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Syllabus |
Course: Honors Chemistry
Instructor: Rick Garcia
Email: [email protected]
Google Classroom Codes (Quarter 3)
sib24wu
Distance Learning Disclaimer
Grades are being submitted for distance learning and will have an impact on your GPA. It is your responsibility to attend and participate throughout distance learning just as you would during a normal school year. I know there will be difficulties however I am going to try my best to run this class as close to normal as possible. We will attempt to solve problems as they arise and adjustments will be made when deemed necessary, however, you should not be counting on any changes being made prior to me actually making them because they are not guaranteed. Work hard no matter what format we are in and let me know well in advance if there are problems you might foresee so we can work together to minimize their potential effects on your learning.
Honors Chemistry is a year-long, college preparatory, physical science course offered to sophomores at Sierra Vista High School. This course will fulfill the requirements for graduation as long as the student earns a D or higher in the course. For a-g requirements to be met, a C or higher must be earned in the course. The intention of the course is to prepare students for a third year of Advanced Placement science courses at SVHS. Additionally, I hope to instill habits that will help all students be successful not only in the course, but in any post-secondary education they enroll in.
Chemistry will cover many aspects of traditional Chemistry course as well as new content on the interactions between Chemistry and the environment. The students will become familiar with the scientific method and engineering cycle through laboratory activities taking place throughout the class.
Grading Scale
90 – 100 %: A
80 – 89.9 %: B
70 – 79.9 %: C
60 – 69.9 %: D
below 60 %: F
Grade Breakdown
CERs, Lab Write-Ups, ALEKS: 20%
Exams: 80%
Homework
Most homework in this class does not earn points, but is not considered optional. Every student is expected to complete all assignments on-time without exception. Almost all assignments will include the answer key so students can determine if they understand how to solve a problem without having to wait for grading. All I ask is that you try the problems. I understand Chemistry problems can be difficult, but you will never learn how to solve them if you do not take the first and most basic step: try them! I suggest solving a problem yourself first and then checking the answer. If you get it correct, great, move on. If not, review your notes and book to determine where you made a mistake and try again. If you still cannot arrive at the correct answer, you will need to ask me for help.
Homework assigned through ALEKS will earn credit so make sure you complete this on time! These programs are meant to provide you with immediate feedback so it is your best bet for learning the material. Of course, in today's digital world, the answers to these online questions are available online, but understand it will be to your detriment to simply copy them and submit correct answers. You will not learn the material this way and in this class it is exams that really decide your grade. Graded homework will not make up more than 10% of your grade.
Please understand, despite the lack of points earned for homework, it is very important all students engage thoroughly with homework in order to be successful in the class. You will have a hard time passing this course without consistent engagement throughout the year.
Exams and Quizzes
Exams will be given every chapter and will cover information covered from only that chapter. However, it is important to keep in mind that content in this course often connects to previous content, so concepts from those earlier units may be essential in understanding and succeeding on all exams. In addition to the chapter exams, every student is required to take a final examination that will cover all content covered for the semester. Students who do not take the final examination will see a large decrease in their grade. SVHS policy does not allow for early final examinations, please ensure you are present for the final or you will not be allowed to take it.
My exams attempt to determine how much you understand and can apply the content to different situations. They are not easy, but with hard work and consistency in completing work, you can be successful. Please be prepared to review for each test; coming in without studying will likely not earn you a good score. I recommend a total of 8 hours of study time per exam (spread throughout a week and a half before an exam). STUDYING IS REQUIRED!!
Occasional quizzes will be issued to assess student learning throughout the chapter. These quizzes may or may not be worth points. Quizzes that are worth points are usually only worth a small amount of points. These quizzes are meant to inform us of your progress in the chapter’s content before the examination is given. Please use them to determine what areas of weakness you have and what you may need assistance in.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are forbidden in this class. Any student caught cheating on any assignment, including exams, will lose all points for that assignment and will not be allowed to make it up. This will likely have a large impact on your grade. In Chemistry, each exam is worth more than a letter grade! Receiving a zero on an exam for cheating will lower your grade dramatically! It is not worth it! Additionally, any extra credit points earned for the semester will be forfeit and you will not be allowed to earn additional extra credit points for the remainder of the semester. Students caught plagiarizing work from another source will receive the same consequences for cheating. Please keep in mind, cheating on exams can potentially affect your grade an entire letter; do not take this risk. Informing other students of possible exam questions is also considered academic dishonesty and will result in the same consequences.
