CHEM 2380.001 Dr. Sushama A. Dandekar Fall 2014
Lecture: CHEM 2380.001: Tue, Thu 11:00 – 12:20 a.m. (Chemistry 106)
Recitation:CHEM 2380.211: Tue 3:30 – 4:20 p.m. (Chemistry 106)
OFFICE: Chemistry Building, Room 307D
PHONE: (940) 369-7090 or (940) 565-2713 (Chemistry Dept. Office)
E-MAIL:
OFFICE HOURS: Wed10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Thu 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
(Other times may be available by appointment)
TEXTBOOK: Required: 1. “Organic Chemistry”, 11th Ed., by Solomons/Fryhle (Wiley)
2.An account with “Sapling Learning”: (Online Homework System: Graded Homework)
Optional: 1. Study Guide and Solutions Manual for Organic Chemistry,
11th ed., Solomons/Fryhle (Wiley):
2. A molecular models kit for organic chemistry
3. The ACS Organic Chemistry Exam Study Guide
(All the optional materials are highly recommended!)
SYLLABUS:
The course will cover material from chapters 12-20 from the textbook, and selected topics from the remaining chapters. Building upon the foundations of topics covered in the first semester course, you will continue to study the structure and reactivity of various classes of organic compounds: oxidation-reduction reactions, organometallic compounds, aromatic compounds, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and the various acid derivatives, amines, etc.
If it has been some time since you took the 1st semester course (CHEM 2370), you should plan to thoroughly refresh your memory regarding the topics covered in that course,so that you will be ready to grasp the many new topics introduced this semester. Simply reading the chapters will not be enough: you must also work through several end-of-chapter problems in your textbook!
NOTE:Throughout the semester, you will be expected to remember material from the first semester course.
Developed as a Next-Gen course, it is designed to enhance student learning by fostering greater student participation in the learning process. Teaching and assessment methods make extensive use of online materials, and interactive learning tools are an integral part of this approach.
There are many newly created interactive components, including online games, exercises, assignments and quizzes. Several peer-led video tutorials, created at UNT, guide you through problem-solving strategies covering a range of topics: these should be helpful as you work through homework assignments and end-of-chapter problems. These materials, along with several other kinds of helpful information, are placed on the UNT Blackboard Learn site, and you will need to become familiar with navigating this site. The diligent use of these materials is expected to enhance your understanding of the complexities of organic chemistry. Some of the assessment is online (through Blackboard); several assignments, quizzes and all the exams (mid-terms and final) will be given in-class.
Each student will also complete a term project: this project will be completed in about 9-10 weeks. This assignment is designed to encourage you to actively explore the fascinating ways in which you are likely to encounter organic chemistry in the world around you. Additionally, the discovery process is expected to help you develop your independent learning and communication skillsin many ways. Further details about this project are described later, in the section titled “Term Project”.
DISABILITIES:
The Chemistry Department believes in reasonably accommodating individuals with disabilities and complies with the university policy established under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) to provide for equal access and opportunity. Please communicate with me as to your specific needs so that appropriate arrangements can be made through the department and/or the office of Disability Accommodation (ODA, Room 318A, Union, 565-4323).
ATTENDANCE:
Regular attendance at lectures and recitation is required and expected. However, if you are unable to attend due to reasons beyond your control, you must inform me as soon as possible. If you are absent from three or more classes without an excuse, you may be dropped from the class (however, do not assume that I will do so! ).
Regardless of what your past experience in other courses might suggest, in this course, attendance during recitation is NOT optional!! You will also be doing yourself great disservice if you do not attend recitation- this is the time when we develop complex problem-solving strategies that will enable you to master the material presented during lecture; collaborative exercises, most of which are graded, are also scheduled during this time. Not surprisingly, there is a strong correlation between regular class attendance and excellent performance in this course.
STUDY AIDS:
Several useful resources are available online, mainly through Blackboard Learn: develop the routine of checking Blackboard often – there will be frequent posting of handouts, supplemental materials, announcements, etc., throughout the semester – this is the best way for me to communicate with the whole class.
