General Chemistry

St. John’s College High School

2014-2015

Miss Liddi

Email: hone: 202-363-2316 ext. 1959

Classroom: 421, 422Homeroom: 508Laboratory: 419

Welcome! As we begin a new school year, I am excited to be your guide into the wonderful world of chemistry. Throughout the course of this year, we will be investigating the way the materials of our world interact with each other to make up the substances we eat, drink, breathe, and use on a daily basis. We will learn about the importance of science in our everyday lives including its role in politics, history, medicine, and, yes, even the arts! To accomplish this, we will develop critical thinking skills and a logical problem-solving approach to help us analyze and solve a variety of chemistry puzzles. Throughout this course, we will conduct experiments, develop a familiarity with chemical terminology, and study real-world applications of the topics we cover in class. Be prepared to work hard and learn a lot in this course, and I look forward to accompanying you on this journey!

Required materials:

  • Calculator (cannot be a graphing calculator, but scientific non-graphing calc. is recommended)
  • iPad with Notability notebook (stylus optional)
  • Writing utensils
  • Folder for handouts, tests, quizzes, etc.
  • Textbook: Chemistry by Pearson (iBook on iPad)
  • Required apps: Notability, Dropbox,Showbie, Socrative,Doceri, iBooks

Note: PENCILS WILL BE REQUIRED forscantron use on announced tests/quizzes

Grading:

Homework:20%

Classwork/Participation:15%

Labs/Projects:20%

Quizzes:15%

Tests:30%

As practicing the type of collaborative problem-solving skills we will be using in this class is critical to student success, all students are expected to be on time and prepared to work every day, to be active participants in class discussions, to listen when others are speaking, and to show work and complete all homework and assignments on time. Homework, when collected, will be graded on accuracy, and there may be homework quizzes periodically to ensure completion and understanding. Homework will be posted on homework central by 4 PM daily. Notebooks should be kept up-to-date as they may be checked for a homework grade. Participation grades will be assigned weekly based on students’ performance and attitude in class during the week. Excessive bathroom breaks (students will be allowed 2 per quarter only at appropriate breaks in instruction, if necessary, before affecting participation grades), talking in class, doing other work/games on iPads, and other disruptive and/or distracting behaviors will result in lower participation grades. Students are also expected to answer and ask questions during class time to ensure that they are fully understanding course material. Tests will be given 2-3 times a quarter and should be announced 3 days ahead of time. Quizzes will happen more frequently as either unannouncedreading quizzesor scheduled quizzes. If the quizzes are planned, students should be given 1-3 days’ notice. For smaller assignments, students can expect grades back within a week; larger assignments, such as tests and lab reports, may take longer to grade and return.

The breakdown of grading for the final grade is as follows:

Quarter 1: 20%Quarter 3: 20%

Quarter 2: 20%Quarter 4: 20%

Midterm Exam: 10% Final Exam: 10%

Absences and Late Assignments:

Assignments will have a due date and time. Homework assignments should always be submitted on the class’s Showbie site daily by 8:00 A.M. As it is very important that students do not fall behind, late work will be accepted within a day after the due date/time with a 50% grade penalty, after which point it will receive a zero. Work missed due to unexcused absences cannot be made up and will receive a zero. If students have an excused absence, they are expected to check homework central AND contact a classmate and the teacheras soon as possible regarding missed notes, assignments, announcements, etc. Students should see the instructor if there are handouts they need from an excused absence, and if a test or quiz is missed, it should be made up in the testing center in room 200 on the day of a student’s return to school. Students will have as many days as they are absent (excused) to complete assignments given while they were out. For example, if a student is absent for two days, he/she has two days to make up the missed assignments.Extenuating circumstances leading to an extended absence, such as serious illness, will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Accommodations:

Students should contact me within the first two weeks of school regarding required accommodations, including preferential seating and extended time on tests. No student is allowed to record lectures without the instructor’s knowledge and consent, so if you have this accommodation or wish to record lectures for any reason, discuss this with the instructor within the first two weeks as well.

Computer Account and Printing:

All students are required to have SJC computer accounts with sufficient credits to print assignments if they do not/cannot do so at home. Trouble printing is not a valid excuse for late work.

Academic Integrity:

Please refer to the school policy on Academic Ethics in the Student Handbook. Be aware that any student who violates any of the ethical guidelines will receive a zero on the assignment in question and will be reported to the Assistant Principle for Academic Affairs and his or her parents/guardians.

Also note that SJC has contracted with “Turnitin.com,” an online plagiarism prevention system, for the school year. All papers will be submitted to “Turnitin.com” and compared against current and previous versions of web pages, all prior student submissions, and ProQuest databases.

As science is a collaborative venture, students are encouraged to work together on homework and other assignments if they need assistance, but the work should not be identical! If working with someone else, students should make a note of who they worked with on the paper and put answers in their own words (i.e. it should not be identical to the partners’ work). Identical/copied work will receive a zero and will be reported as a violation of the academic integrity policy.

