Welcome to GENERAL CHEMISTRY at Bellevue High School!

Tennille BaileykazeRoom 6

Grady BlackenRoom 8

Elizabeth Scott Room 8

Jeannine SielerRoom 7

We are pleased you are joining us as we explore Chemistry. Together we can achieve academic success at the highest levels. This class will be challenging, interesting, & rewarding. Through our study of Chemistry, we will learn about the structure & interactions of matter; we will also discover more about ourselves & our world today. Let’s have a great year!

Course Outline

  • Goals for This Year:

Exploring the role of Chemistry in your life and the world.

Increasing critical thinking & problem-solving skills.

Continue the growth of communication skills, particularly in writing and speaking.

Developing knowledge & skills required for AP Chemistry, college and beyond.

  • Major Topics:(Textbook: Chemistry-Addison/Wesley 5th editionWorkbook: Living By Chemistry, © 2010)

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INTRODUCTORY TOPICS

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

PROBLEM SOLVING IN CHEMISTRY

COMPOSITION OF THE ATOM

ELECTRONS IN ATOMS

PERIODIC TABLE

BONDING

THE MOLE

GASES

CHEMICAL REACTIONS

STOICHIOMETRY

STATES OF MATTER

THERMOCHEMISTRY

ACIDS/BASES

REACTION RATES & EQUILIBRIUM

REDOX REACTIONS & ELECTROCHEMISTRY

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Expectations for all students

  • Respect yourself and others at all times.
  • “10/10Policy” will apply: no use of the hall pass during the first and last ten minutes of class.
  • Refer to the Student Handbook for school-wide policies regarding behavior, attendance, etc. These policies apply to this class and are designed to foster a safe and productive learning environment for all students.
  • KEEPING A CLASS CALENDAR IS REQUIRED.
  • We suggest having a study group of friends with whom you maintain contact during an absence & with whom you actually study.

Collect contact information from 2 classmates you can turn to for missed material:

Name:______Phone #:______E-mail:______

Name:______Phone #:______E-mail:______

  • Use of the BHS General Chemistry website ( & the BSD Chemistry curriculum (URL will be provided) are required.

Specific Chemistry Expectations

  • Class begins when the bell rings. Anyone not in their seat, ready to work, reading/reviewing their notes, is tardy.
  • When anyone is addressing the class, there will be no communicating by any other members of the class. We follow the school attendance & discipline policies. If we find someone’s behavior disruptive, we will not hesitate to send the student to study hall and make a parent call.
  • We will not accept any actions by any student that are unsafe.
  • Water only - no other drinks or food in classroom. Even water is NOT allowed in the lab.
  • Please keep electronic devices turned off and put away for the entire period. Phones may not be used as calculators! Electronic devices used in class will be confiscated, & (1st offense) returned at the end of the afternoon tutorial period.
  • Please remove your hats/hoods during class.
  • Mechanical pencils &/or graphing calculators are not allowed on tests or quizzes.
  • Make-up tests & quizzes (for excused absences only) will be given on Wed. mornings, at 6:30 am, Rm. 2104.
  • Students are responsible for material, assignments, etc., missed during an absence.
  • IF YOU MISS A TEST OR QUIZ DUE TO AN EXCUSED ABSENCE, YOU ARE ALLOWED ONE, AND ONLY ONE WEEK TO MAKE IT UP. YOU MUST SIGN UP TO MAKE UP ANY ASSESSMENT.
  • Make-up tests & quizzes (for excused absences only) will be given on Wed. mornings, at 6:30 am, Rm. 2104.
  • Make-up labs (excused only) will be offered only once during a tutorial (either on Tues. or Thurs.).
  • The final grade issued is based on the total points for the semester, NOT an average of the two quarters.

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Grading Scale:Category Weights:

90-100 = AExams:35%

80-89 = BQuizzes:25%

70-79 = CLabs:20%

60-69 = DAssignments:10% (May be added automatically to your grade.)