I would strongly recommend that you print out the lecture notes and bring them to class, so that you can focus on understanding the material. The student learning objectives are designed to help provide structure to your study, highlighting the concepts that are crucial for mastering the material covered in class.
The molecular model kit and the solutions manual are invaluable tools to help you master the course content. The end-of-chapter questions in your book will challenge you in myriad ways and if you’re stumped, the solutions manual can be quite a savior!
A software program called Spartanis available in the computer lab in the Chemistry Building: you can use this program to explore various structural aspects of molecules, including such properties as bond angles, dihedral angles, interatomic distances, etc., all of which have a bearing on a variety of physical and chemical properties.
As mentioned earlier, several new learning materials have been created for this Next-Gen course and will be accessible through Blackboard Learn. These include a variety of video tutorials (accessed through UNT iTunesU, using your UNT UserID and Password), interactive games and practice problems. A new learning tool called Molecular Profiles consists of detailed profiles of selected compounds: these profiles can be explored through the interactive PowerPoint presentations, and should help you learn and review a variety of topics from both semesters. In addition, some features of these profiles have been designed to help you build multiple cross-connections between various topics and conceptsyou learn during the two semesters of organic chemistry – recognition of these connections are critical for success in this course.
I have also developed a discussion-based study group program, where small groups of students meet with a peer-leader for 1 hour/week outside of class, providing you additional support. The peer-leaders are former students who have excelled in this course and volunteer their time to participate in this program- I separately meet with them every week, so they are aware of what is currently being discussed in class, and of course, they are very much interested in helping you succeed. Over the years, my students have found that these study group sessions have played an invaluable role in their learning, providing regular opportunities to engage in discussing course material, not only with classmates, but also with those who have recently completed the course and can guide you in numerous ways. I have no doubt that making a sincere commitment to diligently participate in this program will serve you well. As further incentive, regular and active participation in this program is an opportunity for you to earn extra-credit points.
There is an ACS Exam Prep Guide available through the American Chemical Society publications division (not through the UNT bookstore). Since your final exam for the semester is the ACS exam, you may wish to purchase this guide, in order to help you become better acquainted with the exam style and representative questions. The guide consists of typical questions (along with the answers!) as well as very useful problem-solving strategies.
Additional support (free of charge!) is available through the Chemistry Resource Center (CRC), typically staffed by graduate students.
I strongly urge you to make extensive use of the ALL the resources available to you throughout the semester.
ASSIGNMENTS/QUIZZES:
Several assignments will be given, both in-class and as homework, typically related to the topic under discussion in lecture. Most of these involve small-group activities: requests for this work to be done/submitted individually ( rather than in a group ), will be denied, except under extenuating circumstances. The assignments are intended to improve your understanding of various organic chemistry concepts: discussion/collaboration with peers regarding relevant material is important in developing a clear understanding of the material and in generating correct responses to the problems posed in these assignments. Several short quizzes will be given during the semester (lecture or recitation period) and are intended to help you keep abreast of material covered in class.
We will also be using a graded online homework system called “Sapling Learning” to assist you in mastering course content. At the beginning of the semester, you will be required to create an account with Sapling Learning. There is strong evidence indicating that students who make regular and diligent use of online homework can achieve high success rates, and in the past few years, Sapling Learning has earned a well-deserved reputation for promoting excellence. Instructions for creating your account are detailed in a separate document on Blackboard.
Together, the assignments and quizzes, along with the Sapling homework, are worth 20% of your semester grade.
TERM PROJECT:
One of the objectives of this course is to make you better aware of the chemical world around you and also hone your self-study skills along the way and to help you become an independent learner. One of the ways of accomplishing this objective is to read supplementary material (books, journals, magazines, etc.), comprehend it and then present it in an organized way. This is primarily a team project and your final project grade is a composite of team and individual grades obtained for the various components described below. The details, including the project topics, are provided in a later section of this syllabus.
