Mr. Ayers

Claremont High SchoolGeneral Chemistry Syllabus

Teacher: Mr. AyersHours: Rm 710 and 718Office Hours: Rm 717 Lunch Help: Rm 710 after the first twenty minutes of lunch on Mon, Wed and FriChemistry is designed to give students a basic understanding of theory, composition and behavior of matter. Emphasis is placed on measurement, the mole concept, atomic structure, and factors influencing chemical reactions. Students will be introduced to and become familiar with laboratory equipment and techniques and will be expected to emphasize their ability to use critical thinking and problem solving skills. Experiments, demonstrations, and discussions will be employed.

Main Goals: The main goal of this program is to provide a solid foundation in the study of matter and its changes. Through many activities students will demonstrate how theory is applicable in laboratory situations. All students will develop good methods of problem solving and proper laboratory techniques. This chemistry class will be based on the new Next Generation Science Standards. Chemistry will prove to be a valuable field for these students, especially when they see how the concepts in the class relates to professional fields such as biology, medicine and even the environment. I will encourage each new concept in this class to be grounded in some engaging relation that each of these students has with the said concept to the outside world, and to their day to day lives.

Website: ayersphysics.weebly.com There will be notes posted to this website as well as the list of homework

assignments and classwork we do daily.

Textbook:

Assignments: Lab Reports Quizzes/Tests Classwork/Homework Final

Mr. Ayers

GradesGrades in this course will be computed based on a weighted scoring system. Your grade will be determined by percentage points you earn out of the total points possible.100-90% = A, 89-80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, 59-0% = F

Classwork/Homework: 15% Labs: 35% Quizzes/Tests: 40% Final: 10%

Late Work Homework will always be due on the next day, unless otherwise stated. If not due by the end of class, classwork and labs will be given a specified

due date. Late work will be marked down by 5% of the total earned grade each day it

is turned in late. THE DUE DATE FOR ALL LATE WORK (Homework, classwork, labs or

anything else) IS BY THE END OF THE GRADE PERIOD. NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE GRADING PERIOD! Instead the students will have the following grading period to bring up his or her grade by completing their work on time.

Exams/Quizzes: Any student may retake an exam or quiz a max of one more time,

regardless of whether they failed the exam or not the first time. Their exam/quiz re-take must take place during lunch.

After a student finishes with their exam/quiz, they must stay in their original seat. They may read, work on homework for another class, or nap. They are not allowed to leave their seat and sit somewhere else, nor are they allowed to talk with their friends.

Mr. Ayers

Students may see the physical results of their exam/quiz if they ask Mr. Ayers, but the exams/quizzes must stay with Mr. Ayers and will not be returned to the students in order to prevent cheating.

Final Exam There will be a two-hour comprehensive final exam at the end of each

semester. The final exam will count for approximately 10% of the semester grade.

Materials Pencil, pen (black or blue) Notebook and paper Scientific Calculator (ESSENTIAL)

Attendance and TardiesGood attendance is essential to learn the concepts required to pass this course. Students are encouraged to exchange phone numbers with someone in class in order to learn what assignments (as well as notes) will be missed due to absences.

1. Tardies- tardy policy will be followed as shown below:a. First Offense : Verbal Warningb. Second Offense : Phone Call Homec. Third Offense: Lunch Study Hall Detention (in my classroom, on

the same day) if you fail to show up you will automatically be given an after-school detention

d. Fourth Offense: Discipline Office Referral

2. Absences-A. No work will be given or received until the absence is excused. If an

absence is not excused a ZERO will be given.B. If the absence is excused, then the student will be allowed to make up

the work.C. Students absent on the day of a lab will make up the lab during lunch OR

write a research paper covering the current topic in class.D. If the students know of an absence in the future (family trip, sport’s

activity etc.) then they must communicate with Mr. Ayers, in advance of the absence, on how to deal with the work being missed. Otherwise, the students will receive a zero on the work missed.

Mr. Ayers

Classroom Seating: You will be assigned a seat in the classroom from Mr. Ayers. The lab seats will be based on the rows that are seated closest to that lab

table. If you have any issues with your seating arrangement that may get in the

way of your learning potential, just talk with Mr. Ayers about it outside of class. If the issue is understandable, then you will be accommodated.

YOU MAY NEVER, AT ANY TIMES, LEAVE YOUR SEAT AND SIT SOMEWHERE ELSE WITHOUT TALKING WITH MR. AYERS ABOUT IT FIRST!

If a student continuously leaves their seat to sit wherever they please without talking with Mr. Ayers, it will result in disciplinary action.