Please keep in mind that written assignments will be checked for plagiarism.
Absence/Tardiness Policy
I understand that we must all, at times, be absent from school to fulfill other important obligations. Nevertheless, you should make every effort to be in class at all times. Missing classes will have an impact on your overall grade. Students who are absent are not excused from completing the work! Upon your return it is your responsibility to gather the work and content you missed, review it, and asks questions if you do not understand it. Often making up work is harder than being in class, do think twice about skipping class for unnecessary reasons! If possible, schedule appointments, vacations, etc at a time when school is not in session.
Absences due to school activities in which the student is on campus DO NOT extend the due date of assignments. You must submit your work to me even if you are not in class. Most of our work will be submitted online, so you should meet the due date. If it is a paper assignment you can submit to me before school starts, submit it to Mrs. Self in room 514 or put it in my mailbox in the front office. For example, if you have a field trip and will be missing class and there was an assignment due that day, upon your arrival to school you should submit the assignment to my mailbox in the front office.
If you are absent from a class on the due date of an assignment, it is your responsibility to submit the assignment upon your return to the class. Failure to do so on the day of your return will make your assignment late and you will not receive a grade for it. Forgetting to submit it on the day of your return will not be considered a valid excuse for not submitting it upon your return.
Students absent from class when an assignment is given will have two days upon their return to complete and submit assignments. Please keep in mind that the class cannot slow down for you, so it will be your responsibility to keep up with the current content while you make up the past due assignments. After 2 days the assignments will be considered late if they have not been submitted. This guidelines only applies for excused absences. Truant students will not have an opportunity to turn in assignments late.
Students absent from a quiz assignment will not be allowed to retake the quiz. You can get a copy of the quiz for study and should, if you missed the review, obtain the correct answers from a classmate. Missed quizzes due to absences will not affect your grade. Ideally you will take the quiz and then review your answers so as to receive the same benefit as the other students. The reason I do not allow you to take the quiz is to avoid you missing additional class time and content. Again, missed quizzes will not affect your grade.
Students absent from an exam will be required to take the exam upon their return. Please keep in mind that I reserve the right to issue a different exam covering the same content and of equal difficulty, but not necessarily the same format and/or questions.
Students tardy to class will not be given extra time for exams and quizzes that have started. Please make every effort to be on time for class so that you have ample time to complete in-class assessments.
All members of groups are required to have copies of the final project for submission. Excuses for late projects because one or more of the group members is absent on the due date will not be considered and the group will receive a zero for the project. In the case that all students from a group are absent, it will be necessary to review attendance records to ensure absences were excused. Students who did not receive an excused absence will receive a zero on the project. If even one group member is on campus at any part of the day, the assignment must be submitted or it will be considered late.
Extra Credit
Extra credit assignments and points may be offered, at my discretion, to the students throughout the semester. At no time will an extra credit assignment be offered for a single student; please do not ask me to give you a special assignment for extra credit points. Any extra credit offered will be done for all students and will be of a nature in which all students can participate. There is no guarantee of extra credit points so please do not rely on them to pass this course. Additionally, should extra credit points be offered, they will never raise your grade significantly. Extra credit is meant to boost grades that are borderline, please do not expect your extra credit points to take you from a C to an A.
As mentioned above, any extra credit points earned throughout a semester can be lost in the event that a student is caught cheating. Additionally, you will not be able to earn any additional extra credit points for the remainder of the semester.
Please keep in mind you will only receive extra credit points if you have submitted all assignments! Late assignments may not earn points towards your grade but must be recorded as submitted for you to receive extra credit.
Lab Make-Ups
Absences for labs are not advisable. Labs have the potential to be dangerous and allowing your student to make up a lab when we cannot devote our attention to them is a recipe for disaster. For this reason, students are not allowed to make-up labs during class time. If possible, we can arrange for the lab to be made-up at another time when I can provide proper supervision that enhances the safety of the lab. If arrangements are to be made, it is the student’s responsibility to schedule it with me. I cannot keep labs set-ups out for longer than 3 days after the lab.
In all cases, excused absences will at minimum allow the student to receive an alternative lab assignment that will cover the important concepts.
