Chemistry Curriculum Overview / 2016-2017 /
Chemistry Curriculum Overview / 2016-2017



Standards-Referenced Grading Basics

Evidence shows the student can... / Topic Score
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 / 4.0
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2 and Level 3 with partial success at Level 4 / 3.5
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2 and Level 3 / 3.0
Demonstrate all Level 2 learning targets and some of the Level 3 learning targets / 2.5
Demonstrate all learning targets from Level 2 but none of the learning targets from Level 3 / 2.0
Demonstrate some of the Level 2 learning targets and none of the Level 3 learning targets / 1.5
Demonstrate none of the learning targets from Level 2 or Level 3 / 1.0
Produce no evidence appropriate to the learning targets at any level / 0
*Students who demonstrate success at Level 3 learning targets but not Level 2 learning targets are the students for whom additional investigation and multiple opportunities are most vital.

The teacher designs instructional activities and assessments that grow and measure a student’s skills in the elements identified on our topic scales. Each scale features many such skills and knowledges, also called learning targets. These are noted on the scale below with letters (A, B, C) and occur at Levels 2 and 3 of the scale. In the grade book, a specific learning activity could be marked as being 3A, meaning that the task measured the A item at Level 3.

When the time comes to identify the Topic Score for a topic, the teacher looks at all of the pieces of the Body of Evidence for that topic. The table to the right describes what Topic Score a student receives based on what the Body of Evidence shows. The scores listed on this table are the only valid scores that may be entered into the Topic Score assignment in a grade book.

DMPS Grading Resources:

Content Topics / Connected NGSS Performance Expectations
  1. Properties of Matter
/ HS-PS1-3
  1. Energy: Particles in Motion
/ HS-PS3-2,
HS-PS3-4,
HS-PS3-1
  1. Atomic Structure and Periodicity
/ HS-PS1-1
  1. Bonding and the Mole
/ HS-PS1-2,
HS-PS1-7
End of Semester 1
  1. Chemical Reactions
/ HS-PS1-2,
HS-PS1-7
  1. Stoichiometry
/ HS-PS1-7
  1. Thermochemistry
/ HS-PS1-4,
HS-PS3-1
  1. Rates of Reactions and Equilibrium
/ HS-PS1-5,
HS-PS1-6
Topic: Properties of Matter
Driving Questions: (1) How can we measure the bulk properties of matter? (2) What causes different materials to have different properties? (3) How can we infer the structure of matter at the atomic scale from properties of matter observed at the bulk scale?
Crosscutting Concept: Patterns, Cause and Effect, Structure and Function
Science and Engineering Practices: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Engaging in Argument From Evidence, Constructing Explanations, and Developing Models
Performance Expectation: HS-PS1-3
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Plan and conduct an investigation to explore the relationship between the measurable properties (could include melting point, boiling point, density, surface tension, etc.) of a specific substance and the attractive forces between its particles.
-the plan contains:
  • the rationale for the choice of substance,
  • description of how the data will be collected,
  • number of trials,
  • experimental set up,
  • assessment of the data,
  • general inferences
  1. After performing an investigation, students can interpret and explain the relationship between measurable properties and the strength of attractive forces between the particles of the substance. (measurable properties may include chemical and/or physical properties)
/ Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. boiling point, macroscopic/microscopic scale, attractive force, particle, molecule, surface tension, density, substance, melting point, mass, volume
Students will
  1. Measure physical properties of substances (could include melting point, boiling point, density, surface tension, etc.)
  2. Describe how the spacing of the particles in a substance can change while keeping the identity of the particles the same.
  3. Describe the effect of thermal (kinetic) energy on the spacing of particles
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic: Energy: Particles in Motion
Driving Questions: How does energy impact the movement of particles?
Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter, Systems and Systems Models
Science and Engineering Practices: Developing and using Models, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Performance Expectation: HS-PS3-2, HS-PS3-4, HS-PS3-1
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Develop models to depict the relationship between the pressure, temperature, and volume of a gas in terms of molecular collisions.
-Models should include:
  • the components of the system and surroundings
  • the flow of energy in and out of the system
  • representations at the macro/micro scale
  • types of energy
  1. Use a/their model to communicate their understanding of the relationship between the pressure, temperature, and volume of a gas in terms of molecular collisions.
  2. Use a/their model to describe the role of energy during phase changes (phase diagram, particle diagram, or energy bar graph etc.)
/ Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Energy (kinetic, potential), pressure, atmospheres (atm), system, surroundings, phase change, heat (q), temperature, Kelvin(K) scale
Students will
  1. Describe and calculate the relationship between the pressure, temperature, and volume of a gas (combined gas law)
  2. Describe the conservation of energy and energy transfer
  3. Explain the relationship between energy and temperature change.
  4. Describe the changes of energy associated with phase change
  5. Calculate the amount of energy required for a temperature (q=mC∆T)
  6. Calculate the amount of energy required for a phase change (q=mH)
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic: Atomic Structure and Periodicity
Driving Questions: How can we use the periodic table as a model to predict patterns in nature?
Crosscutting Concept: Patterns
Science and Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models
Performance Expectation: HS-PS1-1
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Use the periodic table to predict the patterns of behavior of the elements based on the forces between electrically charged particles and the patterns of valence electrons that determine the typical reactivity of an atom.
  2. Predict and explain the number and types of bonds formed by an element and between elements
  3. Explain the number and charges in stable ions that form from atoms in a group of the periodic table
  4. Predict and explain the trend in reactivity and electronegativity of atoms down a group and across a period (row) in the periodic table, based on the attractions of the valence electrons to the nucleus
  5. Predict and explain the relative sizes of atoms both across a period (row) and down a group in the periodic table
/ Students will :
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Ion, cation, anion, proton, neutron, electron, valence electron, atomic number, electronegativity, reactivity, mass number, atomic radii, period, family/group
From given models students will
  1. Describe the elements and how they are arranged the periodic table
  2. Describe the structure of the positively charged nucleus surrounded by the negatively charged elections. (Bohr model, electron cloud, etc.)
  3. Describe the outermost energy level of atoms (valence electrons)
  4. Identify the number of protons in each element
  5. Identify the probable charge on an ion
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic: Bonding and the Mole
Driving Questions: What happens when elements interact? How do we measure elements and compounds?
Crosscutting Concept: Patterns, Energy and Matter
Science and Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Performance Expectation: HS-PS1-2, HS-PS1-7
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Predict the formula of common ionic compoundsgiven the name of the substance
  2. Use a model to predict chemical compounds based on the arrangement of valence electrons
  3. Predict the type of compound based on the properties of a substance
  4. Use a computational model to predict the amount of a substance from a given quantity
  5. Using Lewis Dot structures, students can illustrate the position of valence electrons in binary ionic compounds.
/ Students will :
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. ionic bond, covalent bond, mole, Avogadro’s number, molar mass
students will
  1. Determine the molar mass of an element and calculate the molar mass of a compound
  2. Identify a compound as ionic or covalent based on the elements location on the periodic table (limited to main block elements)
  3. Name ionic and covalent compounds
  4. Write the formula of a covalent compound given the name
  5. Can use a model to show the valence electrons of an element
  6. Identify the number and types of atoms in a compound
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.