Behavior Be seated and prepared to start when the bell rings. [YOU MUST BE IN THE

ROOM OR ELSE YOU’LL BE LATE] Sit in your assigned seat. Have your pen/pencil out and be ready to do your “warm up.”. Food and drink must be put away. Stay in your seat throughout the entire class (unless instructed otherwise).

You may get up if you need a tissue or to sharpen your pencil. If you have a question, raise your hand and wait to be called on. Classroom textbooks must be returned to the bookshelf by the end of class. If a student finishes work early, they cannot sit and do nothing. They must

either work on something for another class, start homework for my class, or study.

You may not leave or invite anyone into the classroom without my permission.

All students must participate in lessons and activities All students must follow Mr. Ayers’ class rules Never play with any of the lab plumbing fixtures, such as water; gas; and

vacuum fixtures. Never leave any trash in the lab sinks. Each lab group will be responsible

for making sure their sinks are clean and spotless after each lab regardless if the trash was done by them or not.

I will dismiss the class, not the bell. If the class environment is unruly and the students are not well-mannered, we will WAIT after the bell.

Mr. Ayers

Disruptions Disruptions include talking and even whispering. Disruptions don’t need to

be loud. Students are expected to remain quiet and respectful while Mr. Ayers or

any student is addressing the class. Students are also expected to remain quiet and respectful during a test or quiz.

Any disruption will be met with a 3-strikes disciplinary system. This means that if Mr. Ayers needs to tell you to stop talking/making noise at least three times during the week, then you will get a detention .

Mr. Ayers will be mindful of the behavior and potential for disruptions of each student and will notice if there is anyone abusing the 3-strikes system.

Cheating and Plagiarism : Students are expected to make a reasonable effort on every assignment

and to do their own work. Any indication of cheating on a test or plagiarism of an assignment will result in a zero grade. Along with getting a zero grade, the student will be reported to the office for disciplinary measures. Some examples (not inclusive) of violation of academic integrity are: talking during an exam, unauthorized notes, notes programmed into calculators, students with the same exact “word for word” answers as their peers on an assignment, “wandering eyes” etc.

Electronics: For the purpose of creating an environment in the classroom that is most

ideal for focused learning, there will be NO PHONES ALLOWED in class. I will use a cell phone pocket holder to safely store cell phones away from

the students. The purpose is to eliminate them as a distraction from the productivity and focus of their learning.

Each student will be assigned a number (based on where they are sitting), and this number will be the pocket they will place their phone into.

As students enter the classroom, they will need to silence their phone and place it into their assigned pocket from the cell phone holder hanging on the wall.

No matter how busy our schedule is for the day, I will guarantee the last five minutes of class for students to retrieve and use their phones.

Mr. Ayers

If a student is caught using their phone in class, it will be confiscated and taken to the Student Center. The phone will need to be picked up by a parent/guardian in order for the students to retrieve it.

Bathroom Policy: If you need to use the restroom (or get some water) you must ask Mr.

Ayers first for permission and fill out the “classroom-exit-board” before leaving.

Only one person can leave the classroom at a time. If you need to use the restroom or get a drink of water, you need to wait for the other person to come back with the hall pass.

Course Sequence [may be subject to change]

SEMESTER 1 Safety Procedures, Measurements, Conversions Matter (Mixtures; states of matter; periodic families) Nomenclature Atomic Theory/Periodicity Chemical Bonding Moles/Empirical Formulas Stoichiometry Week 19 FINALS

WINTER BREAK

SEMESTER 2 Stoichiometry (If not finished) Types of Chemical Reactions (including Reactions in Aqueous Solutions) Gas Laws Nuclear Chemistry Thermodynamics Mixtures/Acids and Bases Reaction Rates/Equilibrium Organic Chemistry (If there is time) FINALS

Mr. Ayers

I _______________________[Name of student] have read this syllabus carefully and understand what is expected of me by Mr. Ayers. It is my intention to do my best to follow these rules and policies in order that Mr. Ayers’ class may run efficiently, and learning may occur.

________________________________Student Signature

I, _______________________[Name of parent/guardian] the parent/guardian of the above student, have read and understand the policies of this syllabus and will do my part in aiding Mr. Ayers in the education of my child.

________________________________Parent Signature

___________________________________Parent emailThanks

Democritus welcomes you to the wonderful world of chemistry! And you already live in it! You’re made of atoms!!

Mr. Ayers

Name______________________________________Date_____________________Period_____

Play-Doh Introduction Activity

Instructions:

Use the Play-Doh to sculpt something that represents you.

1. What did you make with the Play-Doh?

2. Why does this object represent you?

3. Give three descriptive observations about this object:a.

b.

c.

4. What would you like to get out of this physical science class?

5. What can I do to best support you throughout this course?