Lab Safety and Behavior
The following lab rules have been established to help ensure safety during lab sessions. These rules are used throughout the country in science labs to ensure safety. For safety reasons, negligence or willful disobedience and disruption during labs will result in the students not being allowed to partake in the lab and receiving a zero. There will be no warning and no progressive discipline for this issue. Students have been badly injured at other schools during labs because of the natural hazards they pose. We make every effort here at Sierra Vista High School to eliminate all risk to the student, but complete elimination of risk is not possible in any lab. It is vital that all students conduct themselves in a manner that emphasizes safety. Sometimes small incidents become big problems.
Preparing for Lab: Keep the following in mind for our lab sessions. You will need to wear closed-toed shoes for lab sessions. Sandals, flats and other footwear that does not cover the entire foot is not appropriate lab footwear and can result in injury. Students will not be allowed to leave class to obtain and change shoes; any student wishing to change shoes for lab needs to do this prior to coming to class. If a student does not have proper footwear for the lab, they will receive a zero.
Baggy clothing should be avoided; it creates the potential for hazards. Extremely baggy clothing also breaks our school dress code. Clothing that sags (i.e. sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets) will need to be removed or fastened in a way that it cannot cause spills in the lab.
Long hair needs to be tied up so that it does not accidentally find its way into an open flame or chemicals.
Other rules to be followed during labs will be reviewed as a class. Failure to follow these rules will result in an immediate zero for the lab; no make-ups will be allowed.
Parent Updates
Parents are encouraged to review grades on Illuminate, at minimum, every week. You will be able to determine if your student is successfully working through the course. If you have any questions I ask that you email me so we can work together to answer them and help your student have the best opportunities for success.
Please note, at no time do I conduct meetings without prior notification; if you would like to speak to me in person please email (best) or call to schedule an appointment with me. Phone calls are welcome but email is preferred as I can respond faster this way.
Exclusive Spanish speakers can contact Mrs. Betty Jara at extension x2029 for Spanish to English translation. I will be able to respond to her so that she can get back to you. Appointments to meet with me can also be scheduled through Mrs. Jara so we can have translation.
Please note, all meetings will be conducted in the presence of another school official for note taking purposes.
Instructor: Rick Garcia
Email: [email protected]
Google Classroom Codes (Quarter 3)
sib24wu
Distance Learning Disclaimer
Grades are being submitted for distance learning and will have an impact on your GPA. It is your responsibility to attend and participate throughout distance learning just as you would during a normal school year. I know there will be difficulties however I am going to try my best to run this class as close to normal as possible. We will attempt to solve problems as they arise and adjustments will be made when deemed necessary, however, you should not be counting on any changes being made prior to me actually making them because they are not guaranteed. Work hard no matter what format we are in and let me know well in advance if there are problems you might foresee so we can work together to minimize their potential effects on your learning.
Honors Chemistry is a year-long, college preparatory, physical science course offered to sophomores at Sierra Vista High School. This course will fulfill the requirements for graduation as long as the student earns a D or higher in the course. For a-g requirements to be met, a C or higher must be earned in the course. The intention of the course is to prepare students for a third year of Advanced Placement science courses at SVHS. Additionally, I hope to instill habits that will help all students be successful not only in the course, but in any post-secondary education they enroll in.
Chemistry will cover many aspects of traditional Chemistry course as well as new content on the interactions between Chemistry and the environment. The students will become familiar with the scientific method and engineering cycle through laboratory activities taking place throughout the class.
Grading Scale
90 – 100 %: A
80 – 89.9 %: B
70 – 79.9 %: C
60 – 69.9 %: D
below 60 %: F
Grade Breakdown
CERs, Lab Write-Ups, ALEKS: 20%
Exams: 80%
Homework
Most homework in this class does not earn points, but is not considered optional. Every student is expected to complete all assignments on-time without exception. Almost all assignments will include the answer key so students can determine if they understand how to solve a problem without having to wait for grading. All I ask is that you try the problems. I understand Chemistry problems can be difficult, but you will never learn how to solve them if you do not take the first and most basic step: try them! I suggest solving a problem yourself first and then checking the answer. If you get it correct, great, move on. If not, review your notes and book to determine where you made a mistake and try again. If you still cannot arrive at the correct answer, you will need to ask me for help.
