Preclass
SurveyDr. Henry Jakubowski
GENERAL INFORMATION
TEXT: Introduction to General, Organic, and Biochemistry, 6th ed.; Bettelheim, Brown & March, 2001
TIME: 2:40-3:50 am; Days 1-3-5
ROOM: ASC 104
LAB: Day 1, 8:00 a.m. - 11200 a.m., ASC 202/4
OFFICE: Ardolf Science Center, 245
OFF. HRS: 1:00 - 2:00 p.m on Days 1-3-5, by appointment, or whenever you can find me
SYLLABUS
COURSE OBJECTIVES
CONTENT
1. to understand the states (solid, liquid, gas), types (elements, atoms, molecules, mixtures, solutions), structures and properties of matter
2. to understand and quantitate the relationships between different reactive chemical compounds through writing and balancing of chemical equations
3. to understand how the arrangement of electrons in atoms and molecules (the electronic structure) helps determine
INTEGRATION
1. to develop scientific literacy and an understanding of the role of chemistry in society and in your chosen professions
2. to understand the interrelationship between observations of natural phenomena and the developments of scientific theories to explain them
3. to develop critical thinking skills that you can transfer to your other courses, your profession, and your daily life
EVALUATION PROCEDURE
FINAL GRADE:
EXAM SCHEDULE - TENTATIVE
EXAMS
Three exams (not counting the final) will be given during the semester. The exams will be a combination of multiple choice, short answers, and/or longer problems. The exams might include a combination of take home, group, out-of-class, and in-class exams. Make-ups will only be allowed for certified emergencies. The makeup will be more difficult than the original, and consist of in depth essay questions or problems. The problems may be any combination of oral or written. The final exam will emphasize the material presented after the last exam, but will also be cumulative.
QUIZZES
Many quizzes will be given during the semester. Some may cover assigned readings which were not covered in class. The quizzes will be pre-announced, and take about 10 minutes. Often times, one group grade will be given for quizzes. The grade may be determined by randomly grading one group member's quiz and assigning that grade to all members of the group. Notice that the quizzes, group work, and homework count the equivalent of 1 exam. Take them seriously!
GROUP WORK
In almost every class we will do group work. Because of this, ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY! The group work will vary from informal, ungraded exercises to formal, graded problems. Several homework problem sets will be assigned, which will also be done in groups. All homework will not be graded. Sometimes, random questions will be assigned a grade. Correct answers will be posted on the due date for the homework.
FINAL EXAM
A multiple choice exam will be given during the scheduled final exam time. The final, which is cumulative, will count 20% of the final course grade.
LABORATORY
The lab will count 20% of the grade and attendance is mandatory. Failure to complete a lab or labs, without a valid reason, will have the following consequences on the FINAL COURSE GRADE in all lower division chemistry courses with a laboratory component: 1 unexcused absence - not eligible for S/U grading in the course. Each additional unexcused absence will result in a final course grade reduction equivalent to half a grade, e.g., from AB to B. Completion of a lab or lab equivalent is defined as both attendance at the lab and completion of the requisite written report. NOTE: An unexcused lab will result in an F (0 points) grade for that lab. This grade will be averaged in with the student's other lab grades for the semester when calculating the final laboratory grade. It is this final course grade which will then be lowered by unexcused absences. Students having a valid excuse may reschedule the lab, if possible, only if they notify the laboratory coordinator BEFORE the scheduled lab.
GRADING
What does it take to get an A?
A WAY AROUND A BAD DAY!
Four exams are scheduled for this class (three regular exams and one final exam). I will replace your lowest regular exam score with the final exam score if the final exam score is higher than your lowest regular exam score. In that case, your final will count twice, once as a regular exam and once as the final. This policy is designed to help you if you had a bad day on one exam and to give you motivation to study hard for the final exam.
BOOK
We will follow the book organizational quite closely but I will supplement the material in the book with handouts as needed and a detailed web site which I have created for the class. It will be your responsibility to organize any handouts. I will place extra emphasis on the material that is most critical for your understanding of CH 112 next spring. These topics include acid/base chemistry and intermolecular forces.
COMPUTER USE
We will use computers extensively in this class. This use will include the following applications.
Email: I will use the campus email system to send you announcements concerning the course throughout the semester. Sometimes I will email assignments to you that will be due at the next class period. Since people check their email frequently each day, I will assume that you have all read the messages in a timely fashion.
On-Line Study Guide - OLSG: I have created a web-based study guide (accessible through the course main web page) for this class. It reviews the main contents we will discuss in class. It is meant as an ancillary way to understand the material and is not a substitute for class attendance. It includes graphics, animations, links to other web sites, and interactive molecular models. I will attempt to introduce interactivity into the web pages as described below with several web-based programs. These programs sometimes don't work well, so the extent I use them will depend on many factors. .
On-Line Forms
This is a web-based form that you can fill out and submit. Only I will see what you submit. Try it by filling out the following form before the next class.
Discus -
This is a web-based program which will ask your to electronically answer a question imbedded in the OLSG. These questions will be found immediately after an animated cartoon figure pushing a stone up a hill, as shown below.
Answer the following questions by selecting
it and submitting your answer through
Discussion Forum -
Discus
Click on the question and go to the specific question on the Discussion Forum - Discus. You can type in a response to the question in the Add of Message text box. After you type your message, you must enter your usrname and password.
Select Preview/Post Message to see your message. Then send the final message by selecting Post. Follow the links to view all the posted messages and to change your password. If you have any questions, please let me know. I strongly urge use to submit responses to the Discussion Forum - Discus questions in groups of no more than three. Since the email will come from only one member of the group, make certain that the other members of the group include their names in the group submission. I strongly encourage you to add your own messages about topics in the class that are difficulty or need further clarification. Initiating Discus forums is one way to show participation in class, especially for those who feel less comfortable asking and answering questions in class.
WebCT Quiz -
WebCT
Online Quiz:
WebCT is a program I will use for on-line, self-help quizzes. Select the hyperlink to go to an WebCT. You will be prompted for a usrname and password. Following the instructions below exactly:
Your students' logins will initially use their network login names in ALL CAPS for the WebCT username. Please emphasize the ALL CAPS aspect of this to them. The most common WebCT log-in error students make is using no caps or Mixed Case for their username.
If student has never been in a WebCT course...
The password will also initially be their network login names in ALL CAPS.
If student has previously been in a WebCT course...
The password will be whatever they had used previously.
Revised on September 7, 2001: To take the quiz, click on the link to WebCT. (When there you can personalized your WebCT Homepage and change your password. Follow the prompts.) In the upper left, you will see all the course available to you. Click on Chem. Org. and Biol. Mol. I, which will take you to a new page. Scroll down to the bottom and select Online Quizzes and Surveys. You will see a series of quizzes. Select the appropriate one. Follow the prompts. These quizzes are for your benefit. I will not grade them, but I will record if you have taken them (which I will consider a sign of interest and participation in the course).
ATTENDANCE
Attendance at lecture is expected. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and to be prepared for the next class. If you miss too many classes, your grade will be affected and/or you will be asked to drop the class.
CHANGES IN SYLLABUS
I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus in order to facilitate better learning in the class. Any changes will be announced in class.
Last updated 03/22/2002