0-59 = FCitizenship:10%

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CITIZENSHIP POLICY: This policy is explained in all Chemistry classes during the first week of classes in September.

We believe that students must contribute to the establishment & maintenance of a positive learning environment for Chemistry classes. In support of this, we have established the “Citizenship” category of the grading scale. Citizenship refers to all aspects of student behavior in the classroom, including participation, performance during group work sessions, adherence to lab safety procedures, engagement in class discussions, use of respectful communication at all times, etc.

Students who are not performing as a responsible "good citizenship" student will receive a ‘lab ticket’. Each lab ticket will cost one citizenship point (which is equivalent to one percentage point lost from the student’s overall average). The first lost point, of the ten points we have designated for the citizenship category, cannot be made up (a student may still receive an Awith 9/10 of these points). After that first point is irretrievably lost, we have a procedure where lab tickets can bemade up by doing jobs during tutorial (these jobs include cleaning up the room & lab area, preparing materials for future classes & labs, etc.- all of which benefit the entire subsection of the student body that take Chemistry).

Lab tickets will be issued to students who:

violate established safety rules during class or lab, or

are unprepared for class, lab, quizzes, or tests, (e.g., borrow a pencil, calculator, etc.) or

require a replacement copy of a handout they have lost (we minimize paper usage- as a general rule, and as a specific Science Department policy) or

disrupt the smooth operation of the class, etc.

(This is a partial list of examples - it is not meant to be an exclusive list of the only infractions that may earn lab tickets.)

Cheating:

1) SHARING OF CALCULATORS OR ANY MATERIALS ON TESTS OR QUIZZES. USING CELL PHONES.

2) NON-APPROVED NOTES OR SCRATCH PAPER.

3) EYES SCANNING THE ROOM OR OTHER STUDENTS’ PAPERS.

4) COPYING OF ANY MATERIAL OR ASSIGNMENTS UNLESS GIVEN PERMISSION. This includes daily assignments.

(Never copy another’s daily worksheets or lab reports, in or out of class. You may only copy lab data from your lab partner.)

Late Work

  • HOMEWORK IS FOR YOUR PRACTICE, & IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE GRADED! If we grade homework & you didn’t do it, you will have the opportunity to earn partial credit for work turned in late.
  • Doing assignments IS important, & it’s better done late than not at all.
  • Work is due at the beginning of the period, otherwise it will be assessed a late penalty.
  • Show late assignments to the teacher the next school day for as much as 80% of the earned score.
  • Late work for an excused absence or excused tardy is not assessed the late penalty, provided it is shown to the teacher within 1 day for each day of absence, or on the day the tardy occurs.
  • Work more than 2 weeks late will not earn credit.

Seeking additional support

You can check how you’re doing in Chemistry by accessing your grades online. If you’re struggling, have questions, or just need help, you can initiate the time (or I may initiate the time) for us to meet together for additional help. Times available for additional help include:

  • All 3 rooms are available for study groups on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.
  • The ONLY time to talk with your teacher about grades is Monday during tutorial.
  • Contact one of us to make an appointment if your concerns are not being addressed at the times described above.

Supplies to bring to class every day

  • A printed copy of the current General Chemistry schedule (from the BHS General Chemistry website).
  • student agenda/planner - This will help you keep track of Chemistry assignments and due dates.
  • pen/pencil and paper
  • 3 ring notebook (or other organizer) for handouts & notes, including your old schedules
  • Living by Chemistry ® Unit Workbooks may be provided as extra support, if needed
  • Periodic Table of the Elements – can be purchased from the BHS accountant.
  • Lab quad-ruled composition book (4 squares per inch) – can be purchased from the BHS accountant.
  • calculator (for tests/quizzes, ONLY non-graphing calculators are allowed)
  • If you need financial assistance for these supplies, please see me or your counselor.

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I understand the course expectations & am ready to begin the intellectual journey in Chemistry! Date:______

Student Signature:Printed Name: ______

Parent Signature:Printed Name:

Parent E-mail:______Parent Phone:

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