End of Semester 1

Topic: Chemical Reactions
Driving Questions: How can we represent the conservation of mass in chemical reactions?
Crosscutting Concept: Patterns
Science and Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations
Performance Expectation: HS-PS1-2, HS-PS1-7
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Predict the products of a chemical reaction and support with evidence and reasoning.
  2. Use patterns to predict the type of reaction based on the reactants
  3. Use experimental data and/or models to provide evidence for the Law of Conservation of Mass
  4. Interpret a word equation to develop a balanced skeleton equation.
/ Students will:
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Products, reactants, law of conservation of mass, coefficients, decomposition, synthesis, combustion, precipitate, word equation, skeleton equations, double replacement, single replacement
students will
  1. Balance the reactants and products of a chemical equation
  2. Identify the five main types of chemical reactions (synthesis, decomposition, single and double replacement, and combustion)
  3. Identify evidence of a chemical change
  4. Identify patterns of reactivity at the macroscopic level as determined by using the periodic table
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic: Stoichiometry
Driving Questions: How can we use math to account for the conservation of matter in a chemical reaction?
Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter
Science and Engineering Practices: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Performance Expectation: HS-PS1-7
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Describe how stoichiometric calculations support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction
  2. Describe how the mass of a substance can be used to determine the number of atoms, molecules, or ions using moles and mole relationships.
  3. Given the mass of two reactants use mathematical reasoning to determine the limiting reactant and predict the excess.
  4. Use experimental data to determine the percent yield and evaluate potential sources of experimental error.
  5. Apply appropriate mathematical calculations to determine the amount (moles or volume) of product formed from a chemical reaction given the amount (moles or volume) of a reactant
/ Students will :
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Stoichiometry, mole ratio, ideal gas law, ideal gas, STP(standard temperature and pressure), molar volume, limiting reactant, excess reactant, percent yield (theoretical yield and actual yield)
students will
  1. Calculate the amount of any component of a reaction, given any other component
  2. Predict the relative number of atoms in a reactant vs products using mole ratio
  3. Use the mole to convert from the atomic to macroscopic scale
  4. Calculate the percent yield of a chemical reaction
  5. Quantitatively and qualitatively relate the numbers of moles, pressure, volume, and temperature of a gas using the ideal gas law
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic: Thermochemistry
Driving Questions: How does energy flow through systems?
Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter, Systems and System Models
Science and Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models, Using Mathematical and Computational Thinking
Performance Expectation: HS-PS1-4, HS-PS3-1
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Develop a model to illustrate the flow of energy during a chemical reaction.
The model should illustrate…
  • The energy change within the system is accounted for by the change in the bond energies of the reactants and products. (Note: This does not include calculating the total bond energy changes.)
  • Breaking bonds requires an input of energy from the system or surroundings, and forming bonds releases energy to the system and the surroundings.
  • The energy transfer between systems and surroundings is the difference in energy between the bond energies of the reactants and the products.
  • Energy transfer occurs during molecular collisions.
  • The relative total potential energies of the reactants and products can be accounted for by the changes in bond energy.
  1. Use experimental data to calculate energy change and interpret the flow of energy between a system and its surroundings.
/ Students will :
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. Calorimetry, exothermic, endothermic, system, surrounding, kinetic energy, potential energy, specific heat, conservation of energy, joule, calorie
Students will
  1. Use a model to explain the flow of energy in a chemical reaction
  2. Recall how the net change of energy within the system is the result of bonds that are broken and formed during the reaction
  3. Explain how energy transfers between system and its surroundings by molecular collisions
  4. Describe how the total energy change of the chemical reaction system is matched by an equal but opposite change of energy in the surroundings
  5. Recognize that the release or absorption of energy depends on whether the relative potential energies of the reactants and products decrease or increase.
  6. Calculate the net change of energy from given bond energies
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.
Topic: Reaction Rates and Equilibrium
Driving Questions: Why do chemical reactions occur at different rates and why do they stop?
Crosscutting Concept: Patterns, Stability and Change
Science and Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Performance Expectation: HS-PS1-5, HS-PS1-6
Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Students who demonstrate understanding can:
  1. Develop a procedure to optimize the rate of a chemical or physical reaction
  2. Plan and conduct an experiment to describe the relationship between kinetic energy and reaction rates.
  3. Apply appropriate mathematical relationships and laboratory processes to solve molarity, solubility, and dilution problems.
  4. Optimize the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.
  5. Using Le Chatelier’s principle, describe how a stress involving a change to one component of an equilibrium system affects other components (micro and macroscopic)
/ Students will recognize or recall :
Recognize or recall specific vocabulary such as:
  1. concentration, molarity, rate, catalyst (e.g. enzymes), solvent, solute, solubility, solution, saturate, unsaturated, supersaturated, Le Chatelier’s Principle, equilibrium, stressors
students will
  1. Manipulate and calculate molarity (Molarity=moles/volume)
  2. Calculate dilutions (M1V1=M2V2)
  3. Identify and describe relationships between the following factors and the rate of reaction (stirring, surface area, concentration, temperature, catalyst)
  4. Using a solubility chart, determine the relationship between solubility and temperature
  1. Identify potential changes in a system that will increase the amounts of particular substance at equilibrium.
  1. Recall that chemical reactions can move forward and backward based on stressors to the systems
/ Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.

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