Chemistry

Class Meetings: Two per week

You get to chat sessions by logging into the Moodle, clicking on the course name, and looking for the chat associated with the day's date. Each session has its own link, which will become a link to the log once that chat session is over.

During each chat session, we will base our discussions on the material in Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity and in the accompanying CD-ROM presentations and go over your posted solutions to selected homework problems. We will also take Web Tours of sites which have interesting graphics or simulations.

You may raise questions about the material from the text, CD-ROM presentations, your homework, your labs, or (if we have time) issues in the media which have a chemistry connection, such as organic chemistry, pollution, global warming, and pharmaceuticals. You will be asked to host part of one evening session, which will require you to prepare material and questions for the rest of the class to discuss.

I realize that occasionally you may need to miss our online chat sessions, because of illness or family emergencies, and occasionally because of planned activities. You must have a parent notify me of your absence and the reason, either by email or Moodle Message, if at all possible before the session starts. You are still responsible for posting all homework assignments to the class forums, and for mastering the materials covered in class by reviewing logs of any class sessions you have missed.

Readings

All reading assignments for the semester will be posted in the course calendar at the beginning of the course. Reading assignments include material from the textbook, my online lectures, and on occasion, readings from other websites. You will be sent the class password to this site during the week prior to the start of classes in September; it will different from the password that you use to access the Moodle, as the two sites are independent. You are expected to read the material before attending the lecture session.

Homework

Materials on the CDROM: Plan on working through the materials for each section on the CD-ROM. These sections are indicated by mouse icons with the appropriate screen number in the text itself. These may take the form of videos and animations demonstrating various principles and reactions, or they may include simulations, tutorials and other exercises. You should work through the CD-ROM exercises for any area of the text which you find confusing or difficult to remember.

Problems and Exercises: Homework assignments for the each session will be posted by the end of the previous session. Ideally, you should do all the study questions and assigned homework problems from the text, and correct them yourself using answers posted by your fellow students, or have a parent help you check these using the answers in the back of the book. These exercises expose you to different ways of learning and using the concepts from the text and in class lectures.

Do not simply look up the correct answers in the back of the books!

Working through the exercises will require you to think carefully about the details behind the major concepts, which will help you learn and retain them much better than simply memorizing the answers to a specific set of questions.

You will be responsible for presenting solutions with detailed comments in class or to the forum to specific homework problems. I generally do not require that you turn in the rest of the homework problems or workbook answers to me, since you or your parents can check these yourselves by referring to the answers in the back of the book, or the solutions posted by other students in the class forum. Entering chemical solutions into a text file on the computer is an exercise in typing, not in chemistry; I believe that your time is better spent working on learning the material itself. Because I'm not checking your work off on a spreadsheet, you may be tempted to skip doing workbook exercises or homework problems assigned to other students for presentation.

Don't.

Most of the quiz and exam questions I use to evaluate your work will be based on these exercises. The more you do, the more thoroughly you score yourself and review questions you missed, the better prepared you will be. If you plan to take the SAT II or AP Chemistry examinations, dedicated and steady preparation throughout the year is essential.

Labs

Labs are optional; see the labs page for more information.

Quizzes and Exams

After you have reviewed all the chapter materials, especially those areas where you missed homework assignments or CD-ROM exercises, you should take the online quiz for the chapter. Your score for this quiz will be considered in determining your final grade, but more important for most of you, your experience of the quiz will get you used to the kinds of questions you will be asked on the SAT II or Chemistry AP exam.

My online quizzes contain questions on basic chemistry concents, but also questions similar to those on the SAT II and AP Chemistry examinations, and though based on the same material as the text, may use different phrasing or ask you to consider different applications from those in the text. Scores on the online quizzes will help me determine your mastery of concepts in this course, but also help you determine how well prepared you are for the standardized tests.

When you take the online quiz, you will receive your score immediately, along with an email recording your answers and the rationale behind the question and its answer.

Whether or not you plan to take the SAT II and/or the AP, the online quizzes are required.

Exams will be given at the end of each term. These must be taken under parental supervision and returned to the teacher by electronic or regular mail for grading. In addition, a paper copy signed by the parent must be returned by regular United States mail to the teacher, verifying that the exam was taken under the

Putting it all together

The Scholars Online Moodle and Chemistry Course Materials

The Moodle server at Scholars Online will host our chats, the forums for your class assignements, the quizzes, and the schedule for our work. Access will be limited to class members. We also have the ability to create Wiki entries (good for learning terminology), take surveys, and work on group activities. Students performing labs for the lab option, and students taking the AP option will have forums for their work in these areas. Since only members of the class will see your postings, you should feel free to use the class forum to ask questions and contact each other about class business, and to continue discussions for which we may not have time in class, but remember:

Goals

Just so we are all headed in the same direction....

• To learn the basic concepts of modern chemistry
• To learn how to think like a scientist about our everyday observations and experiences
• To understand the limits as well as the advantages of scientific methodology
• To understand how scientific models and theories compete for acceptance
• To prepare those of you planning to take SAT II or Advanced Placement Tests in Chemistry.

Expectations

You are expected to:

• Attend both class sessions each week.
• Observe the general rules for Chat classroom behavior.
• Read the assigned materials before class.
• Complete and evaluate workbook exercises on your own, and ask questions during chat sessions if you still don't understand the material.
• Complete homework assignments on time and be prepared to present homework solutions in class.
• Treat each other with respect.

You may expect me to:

• Cover the material in the text and answer your questions; if I don't know the answer, I will try to find out and get back to you.
• Return comments on your homework at regular intervals.
• Provide your parents with a quarterly statement of your progress.
• Respect your opinions, when they are substantiated with some serious thought, even if I disagree with your conclusions.

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This course is offered through Scholars Online, a non-profit organization supporting classical Christian education through Internet-based courses. Permission to copy course content (lessons and labs) for personal study is granted to students currently enrolled in this course for the Academic Year 2008/2009 or Summer 2008. Reproduction for any other purpose, without the express written consent of the author, is prohibited.