2015-2016 Chemistry Syllabus
Mr. Zeeshan Shaikh
Room A201
Conference Period: 7:20-8:13AM
Tutorials: Tuesday & Wednesday 3:00-3:30PM
It's a Great Day to be a Jacket! Below are the details for my Chemistry course this year. If you have any
questions, feel free to contact me.
Course Description: Welcome to our Chemistry Class! I hope you will find this class rewarding,
interesting, and fun. Please familiarize yourself with the class layout and expectations so you may have a
successful experience in this class. Chemistry is the study of the world around you. We will be studying
matter, energy, atoms, chemical reactions, solutions, and more. In addition, we will spend time in the
laboratory with emphasis on safety, scientific processes and developing critical thinking skills.
Grading:
Grading Breakdown
Daily Grades
20%
Tests/Projects
40%
Lab and Lab Reports
40%
Cheating will never be tolerated in class on any assignment. Your parents will be contacted, both parties
involved in cheating will receive a zero and the grade will not be allowed to be made up. If you need
help on an assignment, ask for help. It is the job of the teacher to make sure that all students
understand the lesson.
Material needed:
You will need a spiral bound notebook, binder or folder for returned papers, electronic device, and
writing utensils every day. Please come prepared!
Making up Assignments:
Lab Makeup day is Wednesday after school. Labs must be made up within 1 week of being
missed. After that, equipment and chemicals are cleaned up and put away.
Late Daily Grade Assignments and Projects will be accepted with the following grade deductions:
1 day late:
-10 points
2 days late:
-15 points
3 days – 1 week:
-20 points
Over 1 week late:
-30 points
Tutorials:
Students are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to attend tutorials. Tutorials are Tuesday and Wednesday 3:00 3:30PM. Chemistry is course that builds on previously learned material. If you do not understand the
material early on, mastering it later in the year will be even more difficult. The moment you begin to
struggle, please seek out help. It will pay off in the long run.
Homework:
Most homework will be completing work left unfinished in class. These may be turned in at the
beginning of the next class and not considered late or the date specified by the instructor. Students are
encouraged to check the calendar on the teacher’s website to see when assignments are due.
Homework assignments are meant to reinforce the concepts learned in lecture and help prepare
students for upcoming formative assessments.
Tests
Regular formative assessments will be given to check for student understanding. I anticipate some type
of assessment weekly. These formative assessments will allow me to more accurately determine where
the student is academically in my class. These smaller assessments will lead up to Unit, Semester, and
Final exams; Exams will be at least every 3 weeks.
Textbooks:
Each student will be given online access to the textbook. Students may also individually check out a
hard copy of the textbook to take home from the textbook office. There is a classroom set that can be
used during class, but does not leave the room.
Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones are NOT to be out unless I indicate that we will be using them. There will be a sign that will
indicate if it is a BYOD day or not. Students that continue to use their cell phone in class will be written
up and referred to the assistant principal.
Remind.com:
Students and their parents may sign up to be reminded about upcoming tests. Current plan is to send a
reminder of a test 3 days before and the day before a test. To register for Mr. Shaikh’s General
Chemistry reminders, send a text to: 81010 with a message of @zshaik.
Google classroom
Chemistry has its own Google Classroom and students will be given the information to enroll the first
week of school. Daily Assignments will be posted and remain on there for those students who were
absent or need to make the work up. Additionally, I will put links to Youtube videos that I think do a
good job explaining concepts covered in class.