Chemistry

2017-18
Room A105
Greg Spahlinger Ph.D.
Drs.scienceed@gmail.com

Rationale
Chemistry is the science of the microscopic world. It helps us think about how the world works, from
medicines to materials, from water safety to cooking. Chemistry is sometimes known as the central
science, because its principles have implications for the way many other sciences work and can be
understood. This course will be a window into the way the world works and how mathematics can be
applied to every day circumstances.

Overview
My chemistry course is a hybrid course that draws on the modeling framework from American Modeling
Teachers Association. My class is also designed to hit most of the Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS) for chemistry, which are the same as the recently adopted Michigan Science Standards. The core
philosophy of the modeling framework is that students should learn through experience, by carrying out
investigations and constructing models with the help of the teacher. I find that this is consonant with the
NGSS, which prescribe the use of real world phenomena to motivate learning about a concept or
concepts. I have chosen to revise the modeling framework in order to attempt to cover more of the
individual standards, however. NGSS standards are referenced in the schedule, so you may look them
up if you choose. The NGSS standards are given as codes which relate to performance expectations, for
example HS-PS1-1 would be a performance expectation for high school (HS) from the first set of physical
science standards (PS1) which is titled structures and properties of matter and is the first standard in
this set. If we were to look this up we would need to go to the NGSS website (www.nextgenscience.org)
and we would find that the standard says: A student who demonstrates understanding can use the
periodic table to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the
outermost energy level of atoms. I have listed the standards by code, but not fleshed out all of their
intricacies in order to make this syllabus more readable. Interested parties will find all of the standards
available online to the public.

The NGSS standards describe a variety of performance expectations related to a students ability to think
about and explain or model material in different disciplinary areas. These cover the main ideas of
chemistry, methods used for scientific investigation, and broad overarching principles that are common
to many disciplines. The goal of using the NGSS and the modeling framework is to provide students with
a deep understanding not only of core ideas of chemistry, but also to educate them on the way that
scientific knowledge is constructed. A student who passes my class will be able to identify chemistry in
their daily life, to ask scientific questions about it, and also find the answers.

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General Storyline for the Year
My course follows a progression which starts with basic middle school chemistry and familiarity with the
periodic table. We will discuss different forms of matter (elements, compounds, mixtures) chemical and
physical changes in matter, and some basic skills like how to read a scale or use a measuring instrument.
We will then move on to the physical properties of matter, and how to quantify them and manipulate
these quantities using mathematics. We will also inquire into whether matter can be created or
destroyed in a chemical process, by looking at several of them. Once we can think about mass and the
fact that matter is made of atoms, we will talk about the relationship between the amount of mass and
the number of particles in a system. In the next unit we move onto the interactions of energy and
matter as we explore the relationships between variables in gasses. Students will examine these directly
and plot relationships in order to discover the underlying laws. Following that we talk more about
energy, as we learn the various ways that matter can store energy in its various phases, and by changing
temperature. After this we segue into the anatomy of atoms, how they are put together and how they
are alike and distinct. We will talk about how atoms have low energies when they are in compounds and
higher energies when they are single. Finally we will bring all of this knowledge into a final unit about
chemical reactions, where we are able to see the consequences of all the topics we have studied
throughout the year come together.

Expectations and Rules

Non- negotiable rules:

- Treat other students the way they would like to be treated. No disrespect. No bullying.
- No cheating on exams.
- No horseplay during labs.
- Rules upheld by Southfield Public Schools are in effect.

Collegiality policy: My classroom is a collaborative and inclusive environment. Students need to

respect each other and myself, and can expect respect from me in turn. We need to maintain a safe
and functional learning environment for the sake of everyone working in this room. Ideas about how
to implement this policy will be considered at our class policy meeting during the first week of class.
Regardless of what we come up with, students MUST refrain from bullying, hostile or harassing
behavior. Behavior that I deem in violation of the first non-negotiable rule will be addressed by a
private conference with me on the first violation, and may result in disciplinary referrals.

Cheating policy: Cheating is defined as copying the work of another, or use of unauthorized devices,
notes or materials. I allow one retake for all exams (i.e. two chances to take every exam) so students
caught in the act of cheating will have their exam taken and receive an F on that exam. This amounts
to the loss of 1 of 2 chances to take that exam. Students who seem to be trying to look at the exam
of another student may be moved to a location in the room of my choosing, with no discussion.
Repeated instances of cheating are grounds for stiffer penalties, including an F on the exam with no
option of a retake.

Horseplay during labs Horseplay during labs puts a student, her peers, and myself at risk of harm. A
student who engages in unsafe use of chemicals, play-fighting, running or other blatantly unsafe
practices may be removed from the lab, and may be given an F on the lab. Students must also refrain
from eating, drinking, or applying cosmetics during lab.

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 Policy meeting During the first week of class, each class will conduct a policy meeting. This will be
an opportunity to hammer out other policies and consequences that students would like to
implement for our community.

Grading Procedures

I grade on a quintile scale as follows:

A: 100% - 90%
B: 89% - 80%
C: 79% - 70%
D: 69% - 60%
F: 59% - 50%

In my class a 50% on any assignment is equivalent to a 0 or no credit in other classes. I do this so that
students who do not start the year on the right foot do not get so far behind that they cannot pass no
matter what they do. My grade breakdown is as follows:

Assessments: 60%
Lab exercises: 30%
Coursework: 10%

Coursework is generally given as an in class activity which I may request that students take home.
Coursework will not generally be homework although I reserve the right to give homework in some
cases. Coursework covers worksheets and activities that we do in class and informal assessments like
quizzes.