Extra Credit:

Students will not be offered individual extra credit assignments. If there are extra credit opportunities, they will be offered to the entire class and will be educational in nature. Students should not expect many extra credit opportunities as they should be focused on doing well on regular assignments. Extra credit will not be accepted in the last week of the quarter.

Extra Help:

As mentioned above, students are encouraged to work with peers if they are struggling and can also schedulehomeroom appointments or after school appointments until about 3:30, or make an appointment with the instructor for some other time. Please inform the instructor when planning to come in for extra help to ensure that she will be available.

There are also helpful online resources and apps listed on the homework central page.

A Note on Technology:

As St. John’s continues its iPad program, students are encouraged to use these tools to enhance their learning experience. However, should the iPads become a distraction, students will be penalized as per the St. John’s acceptable use policy laid out in the student handbook. Violation of the acceptable use policy includes but is not limited to: playing games, working on assignments for other classes, and checking email or chatting with classmates. When using iPads in class, they should be kept flat on the desk. If a student’s iPad is confiscated or otherwise unavailable, the work that would have been completed on it will receive a zero. Some work, such as homework, can be completed by hand using a print textbook at the instructor’s discretion, but these assignments are still expected to be turned in on time. Additionally, if for any reason a student does not have his or her iPad for class, i.e. it is not charged, it was left at home, or it is broken, the missed work will also receive a zero. Charging iPads should be done at home, not in class. Students are expected to come to class prepared, which includes bringing all materials ready to use for the entire class period. If students know they iPad will be a distraction to them, they are welcome to take notes in a traditional paper notebook instead. The use of iPads is a privilege that the instructor can revoke at any time if she thinks it is too much of a distraction for students, at which point they will need a paper notebook.

As in years past, the use of cell phones is prohibited and if a phone is seen or heard at any point between 7:45 and the end of the school day, it will be confiscated for one week. Students and parents should familiarize themselves with school policies as set forth in the student handbook regarding technology, uniforms, lateness, absences, etc., as they will be strictly enforced.

Finally, all policies laid out in this syllabus are subject to change at the instructor’s discretion to ensure the best learning experience possible.

Contacting the Instructor:

Please note the instructor’s phone extension and email address (email is the preferred form of communication) at the top of the syllabus should students or parents have any questions or concerns. However, do this in advance, as the instructor may not respond immediately. The instructor will respond within 24business-day hours, often earlier, but an email sent on Sunday afternoon or at 10 P.M. the night before an assignment is due is unlikely to be addressed before class the next day. In addition, the instructor will not respond to emails from students sent from personal email accounts. To practice professionalism, students are to use their St. John’s email accounts for all correspondence with teachers and administrators. If there are problems accessing St. John’s email accounts from the iPad or from home, please address them through the technology department as soon as possible (i.e. within one school day of the issue) to ensure prompt reading of and response to emails from both parties.

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LABORATORY SAFETY AGREEMENT

Chemistry 2014-2015

In order to ensure that time spent in the Chemistry Lab is a safe and positive learning experience, rules and regulations have been established that require each student’s cooperation. Read the information below; if you have questions, please ask. It is absolutely vital that you understand each statement before participating in a laboratory experiment. This agreement will be kept on file.

As a student of science at St. John’s College High School, I will:

  1. Perform only authorized experiments, following all instructions of the teacher.
  2. Come to class properly prepared to do the experiment, by having read the procedures in advance and completing any pre-lab work.
  3. Only be permitted to work with adult supervision.
  4. Wear appropriate protective equipment as requested by the teacher.
  5. Learn the location and operation of emergency equipment; such as fire extinguishers, safety showers, and eye wash fountains.
  6. Not bring any form of food or drink into the lab.
  7. Treat all chemicals, specimens, and equipment with the care it deserves.
  8. Never remove chemicals or equipment from the lab without teacher’s consent.
  9. Clean up the lab station and wash hands at the completion of lab.
  10. List below any allergies or medical conditions that may affect lab performance.
  11. Report all accidents immediately to the teacher.
  12. Act in a responsible manner at all times in lab.

Because a science laboratory can be a potentially dangerous place if not treated properly, any student whose behavior is deemed inappropriate and/or in violation of the above rules, will be sent to the Office of Student Affairs. Removal from lab will seriously impact the student’s participation and laboratory grades.

Lab Safety Acknowledgement

I have read the Chemistrycoursesyllabus and Lab Safety Contract. I understand all expectations of me and agree to follow all of the rules set forth in this contract as well as all rules described in the St. John’s Student Handbook.

Student SignatureDate

I have read the attached course outline and Lab Safety Contract. I

Parent/Guardian Name

understand that my student must obey these rules to ensure the safety of all participants in the class.

Does the student have any condition that might prevent her or him from meeting the expectations outlined above?

 Yes NoIf Yes, please describe below

Parent/Guardian signatureDate

Parent/Guardian phone numberParent/Guardian email address