Paper (25 %)Presentation (20 %)Questions (10 %);
Project Quiz (25 %) Teamwork (10 %)Reflection (10 %)
Topic and team assignments will be available on Aug28th.
The term project is worth 15% of your semester grade.
EXAMS:
You are responsible for learning and understanding the material covered in the course whether or not you attend class. You are also responsible for reading the textbook and solving the end-of-chapter problems (many of the questions on exams will be similar to these) in your text. Some questions may also pertain to material in the text that was not discussed explicitly in class,because it is considered to be assigned reading.
Do NOT ignore the Challenge Problemsin your textbook: be sure to work through them to grasp many complex concepts in greater depth. These will also help you in identifying, cross-connecting and applying the concepts discussed in earlier chapters.
Two unit exams will be given during the semester. Typically, these will be during the lecture period. The lower of the two exam scores will be worth 10% of your semester grade, while the higher score will be worth 20% of your semester grade.
Tentative Exam Dates:Exam 1: Thursday, September 25th
Exam 2: Thursday, October 23rd
FinalExam Date:As per the university’s final exam schedule
The Final Exam is the ACS standardized exam, covering material from both semesters of organic chemistry. This is a multiple-choice test consisting of 70 questions, to be answered in 120 minutes. There is no penalty for incorrect answers, so it is advisable to answer all questions, even if you are not quite sure of the correctness of your answer.
NOTE:
The Final Exam isworth30%of your semester grade,so do not become complacent!!
Continue to study diligently, right till the end!
A strong performance on the final exam is indicative, not only of your thorough understanding of the subject matter, but also, of your strong work ethic and determined pursuit of excellence.
GRADING:
Your semester grade will be determined as follows:
2 Unit Exams: 30 % of final grade
Term Project: 20 % of final grade
Sapling Homework:10 % of final grade
Assignments/Quizzes:10 % of final grade
Final Exam: 30 % of final grade
A grading curve may be used, at my discretion, to achieve a fair distribution of grades. Final course grades will be determined from your cumulative % in the following way:
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
55-69% D
I am looking forward to a wonderful and rewarding semester with you!!☺
Tentative Schedule
Week / Week of: / Topic / Special Notes1 / Aug 25 / Introduction to the course
Ch 12: Oxidation Reduction Reactions and Organometallic Compounds / Create Account: Sapling Learning
- Start HW assignment Ch 12
- Topics: Read introductory material and take Online Quiz by Sept 2
- PBWorks: Request access by Sept 2(Late penalty!)
- Topic and Team Assignment:August 28
Go through: Molecular Profiles
2 / Sept 1 / Ch 12: contd. / Term Project
- Topics: Read introductory material and take Online Quiz by Sept 2
- PBWorks: Request access by Sept 2(Late penalty!)
- Team Meeting: Sept 2
- Complete Week 1 Tasksby Sept 5
- Create Member Contact
page
- Create Project
Management Plan
- Choose your font color
Homework: Sapling HW Ch 12
Review:Chapter 6
Go through: Video Tutorials on SN/E reactions
( UNT iTunesU )
3 / Sept 8 / Ch 13: Conjugated Unsaturated Systems, UV-Vis Spectroscopy / Term Project:
- Submit Tue: Rough Draft 1
- Start Week 2 tasks
Review:Rules for resonance; Chapter 9 & 10
4 / Sept 15 / Ch 14: Aromatic Compounds / Term Project:
- Submit Tue: Rough Draft 2
- Start Week 3 tasks
Review:Chapters7 & 8
5 / Sept 22 / Ch 15: Reactions of Aromatic Compounds / Exam 1: Sept 26
Exam 1 Review:
- Jeopardy Game 1
- Submit Tue: Rough Draft 3
- Start Week 4 tasks
Play Game: Electrophilic Aromatic Substitutions
Review:Chapter 5,
Play Game: R/S Nomenclature
6 / Sept 29 / Ch 16: Aldehydes and Ketones / Term Project:
- Submit Tue: Rough Draft 4
- Start Week 5 tasks
Review:Chapter 3
Go through: Acid-Base Video Tutorial
( UNT iTunesU )
Go through: Molecular Profiles
(For Aldehydes and Ketones)
7 / Oct 6 / Ch 16: contd.
