American Fork Chemistry Website

Instructor: Mr. Robert Adamson
Classroom: 231 Laboratory: A205
Telephone: 801-610-8800 ext 231
Email: robertadamson@alpinedistrict.org
American Fork High School 2014-2015

AP Chemistry Disclosure Statement

Course Description:

The AP Chemistry course provides students with a foundation to support future advanced course work in chemistry. Through inquiry-based learning, students develop critical thinking and reasoning skills. Students cultivate their understanding of chemistry and science practices as they explore topics such as: atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium.

Classroom Rules and Expectations:

Be Prepared - Come to class ready to learn each day with a reading journal, lab journal, 3 ring binder, pencil, scientific calculator, and text: Brown and Lemay, Chemistry the Central Science.

Be Proactive - Complete your assignments on time and to the best of your ability. It is expected that for every day we have class you will need at least an hour of preparation before class, and then an hour of practice after class. Have questions ready and be willing to help classmates with difficult concepts. Some of the greatest learning experiences you will have will be when you seek to teach a concept to someone else.

Be Prompt - Be in your seat before the tardy bell rings. I will enforce the school’s established attendance policy.

Be Courteous - Show respect to your instructor and to your fellow students in the class. This includes not using any cell phones, i-pods, or anything that serves as a distraction to me, you, or your classmates.

Be Persistent - The concepts presented in this class are often very new and very challenging. Failure only comes when you no longer continue to try.

Be HonestDemonstrate a high level of integrity in your learning. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated.

Be Safe - You will be using hazardous and toxic chemicals in this class. Before participation in any labs, you will be required to know and practice laboratory safety rules and procedures. There is zero tolerance in failure to follow these policies. Doing so will result in an automatic F on your lab and disciplinary action.

If a student violates classroom rules or breaches safety contracts, a verbal reminder will be issued. If the behavior continues, the student will stay after class to discuss the issue with me. Further disruptions will involve contacting parents, school administration, and may lead to removal from the class.

Absences/Make-up Work

You are expected to be in class. Unexcused absences will receive an F on work due that day. If you are absent, and it is excused, you will be allowed to make up missing work by:

- Getting notes from a classmate, and online resources.

- Coming to me before or after school for any extra help.

- Labwork is very hard to make up, DO NOT MISS LAB DAYS.

Work due the day of an excused absence will be due the following class period. Work is due at the beginning of class. LATE WORK MAY BE TURNED IN BEFORE THE TERM EXAM FOR HALF CREDIT!!

Missed labs must be made up BEFORE the exam and can be completed after school during the Science Help lab on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, from 2:30 to 3:30pm. Labwork is very hard to make up, please, DO NOT MISS LAB DAYS.

A missed test due to an excused absence can be made up within 7 days of the exam date and can be scheduled with me. Any test taken after the class will not be subject to the class curve.

Grading:

Your final grade will be weighted on points received for reading/video assignments, classwork, labs, online quizzes, tests, and a student portfolio.

Before Class Readings and Videos. To receive credit for a reading/video assignment it must be done on time. Notes will be checked at the beginning of class. Students who have not completed the reading prior to class will be at a great disadvantage and may not be able to participate in labwork.

Classwork. Students will evaluate their own classwork based on a guided rubric. Any classwork turned in without a grade, or with a grade that does not reflect the work submitted, will be given no credit and may be either re-done or re-graded for half credit up to the day of the unit exam.

Labs. Students will keep a lab journal of all work done in the chemistry lab. This course is very lab intensive and will include at least 16 labs with write-ups. Lab write-ups will be turned in for points and will be based on the lab write-up rubric. College lab credit will be awarded to students with an adequate lab notebook.

Online Homework. All online assignments are worth 10 points, will be taken online, and will be due by the date indicated on the assignment. Homework may be submitted as many times as needed to get a perfect score, and hints are made available when questions are missed more than once. Students will receive immediate feedback as to whether a question was answered right or wrong. Full points are awarded for correct answers on the first attempt, 80% points are awarded for answering correctly on the second attempt. If a question is missed twice, a hint is given on how to solve the problem and if the question is answered correctly 60% points are awarded. 30% points are awarded if the question is attempted but not answered correctly after the hint. Any quiz that is submitted the day the material is covered in class will receive an extra point up to 11/10 points.

Quizzes The first fifteen minutes of class every day will include a quiz. All quizzes are formatted like the AP exam questions and will be discussed and graded in class.

Tests There are four exams in this course, not including the AP exam in May. All exams are in AP format and will use AP grading guidelines. Tests are cumulative such that the fourth exam will cover all the material that will be on the AP exam.

Portfolio Students will be given a portfolio checklist for each unit that outlines the work required before, during and after class. Students will turn in the checklist with a self-evaluation at the end of each unit. Portfolios turned in without a grade, or with a grade that does not reflect the work submitted, will be given no credit and may be either re-done or re-graded by the student for half credit.

Grade Breakdown:

94-100% A 74-76.99% C
90-93.99% A- 70-73.99% C-
87-89.99% B+ 67-69.99% D+
84-86.99% B 64-66.99% D
80-83.99% B- 60-63.99% D-
77-79.99% C+ 59.99% F

Things you should know:

Students can be issued a copy of the textbook – Chemistry: The Central Science 11th edition (Pearson Prentice Hall) – from the textbook depository. Each student will be responsible for the care and condition of the book. Fines will be assessed for loss or damage.

No personal electronic devices will be allowed out during class (cell phones, i-pods, etc.). If I see it in class it will be taken to the front office where a parent may come in to retrieve it. Consider this your verbal warning.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after school from 2:30 to 3:30pm there will be a science help lab available. AP Chemistry students will be required to spend at least 2 hours each term providing tutoring to students in the lab. One-on-one help from me is available. Computers will be available during the help lab to complete the online homework assignments.

American Fork High School complies with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Therefore, no student shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, religion or disability.

Students may not participate in class labs without a signed lab safety contract.