Labs are offered at specific times, and cannot generally be made up, but students are allowed to share
data with members of their lab groups. Labs will be structured with a written lab activity that includes a
prelab, results section and conclusions section. Students are responsible for doing the prelab prior to
showing up to class on lab day. During the lab students will get results which will be noted in the results
section. After lab students will be responsible for answering certain questions in the conclusions section.
The documentation for the lab will be turned in at a specified time, and this is what will be graded and
contribute to the lab score. Students who miss labs may get data from myself or a classmate, and have
some additional time to complete the lab (see late work policy).

Assessments are tests, which are organized by learning objective. Because these tests are organized by
objective, students will get feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. An option to retake the test, by
learning objective, will be available and is detailed below. Additionally, exams follow the same pattern
as classwork, where a minimum grade is a 50%. This policy is partly to compensate for the fact that I will
ask some difficult questions on the exams, and I will ask students to do calculations. An exam objective
will generally be structured such that there are 5 10 multiple choice basic knowledge questions, and
1 2 free response or calculation questions. Students who want a B or C will get most of the way there
on the back of the multiple choice, but students looking for an A will need to be able to demonstrate
independent problem solving ability. My goal is that a passing grade will be accessible to any of my

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students who put in the work, but that an A demonstrates the ability to think independently about the
material.

Late work Policy

Late work is generally not accepted, except in the case of an excused absence. Students have two
homework passes per marking period, and can earn additional ones in some cases. These passes are to
cover missed deadlines, and disputes where a student believes they turned work in, but I dont have it.
Students earn one additional homework pass for every A grade on an assessment. In a case where a
student has an excused absence the student has an additional amount of time to complete the
assignment equivalent to the number of days they were absent. Late work must be turned into the
designated late bin to receive credit. Homework passes may not be used to excuse labs. Because of
their greater value, late labs will be accepted. If the late lab is not covered by the excused absence policy
students will lose 10% of the lab every day the lab is late up to 40%.

Assessment Make-ups and retakes

Tests may be retested at pre-appointed times. Generally two retake times will be offered. One make up
time will be offered to students who have missed a test because of an excused absence. A make-up
exam is the same exam other students got, so make up exams must take place within a week of the
original exam. In order to qualify for the make-up exam you must have missed the original exam with an
excused absence.

Retakes are revised exams which are given at appointed times and structured by learning objective.
Students may retake anywhere from one objective to all of them. Students agree to accept their second
score when the take the retake exam. The reason for this is so that I know that the student is taking the
retake seriously, and studying for the retake. Students who miss the original exam and the window for a
make-up exam may take a retake in place of their first exam at no penalty, no questions asked.

Schedule of Topics

Timeline Topics Learning Objectives

Sept. 1 Describing matter, chemical and physical Chemical vs. Physical Changes
Oct. 1 changes of matter. Chemical vs. Physical Properties
NGSS: MS-PS1-2, HS-PS1-3 Elements, compounds, mixtures
Properties of compounds: law of definite
proportions, molecular formula
Experimental Design: Independent vs.
Dependent vs. Controlled variables
Measurement and Significant Figures
Lab Safety
Oct. 2 Physical properties of matter Basic properties: Volume, Mass, Density
Nov. 15 NGSS: MS-PS1-1, HS-PS1-7 Conversion factors
Scientific Notation
The Law of Conservation of Mass

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 Plotting Experimental Data (scatter plots,
lines of best fit and histograms)

Nov. 16 Count, Moles, Molar Mass Count units

Dec. 15 The mole: Meaning
NGSS: HS-PS1-2, HS-PS1-7 The mole: Molar mass
The mole: Molar conversions
Percent Composition in Compounds
Dec. 16 Gas behavior: Energy and Matter 1 Diffusion in gasses
Jan. 30 NGSS: HS-PS3-2, HS-PS3-3 Relationship between variables of a gas:
P vs. T
P vs. n
P vs. V
V vs. T
The Ideal Gas Law
Feb. 1 Energy and Matter 2: Phase changes heating Heating and cooling curves
Feb. 21 and cooling Energy: Thermal and Phase
NGSS: HS-PS3-1, HS-PS3-2 Energy Bar Charts
Heat Capacity, and enthalpy of phase
transitions
Quantitative energy problems
Feb 21 Charge and Structure of Atoms Charge and the structure of the atom
Mar. 15 NGSS: HS-PS1-1 Isotopes: Atomic mass and Number
Models of the Atom: Plum Pudding, Bohr,
Schrodinger
Atomic Orbitals in Quantum Mechanics
Mar. 16 Bonding Ionization and the Octet Rule
Apr. 15 NGSS: HS-PS2-6, HS-PS1-2 Orbital Hybridization
Sigma and Pi Bonding
Molecular geometry
Apr. 16 Chemical Reactions Stoichiometry
June 15 Solubility rules
NGSS: HS-PS1-3 Types of reactions: Redox, substitution,
addition, elimination
Brnsted-Lowry acids
Lewis acids