Ch 17: Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives / Term Project:
- Submit Tue: Rough Draft 5
- Start Week 6 tasks
Play Game: Functional Group Recognition Level 2
Go through: Video Tutorials on Functional Group Tests
( UNT iTunesU )
Go through: Molecular Profiles
(For Acid Derivatives)
8 / Oct 13 / Ch 17: contd. / Term Project:
- Submit Tue: Rough Draft 6
- Start Week 7 tasks
9 / Oct 20 / Ch 18: Reactions at the Alpha Carbon / Exam 2: Oct 23
Exam 2 Review:
- Jeopardy Game 2
- Submit Tue: Rough Draft 7
- Start Week 8 tasks
-Preparing Project Presentation
Homework: Sapling HW Ch 18
10 / Oct 27 / Ch 19: Condensation and Conjugate Addition reactions / Term Project:
- Submit Tue: Final Paper
- Submit Thu:Project Quiz Questions
- Finalize: Project Presentation
Study for Final
Review:Chapter 4
Go through: Video Tutorial on Newman Projections
( UNT iTunesU )
Play Game: Nomenclature
11 / Nov 3 / Term Project Presentations (during lecture)
Ch 19: contd. (during recitation) / Homework: Sapling HW Ch 19
Study for Final
Review:Chapter 9
Go through:Molecular Profiles: analyze the spectra provided
12 / Nov 10 / Term Project Presentations (during lecture)
Ch 19: contd. (during recitation) / Homework: Sapling HW Ch 19
Study for Final
- Do: old Sapling problems
- Do :Challenge Problems from textbook
- Do:Molecular Profiles “Explore Further”questions
13 / Nov 17 / Term Project Presentations(during lecture)
Ch 19: contd.(during recitation)
Ch 20: Amines / Term project:
- Project QuizNov 20
Study for Final
- Do:Molecular Profiles “Explore Further”questions
- Do :Challenge Problems
14 / Nov 24 / Ch 20: Amines contd.
Selected topics from other chapters / Nov 27: No class (Thanksgiving)
Term Project:
- Submit Tue:
-Team Evaluation
-Project Reflection
Homework: Sapling HW Ch 20
Study for Final:
- Do :Sapling ACS Prep Questions
15 / Dec 1 / Review / Homework: Sapling HW Ch 20
Study for Final:
- Do :Sapling ACS Practice Test
16 / Dec 8 / Final Exams / Final Exam: ACS Standardized Exam
- Date: Per University exam schedule
TERM PROJECT
One of the objectives of this course is to make you better aware of the chemical world around you and also hone your self-study skills along the way. One of the ways of accomplishing this objective is to read supplementary material (books, magazines, journals, etc.), comprehend it and then present it in an organized way.
This is primarily a team project and your final project grade is a composite of team and individual grades earned for the components described below. Effective and frequent communication is key to the success of a collaborative project- so, we’re going to use an online “wiki” tool,called PBWorks, to help you collaborate with your group, and also to critique each other’s work as your writing progresses: there will be weekly goals to help keep you on target. I expect that most of you are unfamiliar with PBworks- there is an online tutorial that can take you through the basics- be sure to do this in the first few days – you will likely need to refer to the tutorial again for specific tasks, as they come up. The Project Management page is a valuable toolin this program - this must be copied into your rough draft page, with details regarding team-member responsibilities, and font colors selected by each team member, so everyone can keep track of individual contributions to the paper.
While this is most certainly going to be a time-consuming project, it is also most likely to be a very interesting and rewarding one as well, and one that will also teach you a great variety of skills in the process.