HONORS Chemistry Syllabus 2013-2014 Academic Year
Ms. Barnard
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cbarnard@aquinasinstitute.com
What is Chemistry?
A person who studies Chemistry is one who observes matter and its interactions on a macroscopic level,
and seeks to explain those observations based in the particulate model of matter.
How will we do Chemistry?
In this course we will build upon your current understanding of measurement and observation, develop
more sophisticated methods of recording and making sense of those observations, and develop
mathematical and conceptual models of what is happening on the particulate level. Our aim will always
be to develop models to explain behaviors we observe and measure, and connect previous observations
with new insights. You will do so through team lab investigations and individually written lab reports,
completing homework, participating in peer discussion, and formal class presentations. You will have
the opportunity to delve deeper into topics, and will be held to a higher standard in this Honors course.
What do I need to do chemistry effectively?
Attitude-wise, you need to push yourself. The best things in life don’t come easy, and true chemical skill
is no exception. You need to be open to learning collaboratively with your peers, and dedicate time
outside of class to think through homework. You also need to realize when you need help and seek me
out in the first instant you do. Please understand that struggling to think through material means you
are actively engaged in the learning process, and I will not deprive you of that experience.
Materials-wise, you need the following every day in class:
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Writing utensils
Scientific (not graphing) calculator (students are not permitted by New York State to use graphing calculators
on the NYS Regents Chemistry exam)
1 composition notebook with quad-ruled paper (must be quad ruled for graphical analysis) ONLY for Lab (not
for class notes or for another class)
1 ½ inch binder for worksheets (there will be many and a binder is the BEST and most durable way to keep
track of them!)
A notebook of your choosing for notes and scrap paper
Recommended Materials for organization or if you don’t like sharing:
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ACTIVE USE of your agenda and/or smartphone’s calendar and reminder apps. If you have the tools, use them
effectively.
A durable folder to carry reference tables, current worksheets, and homework without the bulk of the binder.
Organization is your call but you will be held accountable for lost or mangled homework.
Dividers for your binder to organize by unit and keep organized throughout the school year
Scotch tape or a glue stick for fixing lab directions, graphs, or diagrams into lab notebooks.
Colored Pencils
How will I be expected to show that I learned Chemistry?
Learning is athletics for your brain. You will have frequent homework during the week on worksheets.
You will be expected to have completed the work on your own and with your best effort. You will also
have weekly online Castle assignments. In class, you will be expected to collaborate with partners to
show, explain, and defend your work, as well as ask your peers about their thinking. You will complete
lab reports on your own after class-wide post-laboratory discussions. You will take quizzes and tests as
suitable for the course. Quizzes will vary in length and may or may not be announced. You will have a
cumulative midterm and a cumulative final exam.
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You will have a cumulative midterm during the week of January 24-31
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A cumulative final exam in June or the Regents Chemistry exam in June.
After each unit test, you will have the opportunity to make test corrections, and earn 1/4 point back per
question. This is the department policy and will not change.
How will I get feedback on how to improve my learning of Chemistry?
Immediate feedback will be through your peers during class discussions, and verbal feedback from me
will often be in the form of a question. You will receive comments and grades on lab reports and I expect
you to use that feedback to improve future reports. Weekly Castle homework assignments provide
additional, content-specific feedback. Your grades will be updated frequently on the online gradebook
with which you should have already created an account for yourself and your parents. Any discussion of
grades must be done outside of class time within a reasonable time frame of receiving the grade.
What else does my fascinating teacher wish me to know?
Why yes, I am quite fascinating, thank you. Be prepared each day and don’t show me and your
classmates disrespect by arriving late. Listen to my instructions because they are meant to keep you out
of harm’s way. Don’t be “that guy” who makes the classroom an unsafe place. This can mean any
physical, intellectual, emotional, or social harm you create for yourself or your peers. Consequences for
such unsafe behavior will be at my discretion and according to the student handbook.
Unacceptable Lab Reports or Projects in my classroom are defined as the following:
Any work that is
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passed off as unique to you without citing sources
primarily someone else’s work even with citing
uncannily similar to another student’s work (both students will receive the same consequence)
other cases at mine and the administration’s discretion
If I find that your work is unacceptable, you will receive a zero for that assignment and additional
consequences will be executed according to the student handbook.
Your quarter average will be weighted as follows:
75% Projects, Tests, and quizzes (each type weighted by point value within the category)
10% Homework and Classwork
15% Lab Conduct, post-lab discussion, and Reports