and set out any specialized equipment. Each of you will have the opportunity to do this preparatory work. It is considered part of the required lab work. Next, I will try to pre-lab you extensively so that you know what kind of data to collect and how to make those observations. We will usually need to spend some of the following day in post-lab to think through the calculations together. Finally, I will expect you to thoroughly prepare for the lab before hand. Some labs will require elaborate equipment set ups, and some will require you to prepare special solutions. I would strongly suggest that you employ a flow chart or some other organizational tool to help you prepare for the labs. With your flow chart, equipment set-up and solutions prepared before hand, you should be able to collect your data quickly and efficiently. I will allow you to work in groups but I expect you to change jobs for each lab. I will discuss procedures and responsibilities of each person before we do the first lab. Some labs may require more data collecting time so we may have to extend that lab. You will get the procedures for the labs for the year, so we will be able to run several labs concurrently. In that way ¡§wait time¡¨ in one lab can be more effectively used by starting another lab.
C) Seminars and field trips:
Seminars by professional chemists and field trips to research and working labs will be scheduled throughout the year. You will be expected to attend these activities.
D) Test calendar:
You will have 5 unit tests through the first semester. A test calendar will be provided. You will notice that the tests are scheduled in the evenings. There are several reasons for this:
ľ Evening tests are a common practice at the university level.
ľ We have a year of University Chemistry to cover in one high school year. If we test in the evenings, we gain a week of class time.
ƒæ Test integrity. Over the years, I¡¦ve noticed that students tend to require more than 50 minutes to complete a unit test. If you start a test and then come in later in the day to complete it, I have no way of telling if you are truly being honest with me about not studying the concepts presented on the test in that interim. If you complete a test in one setting, it helps keep the honest people honest!
ľ Testing can be more relaxed with an extended time to complete the test.
2) What I expect of you:
A) Learning is an active process. To become more actively involved, you need to do the reading assignments. A note pad may be helpful as you are reading. You can jot down questions, insights, and main conclusions drawn from the assigned sections as you read. An alternative would be for you to buy your book. Then you can underline in it and take notes in the margin. You will then be ready to take an active part in class discussion and your study time and class activities will be more beneficial. Your calendar of class activities will give you an idea when we will be covering a particular chapter so you need to schedule that reading time.
B) Only 1 person will talk at a time in lecture and discussion!
C) You are responsible for all work and concepts covered in class whether you are in class or not.
D) I will try to give you a calendar of events a month at a time. It will give the suggested lecture topics, assignments, due dates for assignments and labs, labs to be completed, and test dates. The scheduling for labs and their number will be flexible because of our short time frame. Written assignments may require several evenings to complete so plan ahead! I have tried to break the different chapter assignments down into chunks that can be completed in one night, but they may take you longer to complete so plan ahead! Work on them over an extended period of time so that you can raise questions in class and ideas will have a chance to grow in your mind. Assignments are made so that the concepts will become clearer to you. Quizzes will be given periodically over the assignments to check if you are understanding the concepts. Since one of the major objectives for this class is for you to do well on the AP Exam, I will assign an AP questions periodically that are relevant to our current topic. These questions can appear as assignments or as part of a test.
E) Food or gum will be permitted in the chemistry room only on special occasions. We will be working with poisonous chemicals, so for safety reasons eating or drinking will not be allowed in the lab.
F) There is one question that always appears on the AP test that is always hard. That question asks you to predict the products of reactions. I will try to coach you on the general types of reactions for this question. Reactions carried out in lab will give you specific examples of the reaction types. I think it would be wise to have a special section in your binder for these reaction examples.
G) All lab data needs to be collected neatly and as soon as it is observed. This data needs to be recorded carefully by the observation person in their lab book. The procedure person will copy the data after the lab is completed. We are going to use a bound lab notebook this year. I expect this book to be a working notebook. Please use the first two pages of this notebook for a table of contents that you keep up to date. A paper clip at the most current lab would be a good idea too. If we are running concurrent labs, try to allow enough room for information for one lab can be kept together. If that is not possible, don¡¦t crowd your work, just specify on which page the lab will continue. Your flow chart for performing the lab and diagram of equipment set up need to be put in the lab book before the actual lab time. Observations and rough data tables are to be included during the lab. After the actual lab time, calculations, questions, and the conclusion need to be completed. You may need to correct something. To do that, mark one line through the mistake and then make the correction. It is highly recommended that you use a pen to record your data and observations. I will expect you to pick one lab from the first semester's work and write a formal report on it. That report will be due before finals week.
H) You will notice that lab safety is a priority. Therefore, you will wear safety goggles in the lab at all times! Working safely in the lab is everyone¡¦s responsibility. Take care of your peers!
I) Please be courteous to each other and me!
3) What you can expect from me:
A) A calendar of events. It will give the suggested lecture topics, assignments, due dates for assignments and labs, labs to be completed, and test dates. We have a specific amount of information to cover, so the test dates are quite firm. RT has tried to look at the school calendar and pick evenings for tests on which there are the fewest conflicts. If you need more time on a concept, expect to use tutorial time, not class time.
B) Papers graded and back in a reasonable amount of time. I expect you to get your homework done, you have a right to expect the same from me. Remember, however, that I have more than one (your) paper to grade. I need to plan activities for future classes and worry about my other chemistry classes also.
C) Test grades:
I will get the tests graded and returned within 24 hours from the test evening. I will tell you if this is not possible.
D) I will hassle you if you interfere with other students' learning. Be respectful and courteous of others. Remember, you are in this class with your classmates. Ask them for help and be willing to give help to them. The more you help each other grasp the concepts (This does not include copying each others' work!) the better you will understand them. Study groups are a good thing!
E) We are going to spend about 180 days together, so we need to work out problems when they develop. If you feel that there is a problem in class, academically, personally, or how I am treating you, please come and talk to me one-on-one as quickly as possible.
F) Tutorial help:
I am here from 7:15 AM to 4:30 PM every day. Come in for help if you are having trouble on an assignment or with a concept. Call me at home if you are having trouble during the evening. My number is 733-1880. Please do not call after 10:00 PM.
G) You will find that I consider myself a hard worker, and I really enjoy this stuff! If you work hard and keep a positive attitude, the year will fly by, you will have a good time, the AP test will be here before you know it, and you will do well. I hope by now that you have learned that you can get real satisfaction out of working hard and mastering concepts.
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