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Syllabus
for CHM-130: Fundamental Chemistry
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Textbook: "Foundations of College Chemistry" Here is the link at Amazon that lists the 11th Edition Textbook. |
Phoenix College (online course) |
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chm130@chemistryland.com 480 202-2993 (cellphone #) |
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11th Edition |
Alternate 12th Edition |
Alternate 13th Edition |
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Evolution of Chemistry The images shown above represent the evolution of chemistry. For example, on the left the four imagined elements were fire, air, earth, and water. We now recognize 118 elements. The other images represent other milestones that will get covered in the class. |
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Chemistry is a vast subject that encompasses... The mysteries of the universe... The products you buy ... Things too far away to see... In other words, chemistry is more than you or I could
ever know, but fortunately learning the fundamentals of chemistry is
possible. But don't let the word, "fundamental" fool you.
In this course you will learn that the world is very different than
you thought it was. In some ways stranger than Hollywood’s virtual
world called the Matrix. After learning chemistry you will look at the
world differently just as Neo did in the movie. |
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Things
you should expect to get out of this course
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| 1. Gain an appreciation of chemistry: its value to society, its role in history, the effort to get this far, and the modern marvels in chemistry. |
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2. Learn how to approach a chemistry topic as a blend
of bluilding blocks, force & energy, and mathematics. Chemistry
can seem like a long list of separate concepts, but this approach ties
them together. Also, dividing a chemistry topic into three areas of
focus makes it easier to understand. Chapters in the textbook and tutorials are some blend of these three focus areas. |
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| 3. Become
a smart consumer of chemical products: Better understanding of labels,
smarter at reading past the hype or paranoia, and better at recognizing
pseudoscience. |
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4. Be better prepared to move on to other levels of chemistry or other fields in science. This preparation involves solidifying the fundamental concepts of chemistry. Remember chemistry is not an abstract science. It is you and everything around you. Don't let it become a bunch of symbols like those on the Periodic Table. The other preparation is the ability to measure and
calculate the quantities needed. So math fundamentals are just as important. |
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COURSE COMPETENCIES
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The official course competencies are
listed on this district Web page: I will cover these competencies in the course but weave them into the topics listed on home page. I don't list them here because they are a little overwhelming to see all together. Also, a list of competencies makes chemistry seems boring, which it isn't. I have also added a few more competencies that will help you be a smarter consumer and smarter chemistry student. |
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| In the past I put quizzes up on Web pages and students sent their answer via email. This worked pretty well but it took awhile for students to get feedback on each of the answers. In the Spring semester I implemented a better system. Students do their quizzes online and get immediate feedback on their responses. It allows for hints, explanations, and solutions to be given within the quiz. It was also designed specifically for chemistry. So it allows students to write out chemical formulas and reactions quite easily. It even lets students draw molecules. So I'm pleased that these online chemistry tools and instant feedback have made quiz taking a lot easier and more instructional. |  |
| The software company that makes these online quizzes is called Sapling Learning. They have written specialized chemistry tools and quiz management software. They've also created a lot of pre-made questions and animations. Some textbook publishers offer similar online quizzing but you have to purchase a new textbook, which can be $150 or more. Getting an account with Sapling Learning is $29.99 and then you can use older versions of the textbook online that cost as little as $5 or $10. Sapling Learning is also more advanced than any of the textbook publisher's online quiz systems that we've seen. So Sapling Learning is a better and cheaper way to go. On the home page for this class there is a link to a tutorial on how you can sign up for a Sapling Learning account. |  |
I like to test comprehension frequently rather than waiting for a major test. Most tutorials will have a quiz that immediately follows it. Quizzes not only test what was learned but have some extra activities to test your ability to learn more. There are also some online practice tests that can be done for extra credit. The quizzes and assignments count for 60% of your grade. The mid-term exam and two final exams count for 40%. The mid-term exam is usually done on-campus at the testing center. One of the two final exams is done online using the Sapling Learning system. The other final is usually done on-campus or as an oral final done over the telephone or proctored at another location. Mid-term is worth 10% of final grade. Online final is 10%, and on-campus final is 20%. There will be study guides for the on-campus exams.
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| CHECKING PROGRESS: In the past I had a special Web page that showed what quizzes were received and what your scores were. This had to be maintained manually so there was always a lag time before you knew what quizzes were received and what your scores were. With Sapling Learning, this should not be necessary and you will know immediately your progress and grade by viewing your grade in Sapling Learning. To summarize, you will access all tutorials from the class home page ( http://www.chemistryland.com/CHM130S/ ). All quizzes and graded exercises will be through the Sapling Learning website. Again, the mid-term and final exams are done on-campus. | |
| DEADLINES VS. TARGET DATES: Even though I do not have strict due dates, I do have target dates that give you a pacing that spreads out the learning. I like the course to be flexible to accomodate unforeseen circumstances or irregular schedules. However, if you get too far behind, I will prod you to catch up. If you do not communicate with me and are far behind, I may have to drop you from the course. On the 45th day of class for Spring and Fall semesters, I am required to drop any student who is not making significant progress in the class. I'm not certain what the policies are for Summer classes. Note that the pace of this summer class is twice as fast as a regular semester. That means that you have to read a tutorial or do a quiz everyday (including weekends) to stay on track. | |
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All Maricopa Community College students are expected
to be familiar with the Student Guide that explains the policies, procedures,
and resources for students. A link to the home page for the Student
Guides is below. |
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summary, I think this class is very valuable and enjoyable at the same
time. It's important to be aware of what the world is made of, and at
the same time, this awareness is like traveling to new places and seeing
things you didn't know existed.
Welcome to Fundamental Chemistry. Now, dive in and see what's there. |
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