BETHANY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
General Chemistry/Pre-AP Chemistry
1st – 5th Periods – Chemistry Room or Biology Room (South Wing of High School)
Teachers: Adam Forester and Jon Arthur
E-Mail:
Office Hours: MTWH 7:25 AM – 7:50 AM
Class Website: Video Website:
Syllabus
Course Description: This course provides students with a view of the fundamental concepts of chemistry and a solid foundation with which they may proceed to take a more advanced level of chemistry. The major topics covered are scientific measurement, atomic theory, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, solutions, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry.Students will study chemistry through vodcasts, visual aids, demonstrations, experiments, readings, reports, and periodic evaluations.
Textbook: The following textbook will be used IN CLASS ONLY throughout the year. A book will not be checked out and taken home. Also students will also have access to an online textbook, from which home reading can be assigned if needed for specific student learning situation.
Davis, Raymond E; Frey, Regina; Sarquis, Mickey; and Sarquis, Jerry L. Modern Chemistry.Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006.
Course Materials:
- Writing Utensils (Pencils with Erasers and Black Pens)
- Scientific Calculator (Graphing Calculator Not Needed), (By Tuesday, August 26th)
- College Ruled Notebook Paper
- 2 Composition Notebooks (By Tuesday, August 26th)
- 1 Gallon Jug of Distilled/De-ionized H2O (By Tuesday, August 26th)
- Recommended but not required: Mobile Device (Cell Phone, iPod, PSP, etc.), head phones, highlighters, poster making materials (glue sticks, markers, or colored pencils).
Academic Integrity: Obviously no plagiarism or cheating is allowed in this course, whether it is copying from the Internet or from a peer. Each student can work with others on daily assignments, but each should do his or her own work in his or her own words. Anyone found cheating on an assignment will receive a zero. If a student is found plagiarizing or cheating a second time, he or she will be referred to the principle.
Introduction to Mastery Learning: Chemistry Learning in the 21st Century: Given that we live in an ever-shrinking world in which graduates will be competing with students from other countries for jobs, we must strive to create individuals who will be competitive in a global job market. In order to do so, the Chemistry and Physics teachers at Bethany High School endeavor to develop skills in our students that will equip them to be independent life-long learners who can adapt to meet any challenging task at hand. As a result, we require students to demonstrate mastery of the required curriculum.
One of the unique features of using a mastery-learning model is that not all students will be working on the same assignment at the same time. Some students will work faster and are encouraged to do so; others will stick to our schedule and meet the weekly benchmark exactly; others will struggle and may fall behind, but these students will receive personalized assistance from their teacher in order to help them through the material. NOTE: all work for a unit must be completed prior to taking the unit exam. In addition, quizzes within a unit must be passed with a80% before proceeding to the end of the unit.
Lab Safety Contract: Each student will be responsible for signing and upholding a laboratory safety contract so as to insure physical safety during experiments in the science classroom. If the student violates the contract he/she will not be allowed to participate in future laboratory exercises and will be given an alternate assignment.
Turning in Work/Late Work: All Realm work will be due on the checkpoint date if the student wants full points. Realms may be completed as early as the student completes them. Late packets can be turned in at any time although there will be a penalty to the grade and detention may be assigned.
Type of WorkType of Absence / Test/Quiz / Assignment Due on the Day of Absence
School Activity Absence
OR
Excused Absence /
- Let the teacher know you are going to be gone in advance of your absence.
- Decide on a make-up time for exam with teacher.
- All learning is done at the student’s pace therefore work can be turned in at any time.
- To get credit for progress grade on the day of the absence show the objective sheet to the teacher when you return, assuming it shows progress.
Unexcused Absence
(Marked in computer by office as truant) /
- No make-up of exams are permitted for unexcused absences as stated in the Bethany High School student handbook.
- All learning is done at the student’s pace therefore work can be turned in at any time.
Extra Help/Flex Friday: Extra help is always available during lunch in either Mr. Arthur’s room or Mr. Forester’s room, Monday through Thursday. Help will also be available at times before school, but check with the teacher because the before school hours are sometimes used for recording vodcasts. Flex Friday is a great time to receive extra help. Mr. Arthur and Mr. Forester are also coaches so they are not available every Friday, but there will be a schedule on each classroom door for the Flex Friday’s they will attend. Other times can be set up with the teacher...all the student has to do is ask. If a student has failed to meet 75% on unit quizzes after multiple tries he or she will be assigned extra tutoring during one of these lunch sessions or flex Friday.
Instructional Activities and Methods of Evaluation:
Class Format: This class is designed as a multiplayer game, where class time will be divided between fighting battles (Quizzes, Tests), completing quests (Labs), learning skills (Vodcasts and Reviews), crafting your skills (Practice Problems), and selling what you’ve learned (teacher interviews). At the beginning of the semester everyone in the class will choose and name their avatars, which will be used to organize the leaderboard for the game.
Learning (Vodcasts): Students will view these videos at home on a computer, iPod, portable video device, cell phone, or DVD player. In these videos, students will see their teachers, from Bethany High School, explaining Chemistry concepts and demonstrating scientific principles. Credit for viewing will be given based on the notes in their unit packet or in some other method. Students will be instructed in class as to how they can access the instructional videos, but may prefer to access the same content using their textbook or other resource.
Crafting (Daily Work): There will be various types ofdaily assignments for each unit covered throughout the semester. These assignments will not be assigned just as busy work, but as work designed to further the understanding of a subject area, as well as give the student test like questions.
Quests (Labs): There will be many labs throughout the course of the semester. The labs are designed to give a further understanding of a current topic. Each lab will include following the proper procedures in the laboratory composition notebook as well as any safety and clean up procedures that are involved.
Final Battle (Test): There will be an exam for each unit that is covered over the course of the year. If the students have gained mastery at the unit quizzes they should be successful on the unit exam.
Battles (Quizzes): There will be 2-4 quizzes given during each unit. Quizzes will be conceptual, and usually made up of no more than 10 questions in a multiple choice or true/false format. Quizzes are meant to test the ability of the student to recall major themes or concepts from the activities, homework and vodcasts, not to pull out small obscure facts. All quizzes must be passed with a 75% or better. Students must re-take quizzes until a score of 75% is attained. Students may not proceed to the next quiz or unit test until the current quiz is passed with a 75%. Only the highest score will be recorded and students may take a quiz as many times as necessary.
Semester 20% Mission: Each student throughout the semester will be given free time to explore the world of chemistry and think of different ways to apply the skills that you have learned. This is called the “20% Mission” for the semester. Students will think of ways to apply and solve a real-world problem with chemistry or however they see fit. More information on this will be given at a later date.
Chemistry Grading Scale
A=89.45-100.0 (4.0 Points)D=59.45-69.44 (1.0 Points)
B=79.45-89.44 (3.0 Points)F=00.00-59.44 (No Points)
C=69.45-79.44 (2.0 Points)
Pre-AP Chemistry Grading Scale
A=89.45-100.0 (4.5 Points)D=59.45-69.44 (1.0 Points)
B=79.45-89.44 (3.5 Points)F=00.00-59.44 (No Points)
C=69.45-79.44 (2.5 Points)
*Pre-AP credit will only be given to those who complete the extra assignments as well as maintain an “A” or “B” on all classwork.