2015
– 2016
Mrs. Savage
Room 239
E-mail: ksavage@dentonisd.org
Phone: 940-369-3183
Pre-AP Chemistry Tutorials: Monday – Thursday from 4:10 – 5:00 pm
E-lunch
Planning Period: 1 st Period
Major Units of Study:
1 st Semester
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Scientific Process/Lab Safety & Equipment

Classification of Matter

Scientific Measurement

Atomic Structure & Intro to the Mole

Electron Arrangement & The Periodic Table

Chemical Bonding & Nomenclature
2 nd Semester

Molecular Structure (Geometry)

Chemical Quantities

Chemical Reactions

Stoichiometry

Behavior of Solutions

Kinetic Molecular Theory & Behavior of Gases

Chemical Energy (Thermochemistry)

Nuclear Chemistry
Required Materials:


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Pencil, pen, highlighter
3ring binder (1” or 1½”)
5 dividers

Spiral notebook (1-subject)
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Notebook paper
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HIGHLY Recommended : graphing calculator or scientific calculator
Grading Policy:
Minor Summative Assessments 30%
Major Summative Assessments 70%
You will have approximately one minor summative grade weekly (sometimes two grades will be given), and three major summative grades per quarter. Although formative assessments are not entered as grades in HAC, they are an extremely important part of the learning process and will be monitored for progress. Grades will be updated weekly, and can be viewed online by parents and students. Please refer to the district website at www.dentonisd.org for further details. Academic dishonesty is strictly prohibited.
Class Attendance & Participation:
Regular attendance in class contributes largely to your academic success!
Remember, attending a class involves more than merely filling a desk; it requires your active involvement during the learning process.
Binder & Assignment Sheets:
You are required to keep a well-organized binder for this class. The purpose of the binder is to help you develop study and organizational skills, as well as to keep you informed of your progress at all times.
You should label your spiral “Chemistry Notes and Warm-Ups.” Your dividers should be labeled as follows:
1) Reference handouts (notes handouts)
2) Daily work
3) Labs
4) Quizzes/Reviews
5) Periodic Tables 
You will need your binder every class period, so please be responsible. Maintaining your coursework in your class binder is imperative to your success in pre-AP Chemistry. It is your record of all that you are learning & working on, so DO NOT lose it! Your binder/assignments are also necessary in order to be eligible for any reassessments needed.

Textbook:
We will have a class set of newly adopted textbooks as a reference tool in the classroom. You will also be given a login for online textbook access (I will provide you with the login information when it is available) so that you may use it on a personal basis to supplement what you have learned in class, or as needed for formative assessment and tutorial purposes.
Warm-Ups:
The warm-up will be posted at the beginning of each class period identifying the learning objectives, agenda, action items to complete (written in red) by the time the tardy bell rings, and any other important info for that day.
Classwork/Homework/Quizzes:
Your daily assignments should be completed in order to ensure mastery of the learning objectives.
Homework is due at the BEGINNING of class as you enter the classroom before the tardy bell rings.
Classwork is due at the END of class when the quote/cartoon slide is posted. All work should be turned in directly to me (NOT placed in a tray, on my desk, or turned in by another student). Quizzes will also be given to measure your ongoing progress and understanding of the daily learning objectives in class.
Labs:
Labs are a VERY important part of this course and vital to learning the information we cover during lectures. You will not be allowed to participate in labs UNTIL you and your parent/legal guardian have read and signed the safety contract. Breaking lab safety rules will result in removal from the lab, an incomplete for the lab, and a detention. You will be assigned to a lab group to complete lab procedures, but you are responsible for completing and understanding the data & lab analysis. You will be assessed on your learning from labs through the use of a quarterly major summative assessment (one of the three major grades) rather than receiving individual lab grades for each quarter.
Wrap-Up and Reflect:
The quote/cartoon slide will be posted towards the end of class to signal that it is time to “wrap it up.”
PLEASE DO NOT PACK UP UNTIL YOU SEE THE QUOTE/CARTOON GO UP! At this time, you will turn in any posted daily assignment(s) if you have not already done so, put your binders away, collect handout(s) for homework and record your homework assignment(s)/reminders in your agenda. After you have completed the tasks and have put away your belongings, sit quietly in your desk and wait for the academic reflection. The purpose of the reflection posted at the very end of the period is to help solidify what we’ve learned in class in order for you to apply the knowledge to future lessons as well as for me to assess how you are growing as a student/class that day. Sometimes the reflection allows extra time to ask additional questions and “crush tomatoes”!
Detentions:
Detentions will be assigned when necessary as a consequence of behavioral/academic concerns and will be served after school in my classroom. Office referrals will be written for repeated or suspendable offenses.
Tardies/Absences:
I do not tolerate tardies !!! The consequences are as follows:
1 st tardy: loss of a privilege coupon if not already used for the grading cycle,
or 15-minute detention (conference) in my classroom if both coupons are already used.
2 nd tardy: loss of a second privilege coupon and a 30-minute detention,
or a 45 minute detention if both coupons are already used;
your parent(s) will also be contacted
3 rd tardy: Thursday night detention (discipline referral) and parent/student/teacher conference
4 th tardy: Second discipline referral, administrative involvement with a parent/teacher conference
I realize this may seem severe, but I truly value each minute you spend in the classroom and it is important that you are here for each and every second! If you are more than 15 minutes (or 6 minutes for skinny blocks) tardy for class, your tardy will be counted as an absence.

If you are absent (excused or unexcused), it is your responsibility to make up any assignments/labs/tests you miss. Information about material covered during your absence should be accessed online or during tutorial times. If an assignment was made before your absence, it is due the day you return to class BEFORE THE TARDY BELL RINGS. If an exam is announced before your absence, you will be expected to take the test with the class when you return. Make-up exams have set dates (refer to the calendar). If the make-up exam is not completed on the scheduled date, an alternate assessment will be given. Make-up labs usually involve using make-up data and often finding/watching a video version of the lab in order to meet the learning objectives. You will have one block day (A-day or B-day, or two total days) to complete your make-up work.
Google Classroom/Online Resources:
This year I will be maintaining my course materials & information in Google Classroom (in lieu of my website) . I have used Edmodo in previous years, and having an interactive online forum has been a very valuable tool for students. You will sign up for this class using your student Gmail account and course code, which I will provide for you on the first day of class. You are expected to enroll in the course by NO LATER THAN the 3 rd block day of class (the 5 th class meeting for 1 st period students).
Restroom/Locker Privileges:
You will be given one sheet containing two privilege coupons each quarter. This may be exchanged for teacher permission to leave the room in an emergency situation only. You may not use another student’s coupon for any reason. A coupon does not guarantee permission will be granted, but your request will be taken seriously. I will keep your signed privilege coupon, and you will need the yellow vest and my red hall pass to leave the room. DO NOT LOSE YOUR COUPON SHEET – it will NOT be replaced!
Classroom Rules:
1. Be on time. You are in your desk doing the warm-up when the tardy bell rings.
2. Be prepared. Have all necessary materials with you before entering the classroom.
3. Be respectful.
I will not tolerate ANYONE who is disrespectful to others.
4. Be safe. Lab safety rules must be followed by all students.
5. Be clean.
Food, drinks and gum are a privilege (not a right).
If I continually see trash left by a class, the privilege will be revoked.
No food, drink or gum is allowed in the lab.
School policies and regulations will be followed in addition to the rules outlined above (refer to the student handbook). This includes (but is not limited to): dress code, attendance, conduct, academic integrity (cheating) and prohibited materials (i.e. cell phones, pagers, mp3 players).
Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken based on individual offenses.
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