Homework assigned through ALEKS will earn credit so make sure you complete this on time! These programs are meant to provide you with immediate feedback so it is your best bet for learning the material. Of course, in today's digital world, the answers to these online questions are available online, but understand it will be to your detriment to simply copy them and submit correct answers. You will not learn the material this way and in this class it is exams that really decide your grade. Graded homework will not make up more than 10% of your grade.
Please understand, despite the lack of points earned for homework, it is very important all students engage thoroughly with homework in order to be successful in the class. You will have a hard time passing this course without consistent engagement throughout the year.
Exams and Quizzes
Exams will be given every chapter and will cover information covered from only that chapter. However, it is important to keep in mind that content in this course often connects to previous content, so concepts from those earlier units may be essential in understanding and succeeding on all exams. In addition to the chapter exams, every student is required to take a final examination that will cover all content covered for the semester. Students who do not take the final examination will see a large decrease in their grade. SVHS policy does not allow for early final examinations, please ensure you are present for the final or you will not be allowed to take it.
My exams attempt to determine how much you understand and can apply the content to different situations. They are not easy, but with hard work and consistency in completing work, you can be successful. Please be prepared to review for each test; coming in without studying will likely not earn you a good score. I recommend a total of 8 hours of study time per exam (spread throughout a week and a half before an exam). STUDYING IS REQUIRED!!
Occasional quizzes will be issued to assess student learning throughout the chapter. These quizzes may or may not be worth points. Quizzes that are worth points are usually only worth a small amount of points. These quizzes are meant to inform us of your progress in the chapter’s content before the examination is given. Please use them to determine what areas of weakness you have and what you may need assistance in.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are forbidden in this class. Any student caught cheating on any assignment, including exams, will lose all points for that assignment and will not be allowed to make it up. This will likely have a large impact on your grade. In Chemistry, each exam is worth more than a letter grade! Receiving a zero on an exam for cheating will lower your grade dramatically! It is not worth it! Additionally, any extra credit points earned for the semester will be forfeit and you will not be allowed to earn additional extra credit points for the remainder of the semester. Students caught plagiarizing work from another source will receive the same consequences for cheating. Please keep in mind, cheating on exams can potentially affect your grade an entire letter; do not take this risk. Informing other students of possible exam questions is also considered academic dishonesty and will result in the same consequences.
Please keep in mind that written assignments will be checked for plagiarism.
Absence/Tardiness Policy
I understand that we must all, at times, be absent from school to fulfill other important obligations. Nevertheless, you should make every effort to be in class at all times. Missing classes will have an impact on your overall grade. Students who are absent are not excused from completing the work! Upon your return it is your responsibility to gather the work and content you missed, review it, and asks questions if you do not understand it. Often making up work is harder than being in class, do think twice about skipping class for unnecessary reasons! If possible, schedule appointments, vacations, etc at a time when school is not in session.
Absences due to school activities in which the student is on campus DO NOT extend the due date of assignments. You must submit your work to me even if you are not in class. Most of our work will be submitted online, so you should meet the due date. If it is a paper assignment you can submit to me before school starts, submit it to Mrs. Self in room 514 or put it in my mailbox in the front office. For example, if you have a field trip and will be missing class and there was an assignment due that day, upon your arrival to school you should submit the assignment to my mailbox in the front office.
If you are absent from a class on the due date of an assignment, it is your responsibility to submit the assignment upon your return to the class. Failure to do so on the day of your return will make your assignment late and you will not receive a grade for it. Forgetting to submit it on the day of your return will not be considered a valid excuse for not submitting it upon your return.
Students absent from class when an assignment is given will have two days upon their return to complete and submit assignments. Please keep in mind that the class cannot slow down for you, so it will be your responsibility to keep up with the current content while you make up the past due assignments. After 2 days the assignments will be considered late if they have not been submitted. This guidelines only applies for excused absences. Truant students will not have an opportunity to turn in assignments late.
Students absent from a quiz assignment will not be allowed to retake the quiz. You can get a copy of the quiz for study and should, if you missed the review, obtain the correct answers from a classmate. Missed quizzes due to absences will not affect your grade. Ideally you will take the quiz and then review your answers so as to receive the same benefit as the other students. The reason I do not allow you to take the quiz is to avoid you missing additional class time and content. Again, missed quizzes will not affect your grade.
Students absent from an exam will be required to take the exam upon their return. Please keep in mind that I reserve the right to issue a different exam covering the same content and of equal difficulty, but not necessarily the same format and/or questions.
Students tardy to class will not be given extra time for exams and quizzes that have started. Please make every effort to be on time for class so that you have ample time to complete in-class assessments.
All members of groups are required to have copies of the final project for submission. Excuses for late projects because one or more of the group members is absent on the due date will not be considered and the group will receive a zero for the project. In the case that all students from a group are absent, it will be necessary to review attendance records to ensure absences were excused. Students who did not receive an excused absence will receive a zero on the project. If even one group member is on campus at any part of the day, the assignment must be submitted or it will be considered late.
Extra Credit
Extra credit assignments and points may be offered, at my discretion, to the students throughout the semester. At no time will an extra credit assignment be offered for a single student; please do not ask me to give you a special assignment for extra credit points. Any extra credit offered will be done for all students and will be of a nature in which all students can participate. There is no guarantee of extra credit points so please do not rely on them to pass this course. Additionally, should extra credit points be offered, they will never raise your grade significantly. Extra credit is meant to boost grades that are borderline, please do not expect your extra credit points to take you from a C to an A.
As mentioned above, any extra credit points earned throughout a semester can be lost in the event that a student is caught cheating. Additionally, you will not be able to earn any additional extra credit points for the remainder of the semester.
Please keep in mind you will only receive extra credit points if you have submitted all assignments! Late assignments may not earn points towards your grade but must be recorded as submitted for you to receive extra credit.
Lab Make-Ups
Absences for labs are not advisable. Labs have the potential to be dangerous and allowing your student to make up a lab when we cannot devote our attention to them is a recipe for disaster. For this reason, students are not allowed to make-up labs during class time. If possible, we can arrange for the lab to be made-up at another time when I can provide proper supervision that enhances the safety of the lab. If arrangements are to be made, it is the student’s responsibility to schedule it with me. I cannot keep labs set-ups out for longer than 3 days after the lab.
In all cases, excused absences will at minimum allow the student to receive an alternative lab assignment that will cover the important concepts.
Lab Safety and Behavior
The following lab rules have been established to help ensure safety during lab sessions. These rules are used throughout the country in science labs to ensure safety. For safety reasons, negligence or willful disobedience and disruption during labs will result in the students not being allowed to partake in the lab and receiving a zero. There will be no warning and no progressive discipline for this issue. Students have been badly injured at other schools during labs because of the natural hazards they pose. We make every effort here at Sierra Vista High School to eliminate all risk to the student, but complete elimination of risk is not possible in any lab. It is vital that all students conduct themselves in a manner that emphasizes safety. Sometimes small incidents become big problems.
Preparing for Lab: Keep the following in mind for our lab sessions. You will need to wear closed-toed shoes for lab sessions. Sandals, flats and other footwear that does not cover the entire foot is not appropriate lab footwear and can result in injury. Students will not be allowed to leave class to obtain and change shoes; any student wishing to change shoes for lab needs to do this prior to coming to class. If a student does not have proper footwear for the lab, they will receive a zero.
Baggy clothing should be avoided; it creates the potential for hazards. Extremely baggy clothing also breaks our school dress code. Clothing that sags (i.e. sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets) will need to be removed or fastened in a way that it cannot cause spills in the lab.
Long hair needs to be tied up so that it does not accidentally find its way into an open flame or chemicals.
Other rules to be followed during labs will be reviewed as a class. Failure to follow these rules will result in an immediate zero for the lab; no make-ups will be allowed.
Parent Updates
Parents are encouraged to review grades on Illuminate, at minimum, every week. You will be able to determine if your student is successfully working through the course. If you have any questions I ask that you email me so we can work together to answer them and help your student have the best opportunities for success.
Please note, at no time do I conduct meetings without prior notification; if you would like to speak to me in person please email (best) or call to schedule an appointment with me. Phone calls are welcome but email is preferred as I can respond faster this way.
Exclusive Spanish speakers can contact Mrs. Betty Jara at extension x2029 for Spanish to English translation. I will be able to respond to her so that she can get back to you. Appointments to meet with me can also be scheduled through Mrs. Jara so we can have translation.
Please note, all meetings will be conducted in the presence of another school official for note taking purposes.